Change in fortune: Even cheaper Rome accommodations needed
 

I have gotten great advice from Bob the Nav and others, but I need to refocus a bit. My wife and I are putting together a two-week trip to Italy in June/July. First stop is ROME. I have fine options in the 150-175 E per night range.
Any suggestions in the 75-125 E range? Two people, en suite bathroom needed, breakfast not essential. Would really like it walkable to major sites. Probably air con d.
Trying to make this trip work by saving wherever we can. Thanks once again.

my sister and I stayed in this apt at Campo di Fiore and loved it.

https://www.romesweethome.it/apartme...nt.asp?lang=it

Have you looked at www.tripadvisor.com and/or www.venere.com? Both sites have reviews.

Try www.hotelscombined.com .

Also, various convents mentioned on this board may fit the bill. For example, Fraterna Domus.

You will probably want to use public transit at some point, even if you are staying dead center.

I've recommended the Bee Hive to friends and received no complaints yet, but FYI no air conditioning...

http://www.the-beehive.com/english.html

How many nights do you need in Rome? Most apartments have a minimum number of days (usually at least three, but sometimes more in the higher seasons - June/early July).

There are several convents in the historic center with AC, private bath and breakfast. One of the most convenient is Fraterna Domus which is near Piazza Navona. Rates for a double are around 80-85€ per night. I don't know if that includes breakfast. They do have 11 pm curfew.
E-mail address: [email protected]

Another convent within walking distance of sites is Santa Francesca Romano a Ponte Rotto. It also has AC, private bath. I don't think they have a curfew.
http://www.sfromana.it/

Not quite as convenient, but just a short walk from the forum is Domus Nova Bethlem. The English version of their website doesn't work so you must use the Italian. I don't think they have a curfew.
http://www.domusnovabethlem.it/index.html

There are at least 100 other convents in the historic center of Rome, but most don't have AC.

A B&B may be your best chance at an A/C place with a low rate. Try the Eurocheapo site.

Try the Domus Julia/ Hotel Julia. It should be in your lower price range. On a small side-street, so not really noisy. Very clean and nice.

My daughter and I had a lovely twin room in the Domus Julia. It included breakfast in the pretty room at the Hotel Julia, next door. It's near the Spanish Steps, and we walked regularly to the Trevi, the Pantheon, etc.

I don't know when/how their rates change, but Arco del Lauro's low-end prices might suit you. I believe it has A/C and is recommended frequently on this board. Send an email and see what they say.

http://www.arcodellauro.it/index.php?lang=en

If your time in Rome is longer, check out the apartments from realrome.com. Although I think A/C might be hard to find.

Good luck!

kybourbon has given you really good advice. Apart from being inexpensive the convents are really clean. Sure they are basic, but it's a huge $ saving. You don't have to be Roman Catholic to make a booking. In fact we thought the nuns had a very non-christian reaction when we arrived back at our convent sopping wet after being caught in a storm and we squelched down their immaculate corridors!! Just kidding, they were great and very helpful despite not speaking much English. You should give it a go.

I would rather stay in a convent than a grotty hotel for the same $.

I highly recommend the b&b Arco del lauro, in the Trastevere. This is a charming very small place. THe owner and her assistant really make a big difference because they are really helpful people. Is like staying with friends. The location is good. And the price also. Breakfast is included but served around the corner in a nice cafe facing a piazza.
www.arcodellauro.it/ They can also send you a good car, inexpensive, to pick you up at the airport. From Termini a taxi is aprox 15 euro.

Pensione Barrett is 5e over your budget I think, but I still recommend you check them out. They have air con and a fantastic location.

We stayed in this apt for 5 days in December. It more than met our needs. It is just outside Trastevere but only a 20 minute tram ride from the city center and very convenient. I would highly recommend it. You can see the photos and my review at
http://www.romanreference.com/appart....php?refid=330

Kybourbon

Have you or do you know anyone else who has actually stayed at Santa Francesca Romano a Ponte Rotto? They are quoting 123 E for a double.

S.Guiliana Falconieri convent does not have A/C but it is about 85E per night-and it couldn't be closer to Piazza Navona. Only a few rooms have en suite but the other facilities are numerous and very clean. Breakfast is bread and coffee.

I have not stayed at this particular convent, but have stayed at others. There are two hundred convents (100 in the historic center) in Rome that offer rooms, but as I mentioned earlier, most don't have AC. There are more with AC a bit less convenient such as behind the Vatican and other locations further from the center.

Some convents are more hotel than convent such as the pricey Palazzo Cardinal Cessi where a single will run about 250€( http://www.palazzocesi.it/hotel-cesi-roma/en/ ) while others are very bare bones for as cheap as 12€. Many will have bars and restaurants. Santa Francesco seems to be the hotel type as they have conference rooms and accept credit cards. Bare bones convents are cash only.

I don't believe the S.Guiliana Falconieri has private bath nor does it have AC which is very important in Rome for the time you will be there. If you are interested in it, I can check tonight as I have several books on convents at home that list amenities.

For locations and amenities, Monastery Stays website is helpful (not a complete listing of all convents though), but they are a reseller and mark-up the prices (usually a mark-up of at least 10-15€ per night for a single). I notice for S F Romana they list a double at 153€. It's best/cheapest to book directly with the convent. SF Romana is LAR148 on the map. You can click on it for pictures/amenities.
http://www.monasterystays.com/index....AR126&loc=Rome

Many convents will have reviews on Trip Advisor.

S.Giuliana Falconieri has two double rooms and two quad rooms with bathrooms-the rest of the rooms share-there is no A/C.

Linda,

Having trouble getting a hold of S.Giuliana Falconieri . You have and email address?

It is: [email protected]

Another convent list is here:
http://www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/convents.html

Fairoaksjim, you can also telephone the convent. They have an English-speaking (American-born) nun there.

Sister Katherine is from Chicago and will answer your inquiry quickly re: S. Guiliana Falconieri. WillTravel's e-mail address is correct.

Willtravel

[email protected]

Gets bounced back.

I have tried it twice.

I would telephone then.

However, I did find this possibly new information:

-ISTITUTO S. GIULIANA FALCONIERI
CASA PER FERIE
(Near Piazza Navona)
Suore Mantellate Serve di Maria
Via S. Giuseppe Calasanzio, 1
00186 Roma
Tel: (011 39) 0668803344
Fax: (011 39) 066871471
E-mail: [email protected]

My wife and I stayed at "Anne's Place" a beautiful B&B in the town of Palestrina, a suburb of Rome. A short commuter train ride away from the big city. Palestrina is worth seeing and visiting on its own.

One of the best and reasonably priced accomodations in our travels anywhere!!

More info: http://www.byanne.com

Not sure, but it may be closer to your budget.

I would try Fraterna Domus before S. Guiliana since Fra Domus has AC and private bath. Convents sometimes take several days to answer e-mails as many times they only have one or two people that speak English and aren't always available to answer mail.

If you want to stay around 75-80€ with private bath, but giving up AC (I wouldn't in June/July), you might also look at Il Rosario or Santa Sofia. Both are within a 5 minute walk of the forum and about the same distance to a subway stop.
Il Rosario [email protected]
Santa Sofia [email protected]

Casa Maria Immacolata near the Vatican should be less than 80€ with private bath.
http://casamariaimmacolata.com/homepageeng.htm

Near the entrance to the Vatican Museums is Villino Noel. I'm not sure whether they have AC or not.
http://www.villinonoel.it/

Behind the Vatican with AC and private bath is Piccole Suore della Sacra Famiglia if you don't mind the location.
[email protected]

Thank you for all your time on this KYbourbon. Have an email into Fraterna Domus and waiting reply.

I got a reply from Santa Sophia that conected to this place. Does that make sense? Is this the same place?

Suore Catechiste Di Sant’Anna
Piazza Madonna dei Monti 3,

Also must pay in cash up front for the first night. Before you get there.

Santa Sofia does not have AC and yes that is the address. Santa Sofia is a Ukranian convent. I've stayed there (not in summer), but I would wait until I heard from Fraterna Domus before deciding. I've been to Rome in summer (heat wave of 2003) and think AC is important.

Many convents in Rome will want one nights deposit up front which is a bit annoying because they want you to send an international money order. These can be a bit expensive (if your local Walmart has a bank of their own branding they might have better rates than WU and others) as they charge a fee to send the money plus give you a lousy exchange rate, but I guess the convents want to prevent people canceling. In less touristy areas such as Orvieto, they will just hold the reservation without a deposit. What rate did they quote?

Santa Sofia has a midnight curfew, furniture was Ikeaish, bathrooms spotless/new. Interior rooms will be quietest (no interior courtyard - more air shaft type) as there are restaurants and a bar on the piazza. You can see the Colosseum from the piazza. Breakfast is not very good, but there are places nearby if you want something else. Lots of French couples staying there when I was there.

KY

Here is what they said.
The costs in our pension are :
Night and breakfast in double room ....... 80,00 Euro
Lunch (1:00 PM) .....................................20,00 Euro
Supper (7:00 PM) ....................................20,00 Euro

Attention please dining-room close Saturday supper and breakfast only Sunday.
CITS CARD (membership).......................2,00 Euro
There is a curfew at 12:00 PM during summer months and 11:00 PM during winter months.
Payment is direct, only cash (Euro). We do not accept credit cards.
Please confirm your reservation and send us the payment of the first night

KYB
Do you know any one or have you stayed at Casa di S. Francesca Romana a Ponte Rotto?

They are quoting 123 E But I can't find a single review.

Still waiting on Fraterna Domus.

FairoakJim, there are a number of reviews here:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...ome_Lazio.html

The viriglio address is the correct one for S. Giuliana-sorry. They require one night's deposit on your credit card-no money orders.

It appears Grinisa stayed there.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...sca-romana.cfm

Here's a newspaper article. Says to ask for interior room which is true for much of Rome. I don't think the rooms are quite as spartan as the author describes because the website says they have tv's and mini-fridge. Perhaps they have updated since the article is 2004.
http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uni...14convent.html

This is a review on Eurocheapo.
http://www.eurocheapo.com/printer_ve...php?hotel=9134

http://www.eurocheapo.com/rome/hotel...ca-romana.html

Review from Slowtrav.

trifolau
Slow Traveler
Posted 03 January 2006 05:40 PM
I have stayed at two "convents"can Trastevere.
Casa Santa Francesca Romana is wonderful. The building is old but the rooms are modern. There is an enchanting interior courtyard. I can still smell the fresh rolls and cafe they serve in the morning. A true haven in Rome

Casa San Giuseppe is 100 meters from Ponte Sisto in Trastevere. It is a more modern affair but equally appealing. The breakfast is more elaborate and the windows are sound-proof.

My stays in these and other religious institutions are some of my most cherished Italianmemories. They are warm welcoming places,hotels really and would be very appropriate for anyone, even honeymooners.
WWW.sfromana.it
casa san giuseppe 06-58333490 fax06-5812350

Other reviews for SF Romana.
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/hotels...a&s=trastevere

Do you really want to stay in a convent with a curfew in Rome?

Have you checked out b&bs?

Here is the first one I found doing a google search for Rome B&b air conditioning

https://www.lapiccolamaison.com/hotel-booking.php

and here is a good search website

http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/rome-italy.html

SF Romana has a 2 am curfew listed on one site while another website says it has no curfew at all. Santa Sofia is midnight. Fraterna Domus is 11 pm. Not many people stay out past midnight unless they are young and partying.

I'm neither young nor a partyer but I stay out past midnight in Rome!

I also wouldn't want be in a convent, even if there wasn't a curfew.

It's clear you haven't stayed in one either. For many of them, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between staying in a convent or a hotel. Often they are run by lay people and seem/look like a hotel with the money going to the convent. Convents have some of the best locations in historic cities because they have been in the locations for literally hundreds of years. Even the metro in Rome shuts down at 11:30.

The convent idea is intriguing. This will actually be our third stay in Rome. We just want a great experience. Centrally located, with bathroom. Plus saving money is very important. I have already pared our expenses down $500 or so.

Thanks for all the help everyone.