Aventine Hill hotels
 

I'd love to get feedback on staying at one of the Hill hotels. I understand that it would be a bit of a haul to get to tourist sites, but we're looking for someplace very quiet. Aventine may work for us, but I don't read a whole lot about it. Would much appreciate any input on specific hotels (including specific rooms) and whether people have enjoyed this location. Thanks in advance.

We stayed at the Villa San Pio a couple of years ago and loved it. It is not the most central location for the major tourist sites but really not that bad IMO. I'm a firm believer that walking is the best way to explore a city.

The hotel was beautifully appointed, and we loved that the area was so quiet.I believe it's one of Rome's nicest residential areas. There are actually a number of interesting sites in the neighborhood, and we spent our first afternoon exploring them. Due to a late arrival, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant the first night,and it was surprisingly good. The hotel is a jewel and I would certainly recommend it.

Thanks very much for your prompt reply and glad you so enjoyed your stay. May I ask if you'd considered other area hotels as well (S Anselmo for instance)? How did you choose S Pio? And did you book directly or use some other agent? Thanks for any more detail you can offer.

I chose the Villa San Pio from their website www.aventinohotels.com because I liked the decor the best and the price was in the mid-range of all four hotels. I believe the Sant' Anselmo is the most expensive, then the Villa San Pio,followed by the Aventino and finally the Villa San Lorenzo Maria. I booked directly through their website and they frequently offer special rates.

I'd be happy to try and answer any other questions you might have.

HT: I have a question, if you don't mind.

I've always wanted to stay in this area. Was there a range of restaurants within walking distance of the San Pio?

There are several restaurants in the area. Give me some time to check my notes and I'll post some of them.

All I could find is a list of restaurants that I made prior to our trip. I believe the hotel also provides a list of nearby restaurants. There are, surprisingly, a number of places in the neighborhood as well as in Trastevere which is about a ten minute walk or there is a direct bus. Just off Via Marmorato, the area of Testaccio has a number of good places to eat. The restaurants in the neighborhood and in Testaccio tend to be filled with locals rather than the tourist mobbed places in the center of Rome. Much perferable IMO. Here are a few suggestions.

Taverna Cestia
Apuleius
Perilli
Il Cantinore
Ristorante Villetta
Checchino dal 1887
Volpetti
Felice
Luna Piena

HT: From the map it looked as if one could walk easily to Testaccio from the SanPio. That area is great for eating and your list certainly offers many great choices. Do you remember how long the walk takes to Testaccio from the hotel?

I showed my usual Italy travel partner the link to the hotels that you provided and we were both happily surprised as to the value as compared with hotels in the more central, "usual" tourist areas--Navona, Pantheon, Trident, etc. For most of the dates I looked at, doubles were 150 euro. I am going to consider it for my next trip to Rome. Many thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Thank you so much for the responses.
I've written to Aventinohotels, but haven't heard back. It's so difficult to tell much from the website, i.e. which of the hotels is likely to be the best fit for us. I know we absolutely need a king ("matrimonial") bed, and I like bathrooms that have separate shower rather than shower/tub combination. And it's so very important that accommodation be as quiet as possible, from inside noises as well as outside. Would be interested in learning if A/C was quiet (and strong), whether elevator or neighbors could be heard, etc. I get the feeling that there's little street noise-- great-- but what about internal noise? E.g. do many families stay there?
Also: Does anyone happen to know how the Aventine Hill area compares in location to the area where The Duke Hotel is? I know that both are away from usual tourist sites, but I don't know which is more/less convenient.
Very appreciative of feedback!

Can anyone tell me whether the bells on the various churches and monasteries ring through the evening and night? Thank you.

A quick reply to some of your questions:

I never noticed church bells ringing through the night, but then I love the sound and it would not have had a negative effect on me. We were there at the end of September and the weather was still very warm. Once again, I don't specifically remember the air-conditioning, but the room temperature was fine. There were no children staying at the Villa San Pio when we were there nor was the elevator or other room noise a problem. Absolutely no street noise, but that can be dependent on location of the hotel.

I can appreciate your specific qualifications, but I feel you may be disappointed if they are not all met. To that regard, my opinions and thoughts may well differ from yours. I have no information on the Duke Hotel. I hope you find all that you're looking for in a hotel and wish you the best on your stay in Rome. You might try emailing or even calling the hotel with your requests.

For ekscruncy: I think it's about a ten minute walk to the Testaccio area.

Thanks, History Traveler! I will keep it on my list for a trip in what I hope will be the not-too-distant future!

Poss: Unless I my memory is deceiving me, I do not think that the word "matrimoniale" in reference to Italian bed size means a king bed. I also think that you are going to have a difficult time avoiding hearing the sound of church bells at night in Rome...

......I should have added that, in my experience, matrimoniale means a double bed..literally a "marriage bed."

Have you considered the HIlton, which is a bit out of the city but with a shuttle bus to Rome center? Might be quieter and should have king beds.

Almost all beds in Italy in rooms given to two adults sharing one room are actually slightly wider than king-sized beds, mainly because they are two twin beds pushed together. If you ask for matrimoniale, the two beds will be secured together and made up with "king-sized" bedding. If you request, the beds can be separated into twins and clothed as twins.

My husband and I are both close to six feet (me a bit under, him over) and we have always been comfortable in bed in Italy (not so France or Britain) and we have never had a "matrimoniale" divorce us unexpectedly (although I have heard stories).

That has certainly not been my experience in Italian hotels! Although I have encountered the two-twins-pushed-together scenario, most of the time I have been given a bed more similar to a US double or queen, when booking a double room for two persons.



And when buying sheets in Italy, isn't the term matrimoniale used to mean a bed more similar to a US double or queen size?

historytraveler: Thanks so very much for checking back periodically and for being kind enough to answer my questions pointedly and in detail-- really appreciated. I know what you mean about one person's take on something not necessarily jibing with another's; but I sure do appreciate the input. I do hope I can learn more about whether those bells chime at night. I love the sound of water lapping on the shore for instance, and the "Largo" from XERXES. But even those lovely sounds I'd not like to hear at night(though I know many people would). I've written to the Aventino e-mail, by the way: no response in about a week. (Likewise another hotel I've heard good things about: Capo d'Africa. No answer even though I've sent repeated e-mails. Odd....)

ekscrunchy: Others have mentioned the out-of-the-way Hilton as well. It may have to come to that, but I'd prefer not. Don't want to have to depend on a shuttle or cab for everything.

Thanks again to all responders.

ekscrunchy,

did you count the number of legs under your bed? Actually, I'm surprised by your experience of double or queen sizes in Italy. I've yet to encounter anything but the matrimoniale when booking a double, whether it was hotels or b&bs.

The king sized bedding I brought with me from the US is too small for the beds I ended up having.

By the way, ekscrunchy, I saw this book advertised and thought you might be interested:

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Younger-L.../dp/1594488657

Patricia Willard wrote a book on the same subject.

poss,

I don't know your price range, but you might check out the Westin Excelsior. We spent a couple of nights there and our room was large and beautifully decorated;however, Mr. History thought it a bit over the top. The hotel is a bit more central than the Aventine Hill hotels but not in a particularily busy area...several blocks from the Spanish Steps. The room, I'm almost certain, had a king bed and the large bath had both a shower and a seperate tub. Although we were not on a street side, there was absoluetly no noise (double-paned windows?) and the air-conditioning worked well. They did seem to be very busy at breakfast. The only problem might be in the price.

Thanks, Ms History. The Westin looks wonderful, and I think I could deal with the "over the top" aspect. Other people have mentioned that hotel as being quiet as well. It's definitely more than we can spend, alas. I've written to the Aventino group, but still no response. It's frustrating. (I suppose I should just bite the bullet and spend the money on an overseas phone call, but there's no reason-- that I know of-- why they shouldn't answer email.)

The reason may be short staff during August -- but I still think it's no excuse and would make me worry about responsiveness and service in other respects.