The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-03-01
HOTEL LIFE IN ROME.

Rome are Ialr sample OF all OInerS IN
Italy and France, and many other Euro
pean countries as well. The same gen.
eral arrangement and manner of con.
Quoting them is carried out everywhere; ;
and, as TO the food, the table dhOte of
one hotel differs from that of any other
of the same class in some other city only
in few minor particulars, and it is fair
to presume that what is eaten in one
hotel is partaken of in every other.
! We have what are known as hotels on
the European plan in America, but they
are not at all like those here, and it
seems strange that such name should
be applied to them. IL is doubtful
whether a hotel conducted strictly AS
those here would be successful in the
States, so different is the life there, and
then we do not have that constant float
ing population of sight seers going from
one city to another, spending few
weeks at hotels in each. as ia usually the
case over here. What, for instance.
would Italy be without the tOurists-or
rather without its ancient art and ruins,
which attract SO many persons every
year, filling its principal cities with
thousands of persons, all come with the
same Ohiect-tO see sights-and who
live in hotels and pensions leaving
a mint Of money in the land in exchange
for their nourishment and for the nu
merOuS curIOsities presents, works of art
and souvenirs that they purchase? They
even visit the smaller towns like Silena:
Perugia and Ferrara in all of which no
tells will he found on the same plan a.
those in Rome: though of course, not
quite as nice nor as clean perhaps.
AT all railway stations hotel omnibus
~ meet all trainH, ut people very often
prefer to take carriage to the hotel, as
1t is quicker and cheaper. The hotels
charge at least one franc. and often 80
cents for each person conveyed from
the station. whereas the price of a cab
holding four persons seldom exceeds
one franc for the course and party.
Small trunks can be carried on the cabs:
but large ones must be conveyed either
| by the hotel bus or fdcchiRO, who
transports Them for small fee on a
Eandcart. There are no baggage express
companies in Europe, and it must be ad
mltted that, though more trouble. one
gets ones baggage here much quicker
than in America, where trunks seldom
reach the hotel until two or three hours
hi'Ni 'l'N'' "" NV hillNdls AL Cllltt
through I'aly are walled, and the Gus
tom House must be passed before enter
ing them. The only dutable articles,
however, when going from one city to
ano her, are eata bles, cigars, wines etc
and the inspection is farce, but for
maIity that must be gone through with.
When the owner of the trunks is with
them they are seldom opened, a mere
declaration sufficing; but if conveyed
by a fdcchinO or the hotel bus the KEYS
to them must be sent or the Custom
House officials will not let them pass
through the gate.
When one arrives at a hotel a number
of porters and walters appear. and each
takes in a satchel or some hing. There
is no dignifipd hotel clerk to shove the
register at one and condescendingly of.
fer pen, but the traveller makes known
what Accommodations he requires either
to the proprietor himself, standing in
the hall with welcoming smile and
many bows, or to the chief porter, who
acts as his deputy, and who performs
various duties thai would be beneath
the dignity of an American hotel clerk
The proprietor, or sometimes, the head
waiter, shows the rooms, all of which
contain small iron bedsteads, one in the
single rooms and two in the double
rooms, and the ordinary hotel furniture.
with heavy curtains at both windows
and doors. When the weary voyageur
ia comfortably settled one of the waters
brings him small blank book and a
pencil and politely requests him to sign
his name.
Sun is the great desideratum in Rome
and sunny rooms are much sought after
in winter and considered by far the
the most desirable and healthy. As
there are not many rooms into which
the sun shines all day, the average hotel
proprietor is apt to assure the traveller
hat his rooms are all sunny, at least
during part of the day, and it is well for
the stranger to carry a pocket compass
with him and see that his room faces
due south if he wishes to have the full
benefit of the Italian winter sun, and
thus save much expense for fuel and
possibly for doctors bills. Most of the
hotels of the first and second class in
Rome have elevators, not large, swift
running steam ones like ours, but small
hydraulic lifts as the English call them
which are very great convenience, and
render the rooms of the fifth floor. which
is generally near the roof the most de
sirabIe, as there the sun shines all day
whereas, on account of the narrow
ness of the streets, it only reaches the
lower floors during two or three hours
There are no bell boys in European ho-
tells; no ice water is ever served, except
in very warm weather, when the pro.
, prietoE. VII 7pssssEve it free a
breal ffV 6nOling tinklt
of '.Re ben. boy comes
with Qer's thirst i,
never - u dnlfesas answering
bells, etc, are performed either by tn,
walters or porters,o of whom there many
and the service is generally better thar
in America; the servants are more aIten
{ tive and know and keep their place bet
ter; to be sure, they all expect fees wher
the traveller leaves. and though servic,
is charged for in the bills of most Euro
pean hotels, it is understood that it doe
not really pay for attendance; ;but is onl,
( the foreign way of adding so much t
D the price Of the room. In anticipation
e OF small fee each, the head waiter. tn
- chief porter and the travellers own par
J ticular porter and waiter all do man,
= little things to make his stay agreeable
n and in quiet and obigiDg manner
e without the insolence and importance
OF our colOred servants. The chief port
e er, who is sometimes called concierge
and who gene. lly speaks smaI
>, amount of five or six languages, has
d small desk in the entrance hall, wher
a he is to be found all day and until lat
n at night. He receives the mail and dis
= tributes 1t; opens the door with boz
e every time guest goes out, and engag
!. es cab for him and explains to tn
= driver where he wishes to go if his Italia
n is more limited than the pOrter's Eng
lish, or he calls the lit man if absen
It when the elevator is needed, and he re
s ceives the cards of visitors, explain
II the sights Of Rome to the ignorant tour
ist who have no 'Baedecker;' sells per
mits for the Vatican and other galleries
and performs multitude of duties il
y cludiDg all those of the clerk and man
others besides.
!, As to the price of board in Roman he
- tells, that varies according to the clasi
10 Nearly all the hotels in Italy recely
guests for week or more en- pension a
1t is called, that is. so much a day, pay
u able weekly, however. The first ella.
n are all over twelve francs a day, Will
it the price OF pension at the second ella.
~ hotels. which are nearly as good, doe
!, not exceed that sum, which we may sa
a. is equal to $l2 or $l5 week. There al
10 other hotels, well suited to people {
70 =, more limited means, which do not charg
{, y more than so week for board, Thes
20 prices sIe current this year, when, o
. ~ account of the Pope's jubilee, they hav
'. been raised somewhat. In other citit
70 Of Italy, of course il is not as expe nsiv,