Hi guys. My wife and I are going to Rome and Florence in mid-March. We are trying to decide on a hotel. We want a clean double room with private bath. This is our first trip to Europe, and we are not yet ready for the "roughing it" accomodations. We want to spend $110- $125 a night. One last thing...we want to be as close as possible to the historic center. Any suggestions? We are looking at Hotel Margutta (in Piazza di Spagna) and Hotel Nerva (Colosseum).

Hello. We're going to Rome in March also. I haven't been there yet so can't offer advice. However, you could type your hotel names into the search window above and I bet you'll get quite a few answers. They'll come up in the window on the left.

Another possibility is to repost your question mentioning the names of the hotel in the subject heading so it may catch someone's eye.

Just a couple suggestions. Hope you find an answer and really hope you enjoy your trip.

Good luck.

For Florence, you might try Hotel Casci. It is just a block or two from the Duomo, and I think it is within your budget. The rooms are clean and neat with private bath, but nothing deluxe.

Hi burgers,

If you are willing to pay less and walk a little more, we stayed 11 nights at the B&B Peterson (www.bedinflorence.it).

It is clean, comfortable basic accomodations with AC for under 75E/nite dbl.

It's been a while (1996?), but my wife and I stayed at the Hotel Margutta and loved it. It was about $85/night for a double with a private bath on the ground floor. The hotel is nothing fancy, but when you consider the cost and location between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps-hard to beat!

A friend and I stayed at the Hotel Margutta last September, and enjoyed it. We spend E140 for one of the top floor rooms with a shared terrace, which we loved. The Margutta is closer to Piazza de Popolo, and I liked this area better than the Spanish Steps area (not quite so touristy). I have heard that some of the Margutta's other rooms on lower floors do not have terrific views, so I would either splurge on the rooftop room or look elsewhere. We also spent three nights at the Hotel Alessandra in Florence, and paid E108 for a lovely room (#5), no ensuite bath, but with two close by. The Alessandra also has rooms with ensuites. A different friend and I are going to Florence next fall and I'm opting for the Alessandra again. I haven't stayed at the Hotel Casci but I just checked out its site, and I like the neighbourhood and ambience of the Alessandra better. Hope this helps and have a wonderful time in Rome and Florence. Linda

I am trying to find info to contact Hotel Margutta. Could one of you who has stayed there give me a fax, website or phone number? Thanks.

I just saw your post, Jeanne.

The fax number I have for the Marguta is: 06/320-0395.

I got the following info from the Frommers web site:

"Address Via Laurina 34

Location Near the Spanish Steps & Piazza del Popolo

Transportation Metro: Flaminio

Phone 06-322-3674

Fax 06-320-0395

Room Information 24 units

Prices 104€-145€ ($93-$129) double; 140€-160€ ($125-$143) triple. Rates include breakfast

Credit Cards AE, DC, MC, V

In Room Amenities Hair dryer

The Margutta, on a cobblestone street near Piazza del Popolo, offers attractively decorated but tiny guest rooms, a helpful staff, and a simple breakfast room. You'll sacrifice space, but you'll get an affordable price and a chic location. The best rooms are the three on the top floor, offering a great view. Two of these three (nos. 50 and 51) share a terrace, and the larger room has a private terrace. (There's usually a 20%-35% supplement for these.) Each room comes with a comfortable bed plus a small but tidy shower-only bathroom."

My friend and I stayed in either #50 or 51, with the shared terrace.

After 1 1/2 years, I have to say that when I return to Rome, I would stay elsewhere. We enjoyed the Margutta, but it is getting a little pricey for me.

But we did like that terrace!

Linda