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Pope Pilgrims Fill Hotels, Head To Campgrounds

Where: Via Borgo Pio 164, Rome, Vatican City, 00193

It is now officially too late to get a hotel room near St. Peter's Square. At Hotel Della Conciliazione, which is just steps away from the square, a hotel worker started locking the door to prevent any more pilgrims from demanding rooms.

"The night the Pope died, the phone got crazy and it has not stopped," said Franco Nero, 56, who works at the front desk.

The hotel's 65 rooms were all occupied by last Friday, and yet Nero still fields 400 calls a day for reservations.

A campground that can hold 200,000 has been set up outside the city, and two buildings in Rome are being equipped with 5,000 beds, all to accommodate the influx of pilgrims.

Related Stories:
·   Rome Hotels Lock Doors [NY Daily News]

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More Pope Funeral Hotel Hype

So it appears Rome hotels are hiking prices to take advantage of the influx of more than two million expected mourners in Rome this week.

The association, Codacons, said in a statement it had received complaints from people "denouncing certain hotels, bars and restaurants in the St. Peter's Square area that have raised their prices over the past hours."

Jeez. To think, the Pope, who helped bring down Communism during his life is now spawning a Super Bowl-eque week of capitalism in Rome.

Isn't it ironic...dontcha think?

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·   Rome Hotels, Bars, Hiking Prices For Pope's Funeral [Travel Channel]

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Are You A Cardinal?

Where: Are You A Cardinal?, Vatican City, Vatican City

You bet your sweet ass I am.

Isn't that the only acceptable answer to the cardinal question? Wonder if the receptionist at the Casa Santa Maria is asking folks that question as they check-in to the official Cardinal hotel in Vatican City this week.

Casa Santa Maria, the hotel John Paul built, is holding the biggest Cardinal Puff party of all time.

The $20 million hotel inside the Vatican comes equipped with 110 suites, with marble floors, on-call chefs, doctors, and, of course, a bronze bust of JPII to greet the 117 cardinals upon their arrival. Good thing the Pope didn't skimp on the renovations, the College of Cardinals will have to camp out at the property until they can come to a two-thirds majority agreement on a new Pontiff.

Wait, 110 rooms for 117 cardinals? Which seven will get the shaft? Time to pull out the shot glasses and find out which seven are the impostors.

Related Stories:
·   Accomodations Improve For Arriving Cardinals [NY Times]
·   John Paul II, Hotelier [Gridskipper]
·   The Real Cardinal Puff Rules! [brewthis.com]