Experience Rome's Insights and Style

In February 2026 I was in Rome attending RISE, Rome Insights Style and Experience which is a prestigious, invitation only event organized by the tourism office for top luxury travel advisors and suppliers showcasing Rome and Lazio's finest luxury travel, venues, and experiences.

I arrived a day ahead of the meetings and stayed independently at a hotel that I had been wanting to check out for my clients. As travel advisors we like to do site inspections of hotels which allow us to experience a hotel first hand before we recommend to our clients. Corso 281 (part of Preferred Hotels) is a boutique property of only 12 accommodations. It's in the neighborhood I prefer for my clients, The Tridente. I met with the general manager and then checked into my room which was very nicely appointed and could sleep 3. I enjoyed a quiet dinner at a small restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Before turning in for the night, I ordered my breakfast for the next day. The next morning, right on time, my breakfast tray arrived, hot and fresh! Corso 281 is on my recommended list of hotels for Rome.

For the RISE event I stayed near the Vatican at Villa Agrippina (part of Melia Hotels). While this was my first time staying near the Vatican and the hotel was not MY favorite, I do think the hotel would be excellent for families with young children because there is a pool and landscaped grounds. The breakfast room had a buffet only accessible by 4-5 steps, so it was a challenge with a plate and glass of juice. My room had an odd shower/tub combination and too much furniture for my tastes.

The B2B meetings for the event were held over 2 mornings at 2 top hotels in the city allowing us a chance to see these hotels firsthand. We got to be driven to our meetings in vintage Italian cars! After lunch they divided the group into smaller groups and took as to historic palaces and iconic sites to artisan workshops where Made in Italy comes to life. True Roman experiences! I toured Teatro dell'Opera di Roma one day and attended a mosaic tile workshop at Rinascente Department store. Did you know there is a hidden Roman Aqueduct inside? We enjoyed a dinner attended by the mayor of Rome held on the terrace of the Capitoline Museum. 

After the time in Rome I went with a group of 10 travel advisors to explore the town of Bracciano. En route we stopped for lunch at a family owned winery about 40min from the city of Rome. We stayed at the charming Vigna Caio Relais & Spa a luxury 5-star boutique hotel and wellness retreat overlooking Lake Bracciano. The resort has the feeling that you are staying in a private country estate. We enjoyed a delicious dinner with a local 3 piece band and singer entertaining us. They were excellent.

The next morning we toured the castle which is the castle where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were married in 2006. It was not at all crowded and was very well preserved. 

After lunch at a local trattoria we drove out to the Roman burial site, Etruscan-Roman Necropolis of Sutri, the Banditaccia Necropolis in Cerveteri. It's a fascinating UNESCO Heritage site. It details the spiritual evolution of the Etruscan civilization into the Roman era. Then back to Vigna Caio for a cooking class with the chef. I got to experience a massage at the spa then we had a wonderful farewell dinner at the resort. The next morning we said arrivederci!