Sunshine1

Hello,
Would anyone recommend either the Hotel San Carlo(Spanish Steps Area) or the Hotel Residenza in Farnese (Campo di Fiori area)in Rome? These are the two hotels that I can find the best reviews on in our price range which is around 160 euros at the most. This is our Honeymoon , so we want a decent hotel, although we can skimp a little on this one since prior to Rome we are doing really nice hotels. I've heard the Spanish steps area is just okay, so wondering if the other location would be better? Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

SusanP

I haven't stayed at either of those hotels, but just based on location, I would definitely choose the Campo de' Fiori area. Close to a lot of what you'll want to see, you can walk to many things, lots of good bus connections, scads of nice restaurants closeby, great ambience.

Flame123

I have stayed at San Carlo several years ago and was not pleased. We had a beautiful room with a separate loft area with two more beds for our two children. The rooms were very clean. But that is where the "good" runs out. The hotel's location by the Spanish Steps is not the greatest, if you want to see the sights around Pantheon, Piazza Navona, etc. I would choose someplace in that area (and I have, for my upcoming trip in October) instead.

The hotel staff were completely inept and unhelpful (we stayed for 5 nights and the only English station on TV, CNN, was not working - even though we requested them to fix it daily, they never did manage, in 5 whole days). This is unacceptable to me. Breakfast was a joke. Bad coffee and some croissants. When travelling with 2 hungry teenagers, this was not enough, even for adults actually. The hotel has an elevator but for some strange reason they do not let guests use it. Our room was on the very top floor and we had to climb about 5 long flights to get there. Not a problem usually but after long days climbing all over Rome, it was unwelcome.

I would suggest teatro pace 33, portoghesi, or a new B&B which may be open by then (it was supposed to be open in April but has run into some beaurocratic red tape) called Best B&B. I have not been to any of them but have reservations for October in two of them (one is a back-up in case Best B&B is not open yet) and they all have great reviews on trip advisor. All in the Pantheon/Piazza Navona area and pretty much in your price range, depending upon when you will be going.

Good luck.

TravelFreak168

The Fiori is area is probably a bit better in that almost every notable place of interest except the Vatican is walkable from there.

Saying that, we DID walk the area from Fiori to the Spanish Steps a couple of times, so it shouldn't really be a big problem either way!

tonianyc

My preference is the Spanish Steps area, because it is a very clean part of town, with an aristocratic feel to it, taxi stand nearby, currency exchange, metro station, and walking distance (10 minutes or so) to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, etc. I've tried on each of my five trips to Rome to liken the Campo dei Fiori/Piazza Navona and Trastevere areas but find that they are not as clean and not as safe, but that's just my 2c ents.

The San Carlo has been perfect for me, mainly due to its excellent location, but it may not be good for others who prefer a more luxurious experience.
I didnt mind the lack of elevators too much, but I could understand how the elderly or someone who isnt physically fit would find it an annoyance.

If I could splurge I would treat myself to the Hotel Russie.