Hotel or apartment last night in Rome before airport?
 

Where do you guys recommend my family of five stay on our last night in Rome? We are traveling back from Venice, arriving by train at 1 pm that day, and right now I've booked a room for 270 euros at The Telegraph Suites because it looked nice, with good reviews, and the room holds five people. However, I know I can easily get a nice apartment for about 200 euros on airbnb. But does it make more sense to stay at a hotel on the night before we have to leave early for the airport, to facilitate getting a taxi, etc?

And perhaps we should stay closer to the airport? We fly out at 9:30 am on a Thursday in July.

I did like the idea of the location of the Telegraph Suites because it's near the Pantheon. we are staying in Rome three nights early in our journey, near the Vatican, so staying in a completely different area, giving me my bucket list thrill of dining near the Pantheon that night, with the Pantheon in full view, really sounds awesome.

Personally, for one night, I would stay at a hotel, especially since you'll be up early and traveling to the airport. For my money, having the service of a hotel for that one night would be worth it to ease the stress of departure. If you were staying longer, an apartment would be great, but for one night, I wouldn't bother.

I would pick a hotel, just for the reasons mentioned by progol.

I wouldn't stay at the airport because you arrive in Rome at 1pm and it will be nice to freshen up, see some more of the city, and have a nice dinner. Have a car service take you to the airport from the hotel, or just have them order a taxi.

I agree with the post above. It's great to have hotel services in case of any kind of problems/delays getting to the airport the following morning.

If you're interested in a trattoria only steps from The Pantheon for dinner that night, try ARMANDO AL PANTHEON. It's a small family restaurant frequented by Italian families and politicians. We try to visit at least once when we're in Rome.

Thank you so much for your fast replies. That's what I was thinking. Not worth the savings for one night, when the help at the hotel would be valuable for us. We are direct from Rome to Chicago, so we need to be at the airport by 7 am at the latest, I would think.

ARMANDO AL PANTHEON sounds perfect! I've seen so many pictures of people dining outside in the summer, with the Pantheon lit up in full view. It's awe inspiring.

Armando al Pantheon is lovely! Just don't forget to make a reservation before you go - they do get very busy. We had dinner there a couple of weeks ago and saw people turned away.

Armando al Pantheon does not have any outdoor tables. It's small and very indoors. I've had one disappointing meal there among some that were good or adequate.

I don't know if any of those places with outdoor seating around Piazza delle Rotonda actually have good food, but if that's your wish, just go for it. Maybe the hotel can recommend one.

How many bathrooms does the hotel room have? You are a family of 5 with a very early departure for the airport. An apt with a couple of bathrooms may be better.

I agree with the people suggesting a hotel since it's only 1 night though the bathroom question is an intelligent one. If it's not a problem though, go with it. I wouldn't recommend being near the airport since you have enough time to really enjoy your evening/night in the city and shouldn't miss out on your opportunity :) If you're traveling with a phone you can always call a taxi yourself if you pick an apartment OR arrange a car from a place that offers private transfer services if you like to prebook things like that. I've never had issues getting a taxi within moments in that area of the city though and taxi stands are all over that neighborhood too. There's a restaurant just around the corner from the Pantheon that I LOVE with a very intimate romantic atmosphere and nice outdoor seating, but it's not within actual view of the Pantheon so it might not be the exact thing you're looking for; I haven't actually tried Armando though, so enjoy!

I have never found decent food at any of the trattorias/cafes with outdoor seating near The Pantheon. That's why we started going to Armando Al Pantheon. It's sometimes unreliable - some meals have been excellent, some just good - but we've always enjoyed it.

As others have mentioned, you must have a reservation (!) and make sure you print it out and carry it with you. We were once almost turned away because I didn't have the reservation with me!

I have suggested sending a family of 5 to this place in Rome for a one night stay as it has 2 connecting rooms, each with a bathroom, is reasonably priced and well-located:
http://www.littlequeen.it/suite/en/rooms#anchorFamily

I haven't stayed there myself, but it gets good reviews and is in within a reasonable walking distance of the Pantheon (a little longer walk than being right beside the Pantheon of course).

TravelJunkie888: is your restaurant Osteria del Sostegno or La Sagrestia Ristorante? Both of those are close to Pantheon. The first one is delicious!!