Anyone ever hear of or stay at one of these four hotels. They look really nice, but seem out of the way in Aventine Hill. http://www.aventinohotels.com/ingles...e_aventine.htm

We stayed our last night in Rome at HOtel Villa S. Lorenzo Maria, which is billed as being close to Termini. Relative term. It's a nice enough hotel but it's in a dumpy neighborhood and at least half a mile from Termini. There aren't any restaurants close by and the location is inconvenient to say the least.

We walked by Hotel S. Anselmo and it looked lovely from the outside but like the other hotel, it's out in the middle of nowhere. We were on a walk to see the Maltese Keyhole and the hotel is not far from it, on the Via de S. Sabina. The neighborhood is very posh and serene, but far removed from central Rome. That might be a plus for you, maybe not.

We stayed at the San Anselmo a couple of years ago, was very impressed with the room, staff were most helpful. There was free parking on the street outside the hotel, we walked to the Forum and Colosseum.From what I remember there were several restaurants in the area within walking distance - don't know whether it would be too far out for you or not.

See the reviews for the Villa San Pio on this website under "Hotels."

Thanks!

There can't be many nicer areas to find yourself on a Roman morning then up atop the Aventine, the location of 3 of the Aventino San Anselmo hotels.

The Hotel San Anselmo itself is the largest, just across the street from the Sant' Anselmo monastery. (You can eneter the church to hear vespers sung by the monks on Sunday nights, I believe.) Stayed there 5 years ago and loved it - our windows opened to views of charming rooftops and lots of sunshine. Birdsong and an occasional dog barking was the soundtrack - no road noise at all in this quiet neighborhood.

As for remoteness: not a bit. You can walk to Testaccio and it's great local restaurants in five or ten minutes - don't miss Volpetti, the now famous shop for meats, bread, wine, beers, cheese - everything you could want for a great picnic (our picnics were usually in the room at end of day when we were too exhausted to go out.) The staff at Volpetti are great, will not let you leave without tasting samples to tempt you.

Or when you reach the bottom of the hill from your hotel, turn right and head to the Porta Portese (flea market site) and into Trastevere.

Back at Piazza S. Anselmo, you're also a few minutes walk not only from the famous "keyhole view" of the Knights of Malta gate, but close to the very special Parco Savelli and it's lovely views, and Santa Sabina, a VERY early church. ALSO Santa Maria del Priorato, the only architectural work by Piranesi in Rome (This one also belongs to Knights of Malta.)

Not incidentally, one of the little secrets up on the hill as that you can quickly shortcut down toward the Capitoline area via a stairway that you come on just past the Parco Savelli.

All in all, The Avantine hill (also home to the HOtel San Pio and one other from the "group" of San anselmo hotels) is a quiet and elegant neighborhood that is away from it all in spirit but not distance. It backs up against the Palatine, for instance. Depending on which route you take, you can find your way fairly directly to the pyramid, on to the Colloseum, the Forum, etc, or to the Vatican taking the route along the Tiber.

A cab can get you almost anywhere in 10 or fifteen minutes, and public transportation is waiting at the foot of the hill.

One note: checking their website recently, it looks like the San Anselmo has redecorated to be a bit trendy, for my taste, anyway. I think I'd personally check out the San Pio next time - it's a block or two away.

I have a question about the Aventine since it always has seemed to be a very appealing area and this was confirmed by a brief walk on a Sunday last fall.
I didn't explore the area thoroughly it being late and we had the expectation of returning another day but didn't.
I would hope that some day I could rent an apartment in the area but I did not see any streets with bars, stores or restaurants on the hill. Did I miss them or is it necessary to go down to say Testaccio for those services?

To my recollection, there are no businesses up on the Aventine ... maybe along the border at the bottom of the hill. (The Aventine is one of those 7 Roman hills that really qualifies as one, a seemingly distinct gerographic feature in itself.)

However jut across the road (Via Marmorata is lined with businesses) in Testaccio are very good local restaurants, some shops and, as mentioned, the very special Volpetti "Formaggiomania". It's called by some the best cheese store in Rome, and has a terrific slection of wines, beers, meats, bread - even diet Coke. Around the corner is Volpetti Piu, a handy place for prepared meals to eat in or to go - they're sort of cafeteria style, and there's pizza, too. A great spot for a late afternoon spuntino (snack) if you're eating a larger meal later.

On the adjacent border (Viale Aventina and Viale M. Gelsomini) I recall further shops of some kind, a post office, etc. Also the Circo Massimo metro stop.

Truth be told, there are few places anywhere that are close to everything, quiet, non-touristy, pretty, upscale, affordable, and within fifty yards of good restaurants, a pharmacy, a disco and a couple of good bars. Getting 5 or 6 of those features together is good, one just has to decide which ones are most vital. Anyone who requires shops right outside the hotel door will find The Aventine inconvenient. For those who like a nice breeze through windows overlooking treetops and rooftops and having breakfast in an attractive garden, and morning with birdsong instead of Vespasong, it's a treasure.

Not to overpraise the Aventine - it won't be everyone's favorite spot. The villas are more 19th-century than 16th or 17th. It is filled with trees, very green and parklike, residential in the way of the old 19th century parts of American towns we all know. But if you've been up to the "keyhole", you know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, if it appeals to you, it's definitely a winner. For someone with 2 or 3 days to "do" Rome, it might feel too removed - something closer in may indeed save time and steps. For others with more time to relax, it's a nice change of pace.

tomassocroccante
One of my apartment in Rome experiences was nearly three weeks around Piazza San Cosimato in Trastevere which was dense with local services.
And when visiting Aventino we didn't walk down to Testaccio so I don't quite have a sense of time/distance. But given your info, as I thought, a different experience. A price to pay for the beauty and bucolic nature of Aventino. I think I would miss the experience of going almost next door for the morning International Herald Tribune and a local newspaper. But the fact is I never found many vacation rentals on the Aventine. I think it would be a pleasure and privilege to live there for a long stay in Rome.
Thanks for bringing this area of Rome alive for me. There is so little published about it. And if I were booking a hotel I am sure that I'd give this set of hotels a good look.

Normanoromano ~
I once located a rental apartment in the Aventine (online) several years ago, but don't have any info on it now. It feels like most of the Aventine is single family residences, which may account for a relative shortage of rentals. However checking quickly I notice a couple of apartments at romeby.com and venere.com