Franklin Feel The Sound

Entrance
A fairly narrow building in a small street in the Prati district, the Franklin is easily identified by its big white flag flapping against a pink façade bearing the name of the hotel. When illuminated in different shades of violet and blue in the evening it could almost be mistaken for a concert stage.

Two torches frame the entrance which is protected by an electric door and, as if you were entering an apartment block, the entrance takes you to a staircase leading up to the hotel and a frame crammed with reviews, messages and photos of the stars and musician friends who have stayed at the hotel.

To the right a metal ramp leads down to reception area, which is set slightly below ground level. This is a fairly minimalist area with a glazed floor and an amusing set-up of a laptop on top of a huge base drum serving as the reception desk
In the middle of the room, a Paiste cymbal, a clear case covered in sweets and two blue metal benches make up the furniture whilst a CD library with over 400 titles stretches the full length of one of the walls. The collection covers the main musical genres with an emphasis on all types of pop and jazz. Pastries and fruit juices are left out for the guests in the afternoon.

The breakfast room is behind reception and leads to the terrace at the rear of the building.

The rooms
Although not particularly spacious, the rooms are simple and well laid out and the use of solid, warm materials, such as very soft light wood, for all the furniture and flooring, renders them immediately welcoming. The white striped bed linen is covered by a blue velvet bedspread and two pillows. A nod to the musical theme, some of the rooms have “drum” bedside tables.

The remainder of the room is pleasantly neutral with photos of musicians on the white walls and frosted glass lights. The ceilings can be high but a white voile canopy hanging over some of the beds adds a cosy, romantic touch.
The bathrooms are pleasant and practical, with terracotta floor tiles, modern taps and shower.

Room types
The hotel has six types of room: pop, rock, blues, jazz, soul and Peter Pan.

Moving up the range, the size increases as does the range of additional services on offer: ZEN beauty products, Bang & Olufsen CD, DVD player, free Sky channels, aromatherapy or even a free mini bar.  The Peter Pan rooms are especially equipped for children with their own child-friendly gadgets, cartoons and a PlayStation 2.

There are also two larger rooms on the ground floor with private shrub-bordered terrace and table, chairs and parasol. Three rooms on the first floor share a terrace to the rear of the building.

The rear of the building looks onto a fairly open courtyard surrounded by modern apartment blocks, a beautiful villa and, in the distance, the tree-covered slopes of Monte Mario. With its solid metal fire escape, this courtyard has a touch of New York about it. The rooms are very quiet. Half of them look out onto the road, the other half the courtyard, and none are directly overlooked.

Breakfast
Served in a very minimalist setting with glazed floor, white walls, frosted glass tables and blue metal benches, breakfast at the Franklin is a particularly invigorating gourmet experience.

The products on offer are top quality, with artisan jams in unusual flavours, a wide range of salamis, honeys, different types of bread, crisp mini-croissants and a selection of teas and juices.

There is a citrus press on hand for freshly squeezed juices and a juicer for the preparation of other juices such as carrot. Arrive early and you will be lucky enough to taste a homemade tart just out of the oven.