Hotel Smeraldo is about 125E w/o breakfast and in a great location and Hotel Arenula is also very well located. Both are near the Campo dei Fiori and the Largo Argentina bus routes.

Thank you for your kind suggestions. Because of price or absence of wi-fi, I have had to eliminate some of your excellent recommendations. I have now narrowed it down to two:
Albergo de Senato (which is more money but has wi-fi in the room, which will make workingin the evening much easier) and Hotel Modigliani (which is cheaper but has only wi-fi in the lounge.) There are great and terrible reviews for both hotels. So, which shall it be?

As I mentioned above, I stayed at the Albgergo de Senato in November and was able to negotiate a much better rate than they originally quoted. That might be harder to do in April than November but it's worth a try. A few comments on the hotel. Keep in mind that I was coming from the St. Regis, where I stayed 5 days on business and that is a fabulous hotel so, of course, there's no way de Senato could compare. The location was great, staff was great, room was very nice, bathroom was very nice, I had a view of the Pantheon, it was quiet, and I felt completely safe alone. BUT I had the smallest bed I think I've ever slept in, and the bedside light was very dim. The light at the desk was fine, but no use whatsoever for reading in bed. The lounge/bar area had no ambiance whatsoever.

If you're going to be working, I'd choose wi-fi in the room. I've stayed at Del Senato and don't recall the beds being small. I was in a junior suite and friends had a double. If Del Senato is too expensive, I'd book the Modigliani based on the many positive reviews here.

Well, St. Cirq recommends the Mogdiliani and she is Fodor's royalty.

I do LOVE the fountain in front of the Pantheon, and the Senato is just a few steps away.

I think you should decide where you would rather stay--in the historic center of Rome or near the Spanish Steps/Villa Borghese.

Thin, Foddie Winner 2009

The differing experiences of LouisaH and Leely2 nicely points out the typical discrepancy among a single room and a junior suite. I would take a look at www.hotelscombined.com and see what's available in a double room in this approximate location. If you are working in the room, it's much nicer to have a double than a single. That would be more important to me than whether I was by the Spanish Steps or by the Pantheon.

WillTravel, good point. That was exactly the problem with my room, it was a single. I got a very good rate so I didn't complain but I should have.

Hi Buff, I'm a single woman who always travels alone, I love Rome and Italy, but I have learned not to book single rooms. I'm not sure this is an issue for you. But I've found that it's not usually much more expensive to book a double room for single use, and they are invariably much larger and better appointed (including windows -- I've seen some singles that didn't even have a window!)

I've seen discussions on this point on Slow Travel and perhaps here as well, and it has been argued that a lot of Italian hotels seem to have fashioned their single rooms out of former broom closets! Seriously.

BTW, my favourite hotel in Rome is Residenza in Farnese. Great location, great staff and nice rooms. A former convent with a beautiful, sweeping staircase.

Hotel Parlamento is in a great location. I've stayed there three times and will stay again. It should be close to your price range, in April.

You are all extremely generous, and I will follow your guidance.
(And you are all Fodor royalty to me!)

Please feel free to post here any other great suggestions about restaurants and unusual activities. I'll be in Rome 5 days, then off to Florence, so I will have plenty of time for both.

And of course, I need a hotel in Florence, too!
You are lovely, congenial guides!
Buff