bcteachers

Hello,

I've done a fair amount of research on the topic and am still undecided on our Rome hotel portion of our trip..
Piazza Navona seems like a great area to be in.

We (husband and I) are looking for a hotel or b&b with a bit of character and a nice breakfast, preferably in a garden or terrace setting.
It would also be a bonus if our room could have a balcony.

We will arrive mid-May and our budget is 250-300 Canadian per night.(or a bit more for a special place).
Thank you!

sandralist

You'll probably get more helpful answers if you convert that amount into euros.

Romans are not all that fond of balconies and around the piazza Navona it is hard to find buildings with an interior garden. (Italy is built on the principle of the shared public piazza.) Roof terraces are a bit more available, and you up your chances of finding one in a moderately priced lodging if you are willing to rent an apartment.

Also, a "nice breakfast" by North American standards is a big of a rarity in Italy. Most Italians eat a pastry with their coffee for breakfast, and that's eat. Hotels and B&Bs generally offer cereals, yoghurts, sliced cold cuts, juice and and bread. Amazingly, most hotels are the only places in Italy where you can get a truly dismal cup of coffee. So if you enjoy a "nice breakfast" on vacation, it is another reason to rent an apartment.

Here is an agency I like to use to rent apartments in Rome, and here is a list of their apartments with terraces:

http://www.romeloft.com/tag/terrace/

Here's a list of their apartemnts near the piazza Navona

http://www.romeloft.com/accommodation/piazza-navona/

nytraveler

There are not a lot of gardens and a limited number of terraces right near the Pza Navona, although agree that the historic center is the best place to stay. And rooms with balconies are quite limited.

if you check out a couple of search engines that allow you to look for specific amenities you could identify potential options and then check budget sites to see which might fall within your budget. You can search here for a lot of recos from specific experience - but most hotels will not have these amenities - since many are in buildings at at least a couple of hundred years old..

nytraveler

The Albergo del Senato is nearby and well regarded. They have a roof terrace and a couple of rooms (more expensive ones) have a balcony or small terrace - plus many views of the Pantheon. But it's a more luxurious 3* property and may not fit your budget - although it might be worth checikng for discounts, esp in May.

Fra_Diavolo

The Hotel Raphael is about a block off the Piazza Navona. An American buffet breakfast is served on the rooftop restaurant, and some rooms have terraces -- but, alas, it's all for a price. You would have to significantly stretch you budget. http://www.raphaelhotel.com/Welcome-...el-in-rome.htm

Dukey1

I'd also recommend the Albergo del Senato for a number of reasons. Personally, the last place I would want to stay would be ON the Navona but to each their own.

bvlenci

You'd be very unlikely to find discounts in May, which is full high season. High season in Rome is Easter through the end of June, then September through All Saint's weekend (beginning of November), then Christmas through Epiphany. July and August are shoulder season.

tuscanlifeedit

I always recommend the Hotel Portoghesi. It is a block or two from the Piazza Navona, on a fairly quiet little street. It's a nice hotel, in your price range with a very good, and somewhat extensive for Rome, breakfast buffet. The breakfast room is on the top floor, with a very modified terrace type set up, but you can snag a table outside in nice weather. No balconies.

A block beyond there is the Hotel due Torri, where the top floor rooms have small balconies.

I think the Portoghesi is the nicer hotel, and the breakfast room with lots of sunshine is by far the nicer, but if the balcony is really important, they have them at the due Torri.

Both of these hotels should be within your budget.

http://www.hotelportoghesiroma.it/

The above website shows a room with a terrace. If it's in your budget, go for it.

http://www.hotelduetorriroma.com/

As I said, both of these are very very close to the Piazza Navona, and both should be within your price range. I'm not sure why the Albergo del Senato and other more expensive hotels are the only ones recommended in this area, but I've stayed in both of these and would go back to either. I put clients in the Portoghesi many times.

For and even cheaper option but still nice, with terraces, you have the Hotel Parlamento. Still close to Piazza Navona but a few short blocks away.

tuscanlifeedit

Forgot this one:

http://www.hotelteatropace.com/

Steps off the Piazza Navona, some balconies, negligible breakfast. When I was there, it was a delivered tray. Not sure if it's still the same. No elevator, can be noisy.

If you can get a balcony at any of the other hotels I listed, you will, I think, like them better.

HappyTrvlr

There is a hotel in Rome with a courtyard garden but not near Piazza Navona, the Hotel Ponte Sisto.
Also, near Piazza Navona,there is a new hotel, Palazzo Navona.

cmstraf

We have heard very good things both about the Albego del Senato and Hotel Raphael (both out of our budget).

"Our" hotel is Hotel Due Torri, which is within your budget. I haven't seen the Portughese but prefer the location of Due Torri on a small cup-de-sac, not far from the Porughese.. One of the fifth floor rooms (501) has a large balcony. The room itself is small but charming, there is an immaculate postage stamp size bathroom--you enter the terrace through the bathroom. Public area is charming and the breakfast is very good. Terrace has lovely views of rooftops of city and the rooftop garden of the Hotel Raphael.

I agree I wouldn't stay ON the Piazza Navona. Due Torri is about 5 minutes away, half way between the Piazza Navona and the river, about a 25 minute walk away from the Vatican.

Fra_Diavolo

Seconding the Portoghesi. Stayed there a few years back and was very pleased. The short walk to "tourist central" is a nice buffer.

Blueeyedcod

The Portighesi has a room with a terrace but it's pricey - 330 euro per night - it's like a suite. Wish Rick Steves hadn't found it actually - I love that hotel and would rather it stayed 'hidden' lol

pctraveler

We stayed last spring at the Residenza Canali ai Coronari, Via dei Tre Archi 13, situated at the "top end" of Piazza Navona. One obvious caveat is that they only have a terrace for "special" rooms that we didn't book. The second is that the "room/s with a terrace," as I recall, was/were on the 5th floor and this small hotel does NOT have an elevator. It is quaint, has a good breakfast, but all those steps (61 to our 3rd floor room) were burdensome at the end of a long day of trekking around the city.

We are staying next month at the Hotel Campo de Fiori, located, logically enough, on the piazza of the same name, just south of Piazza Navonna. We have not stayed there, but several Fodorites have spoken well of their terrace, and so we are looking forward to our stay.

msteacher

Yes, the Hotel Campo dei Fiori is lovely. It has a beautiful rooftop terrace, and serves a nice buffet breakfast. Location is outstanding, and one could easily spend hours enjoying the rooftop terrace. I'm not sure what the current rates there are, but I'm afraid it might be above the OPs budget.

eastave

Hotel Campo de Fiori is lovely, their apartments are not. We stayed in both on different trips. The apartment we were in was terribly noisy until around 4am, and was a disaster for our trip. The hotel must have some sound proofing, because we didn't have the same problem there.