@Greg I feel I know the Rome metro inside out and backwards with all the research I've done since February LOL! We are getting public transportation passes for sure. If we can check into our rooms early (which we did request), then we just want to lock the doors and scramble. If we can't then they will secure our bags until we get back. Our hotel has breakfast included (after each night stay) and yes, I've already pre-paid back in March and got an excellent rate. I'm sure we could eat there but we'd rather go out and get something en-route to our first stop. Thanks for the suggestions on where to eat etc! I'm adding it for when we are by the Pantheon!

@annhig Yes, the tours are already booked. I'm not one to wait on line for tickets. Why waste time when you can just buy directly from the place online?

@Christina, I'm not paying for early check in. All I did was request it so we can put our bags in the room. If the room isn't available, they will hold our bags free of charge. That is a service the hotel offers. So either way it works out. If they want to add on for early check in, then I'll just have them hold the bags until after check in time. No real biggie.

The "early check in" arrangement you are now describing is a normal procedure at all the hotels I have stayed. It is nothing special about this hotel. It confused other posters because you have previously stated <i>As for the hotel, we arranged early check in but we want to start out immediately after we lock our bags in our room</i> as if it was with certainty which can only be accomplished by paying for the night before.

The issue with what you are envisioning are two folds:
1. If you need to "scramble", I presume you are in a hurry. The bars near Colosseum are quite far from the Colosseum except for a few unappetizing places I have seen with dismal ratings.
2. While some other mention acceptable places to eat/drink in this area, the area is extremely touristy. While other might disagree, I try not get caught having to eat/drink around Colosseum or around the Vatican. Around Spanish steps/Pantheon/Piazza Navona have islands of excellence, but you have to know which ones. There are no shortage of mediocre touristy places in these areas.

This brings up bars in Spanish steps area and your hotel. They are close by and in case of hotel, it cannot easily get away with awful coffee/BF the way bars around touristy places can. People read hotel reviews before booking while bars around touristy places can count on continued business from one-time only visitors who would not have studied about the bar they just happened to walk by. I am not saying hotel BFs are good. They are usually acceptable.

The kind of bars you want to drink coffee and eat cornetto are the ones you see local people in business suits getting a drink on their way to work. They can look like a zoo for a good reason. You need to be familiar with how they work as they do thriving business and have little time for you. You look around for what you want, find the prices, pay first at the cashier, then you go to the bar counter to give your receipt to order. If the baristas don't see you carrying a receipt, they don't pay attention to you. Locals don't have time to sit down in the morning nor care to pay for the sit down prices.