Hotels in Rome
 

Still need help in deciding a place for two nights before a cruise on October. We were thinking of the Campo De Fiori but some said it was noisy at night and our travel agent suggested Hotel Victoria or River Palace but they seem to be far from most sights. I keep seeing posts for Alberga De Senato, looks centrally located and it is #3 on Trip Advisor. Can those who have stayed here give me some details on this one, it looks like it could be the one I will choose but I am not sure about noise, size of rooms, etc.

I've always found Trip Advisor's top-rated places (with lots of reviews so one can judge) as good a way as any to make a decision. If it's #3, within your budget and where you want to be I'd book while you can. Especially for just 2 nights, I wouldn't fret any more about it. I don't think you'll learn any more here than you know already. You can ask for a quiet room when you book.

Albergo del Senato is located in the same piazza as the Pantheon. It could not be more centrally located to the usual attractions in Rome. Yes, I have stayed there. Regarding size of room and noise; you have a control on the noise and the room size by the type of room you book. This is not unique to this Albergo. While they cannot promise a specific unit, unless there is only one of the kind, the lower priced rooms are usually the smaller unit on the noisy part of the building. Ask the hotel directly to see what they can do for you.
TA will steer you to commissionable hotels.

"TA will steer you to commissionable hotels."

I'm not sure what this implies, especially if one books with the hotel directly rather than through the TA site. Even if it gives weight to hotels that give them a commission, unless TA writes all the reviews themselves, a good review is still a good review. Or am I missing the meaning entirely?

MmePerdu, you probably missed what the OP wrote"our travel agent suggested Hotel Victoria or River Palace but they seem to be far from most sights."

I've stayed at Albergo Del Senato four times, most recently in July. It's one of my favorite hotels anywhere. The standard rooms are a bit small even by European standards, but still comfortable. There are double glazed windows, so noise is really not too much of a problem unless you leave them open at night.

We've stayed in several categories of rooms- from standard to senior suite, to ground floor apartment. Our favorite- and I'm blanking on its exact name- is the suite that has a Michelangelo type painting on the ceiling, but no view. It is so luxurious and quiet!

If you are interested in the higher category rooms/suites, you may need to contact the hotel directly. They often don't post these online.

The hotel has an exceptional staff, very nice breakfast, and is within walking distance to most of the tourist sites. Great place to stay!!

The Seminario Suite is the one we've liked the best at Albergo Del Senato. Just looked it up. Gorgeous room with top of the line amenities, but honestly all the rooms have been fine with excellent AC and comfortable beds, some with views of the Pantheon. Again, if you're interested in it you may need to e-mail directly since it's rarely listed online.

Also the hotel is within two blocks of one my favorite trattorias in Rome, Armando Del Pantheon.

Everyone has been very helpful, thank you. And I don't believe that my TA is only sending me to commissionable hotels, she said that she only directs clients to four star hotels in Rome as they are in the better neighborhoods. The Albergo Del Senato is a three star but I believe that it will suit our needs for the two night we will be there.

I've found that travel agents, except for the very few that recommend hotels they've actually seen, very rare, just use lists of down the middle hotels for those content with down the middle. In the early days of my travels I was sent to a truly poor choice of a place and have never taken the word of an agent again. I think Trip Advisor (the other TA) is, by far, the better resource if one wants anything with a bit of character and is willing to do the work of sorting them out. Using a travel agent for hotel choices is more like using a package tour without the tour. The choices won't be, as a rule, great (except in the upper price range as may be your agent's reasoning) but probably not too awful either.

The star system in Europe is different than in the U.S. A hotel may have been awarded three instead of four stars simply because it lacks something like room service.

Here is the explanation between the 3 and the 4 star hotels:
http://www.4hoteliers.com/features/article/3901
Notice that the way it is stated, the minimum room sizes are larger than certain size. So is a 4 star room is always bigger than 3 star rooms? If you believe in this, you have fallen into an up-sell. A particular 3 star hotel room can be much bigger than a particular 4 star hotel room. Think about how you actually book rooms. You specify a particular class of room. What does it matter that there are other smaller rooms in the hotel? Also, while a 4 star hotel has to provide laundry service, it does not mean that a particular 3 star hotel does not provide this service. That is why a higher star rated hotel away from the central location might as well be a poor choice. Know your objectives and needs and do not be swayed by someone else's suggestions based on their, not your, motivations.
I would stay at Albergo del Senato every time if I can. The hotel is so popular and is usually booked up months in advance. I think they deserve the favorable reviews in Tripadvisor. I stayed there during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. The hotel was very accommodating in dealing with the guests whose flights were all fouled up due to the airspace closure. I have also been to four star hotels with unhelpful front desk staffs and tired rooms. But hey, if the rooms are big enough, provide laundry, and have parking spaces, they get four stars.

azuregirl: is your TA familiar with Rome? Neither of the hotels she suggested would be as good a choice for location, if neighborhood is really her criteria, than would be something in the historic center. If you can afford the del Senato, grab it. I would if I could.

During our second trip to Rome, we stayed at Hotel Eden, a five star on Via Veneto. The room was closet-sized with a dripping air conditioner that never got fixed. And it was far from most of what we wanted to see.

If you're interested in Albergo del Senato, reserve ASAP. This hotel is no. 3 or 2 in Rome for a good reason. The staff and location are outstanding, and the rooms are very nice, even in the standard category. Oh, and I didn't even mention the rooftop bar/terrace, which is open in the summer months. There is nothing better than grabbing a drink or two up there after a long day of sightseeing!

Enjoy!!