Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Hotels in Italy

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Hello. We will be traveling to Italy and France this summer with our 3 children: ages 17,14,and 9. We are looking for nice hotels in Rome, Florence, Venice and on the Riviera (either French or Italian)that are central, with modern comforts and air conditioning. We would like to spend up to $300 per night. I am overwhelmed with the choices. Do you have any hotels that you would recommend? I am willing to forgo SOME charm for modern convenience but I don't want a non descript chain hotel. I know some hotels have family or connecting rooms. Any ideas? I also need suggestions for Paris.

$300 per room per night? or $300 per night for two rooms? Big difference. And do you really not care wich country's Riviera? Do you want it right on the water? More info needed for good answers. Best wishes, Rex

A couple of websites to help in your search: . www.venere.com . www.hotels.com Last night I was flipping thru Paris Frommer's (yeah, not only do I spend too much time lurking on this site I also read travel & guidebooks) -- they mention several family-friendly accommodations. 4th eme - Hotel St.-Louis 6th eme - Hotel de Fleurie 8th eme - Residence Lord Byron Specifically the Hotel de Fleurie has 'chambres familiales', interconnecting pairs of rooms.

This hotel in Venice is central, has a/c and a room with connecting doors: SAN GIORGIO: Rio Terà Mandola 3781. Tel: 041-5235835. Fax: 041-5228072. E-mail: [email protected] (16 rms., all w/toilet & shower.) 115? single; 150? double; 195? triple. Call for quad & quint rates. Continental buffet breakfast (7:30-9:30am) is included in the rates & can be served in the room (1? extra pp). Air-conditioned (10? extra per day). Visa, MC. English spoken (Manuela & Gabriella), phones, TV, wonderful charming hotel w/beautifully & identically Venetian style furnished pretty rms., shiny tiled flrs., #28 & 25 (both w/twin bed & face interior) are for a single; #22 (small rm. w/French double bed) is perfect for a single but too snug for a double; 27 (nice-size rm. w/2 twin beds or zip & lock queen-size bed) is for a double; #23, 24 & 26 (all w/2 twin beds & face the back) are for a double; #11 (3 twin beds or 1 zip & lock king-size bed & twin bed & faces the back) is the only room for a triple but has connecting doors w/rm. #12 (double) & can be rented together for a family or quint; #16 is the smallest but still very pretty, chandeliers, modern bathrooms w/hairdriers, minibars, safety boxes, warm ambience, wonderful quiet location, no elevator, 3 flrs. Owned by Renzo Cristofoli & managed by the wonderful Gabriella Gazzola for more than 30 years. Vaporetto: San Angelo. Walk to your left along the waterfront, turn right onto Calle Traghetto through Campo San Benedetto, turn right onto Calle Magazen, turn left onto Rio Terà Mandola, turn left onto Calle Mandola. (Closed Jan.)

Rex: I was hoping for $300 max per night. That could be for both rooms althogether or for one large room. My kids said they would love to be near the water on the Riviera. What do you suggest?

In Rome, the Santa Chiara hotel has a few family suites and also apartment type arrangement that could accommodate the 5 of you.

Hello Melanie...sounds like a great trip. My wife and I travel to Italy yearly. Not with children however. Our preference is to stay in family owned and operated hotels (pensiones) which have character and local color. We stay in "American type hotels" in the US far too much without going to Italy to do so. The following hotels are our favorites....they have all the qualities mentioned above plus interesting owners who in most cases have become friends also. They are not particularily expensive, but that is not why we prefer them. Rome: Alamondi which is near the Vatican and just us a flight of steps from the V Museum. In Florence: Hotel La Scaletta, south of the river near the Ponte Vaecchio and a short walk from all the sites in F; Venice: Albergo Guerrato, a short walk from Rialto and St. Marks. Run by Roberto, a wonderful friend. Suggest you might include a short trip south of Rome to Sorrento to visit Pompeii, and especially for the kids, the Amalfi drive. Also, several hill towns north and west of Florence (Siena, Orvieto, Pisa, etc.). Email if we can supply any additional info.

I have stayed four places that would qualify as on the Riviera, but only is "near the water" - - in Antibes. I can't tell you the name of it, but there are numerous small - - and somewhat modest hotels just across a street from the beach there. Other places I know that qualify are: two different Logis de France; they may have some beachside properties - - certainly a very good website - - www.logis-de-france.fr - - we really loved the beach at Cavalaire-sur-mer - - but the Logis (Raymond) was a mile or two from the beach (nice pool though). The other logis was on a hill near Grasse (Plascassier) - - Auberge la Tourmaline. More of a couples-getaway place. Great maman/chef de cuisine! And the fourth place was Nyala Suites hotel in San Remo (Italy). Very solid choice. And like the others, should be within your budget. But again, on a big hill overlooking the Mediterranean and a solid 1-2 miles down a curvy road to get down to the beach there. Are you traveling by car or train? San Remo is a good place to pick up or turn in a car, if you want to avoid a "cross-country" drop charge between France and Italy.

topping, for Melanie