I am overwhelmed! After lots of research I have a list of possible hotels in Rome. One that I contacted by email was dismissive and difficult, so I am looking for other travelers' experiences regarding the remaining establishments: Abruzzi, Smeraldo, Sole Biscione, Teatro di Pompeo.
There are 4 of us: fifty-ish, 1 male, 3 females, 3 have never been to Italy.
As reflected in the listed hotels, the Campo de' Fiori, Pz Navona and Pantheon area is preferred.

It would be helpful if you listed your budget and whether you want two doubles or a quad.

The OP is asking about specific hotels. Have you looked at www.tripadvisor.com and www.venere.com for reviews?

Hello Aqua!

Although I haven't stayed in any of those hotels (I have my own favourite in the area, but it's a four-star and getting pricey) I have seen Smeraldo and heard only good things about it. It's in a very good location, very central and close to the Campo (but not right on it, which is good because the Campo is lively but very noisy.) I have heard from others that it is very, very basic but that's reflected in the relatively low price.

I have also heard that the Teatro di Pompeo is decent, maybe a bit noisy but also in a great location.

Are you looking at apartments? For four adults that might be easier on your budget, if price is an issue.

And, as Mimar has said, you'll find an excellent range of hotel reviews on tripadvisor and venere, to help you make your decision.

kybourbon...duh, sorry (can't believe I didn't list a budget). Our upper limit is E2300, at which price I found a 2BR+2BA apt on vrbo.com. It is called the Fontana and it is right on the Pz Mattei (with the Fontana delle Tartarughe). Which brings up a different subject: what issues are there with dealing with individuals? I haven't run across much info about how to go about that. Any online guidelines, anyone?
Also, it is going to work best for us if we have 2 separate bedrooms vs a quad. P.S. kybourbon, I've read some of your insights here before and value your judgment...what do you think of this Fontana apt in the Jewish Ghetto?
mimar...I found only Smeraldo reviewed on Venere.com, but I completely overlooked TripAdvisor. I will look as soon as I sign off. Thanks!
sac...We were trying to be reasonable in price (see the above budget of 2300 euros), and I don't think we can do a 4* for 4 on that. However, for future reference, what is your favorite hotel? (I have fallen in love with Rome and will be returning as frequently as possible, hopefully staying in a 4* sometimes.)
THANK YOU ALL for your replies.

I'm not familiar with that apartment. If you haven't read Kristina's Rome report, you might find it interesting. She rented a two bedroom/two bath not far from P. Navonna/Campo. Her report is on Fodor's, but also on her wbsite which has great pictures and a google map with every place they visited marked. Pictures she took of the apartment are on page 1.
http://www.wired2theworld.com/ROME2008.html

From the apartment website it seems to be quite a bit cheaper than the one you are considering.
http://www.rentalinrome.com/accetti/accetti.htm

I did look at Kristina's Rome Report and via many, twisty, crooked turns through TripAdvisor (which did have more useable reviews-thanks Mimar)and rentalinrome.com I have found a treasure trove of wonderful apts in great locations. And the quality seems to be better as well as the prices being more reasonable than what I was finding with hotels and the other apt websites I was using. I was really worried about having any real choices. So now the real work begins, sorting through them. Yeah!
Again, any pitfalls to look for when renting individual apts like this?

I used an apartment in Rome this past December. I stayed in the Piazza Navona area and loved it. My apartment (2 beds) on first floor was around 70 Euro a night and in a fantastic location. I used www.rentalinrome.com.

Hello Aqua.

First of all, you mention your budget is 2300 euros. For how long? That must be for more than a week. When are you travelling?

My favourite hotel in Rome is the Residenza in Farnese, which is located just off the Piazza Farnese (which is just off the Campo de' Fiori.) The location is fantastic, really in the centre of things, but just far enough off the beaten path to be quiet. And it really is a nice hotel. You might want to double check prices with them. I've found that in slower periods when they're not busy, and if you ask, they'll lower their rates (but you really do have to ask!)

In terms of dealing with private owners, I've only rented apartments from one private owner, Natalia of Dolce Roma (www.dolceroma.it.) She and her husband own four apartments in central Rome -- I love their Campo de'Fiori apartment -- and I've found them fantastic to deal with.

One advantage of dealing with the owner (rather than an agency) is that as you email back and forth, you can get a sense of what they're like to deal with. That can give you some insight into what kind of service you can expect. And obviously, a good website with lots of photos (and not just of the front door or the street) is key!

But reading reviews is so helpful. Have you visited Slow Travel? (www.slowtrav.com) There are a lot of really helpful vacation rental reviews there.

I couldn't find the Fontana-VRBO apartment on Piazza Mattei that you mentioned. But VRBO does show a lovely-looking penthouse condo with a terrace in that same part of the Ghetto. Is that it? I've seen that apartment discussed somewhere, in a positive light. And that's a great piazza, I love the fountain of the boys and the tortises.

Have just viewed some awful reviews on TripAdvisor.com in regards to dealing with rentalinrome.com. So back to the research.
Hey, heartofthesouth...you sound very relaxed about your experiences with them. Which actual unit did you rent? Do you think the pics were representative? Did you deal with the owner at all? What made you use RIR and/or how did you hear about it?
sac: the Pz Mattei apt is #135907 on vrbo.com. The E2300,00 is for 7 nights for the 4 of us, so thats not bad. I just can't make myself make the reservations since it is on the high end of our budget and it is located just outside of my mentally set geographical boundaries.
I was in Rome in May 2008 and stayed a few blocks away at the Hotel Tiziano, at the suggestion of my professor neighbor who had taken students there every year for 20 years. We were lucky enough to get the Jr. Ste. for a fab price, but too expensive for 4 when we add on another traveler of the opposite sex. Anyway, I know by looking at the map that Pz Mattei is not too far out from there, but my sister is going to want to party more & I'd rather be closer to the action.
I'm going to go to AC Acccomodation a suggested on the TripAdvisor as well as dolceroma.it as sac suggested. By the way sac, I did have Res. Farnese on my long list; don't recall why it didn't make it to the short list. I'll have to revisit my notes.
On TrpAdv I gleaned a few suggestions as to how to go about using an agency. How does this sound:
1) Use an agency belonging to your own country.
2) Use an agency that takes credit cards (kinda hard for individuals to do, tho.)
3) Deal with private owners as it allows you to judge the personality of the person directly responsible for your lodgings.
Good luck to me...

Hey everyone,

I am glad to see the list of replies and feedback that was given.

I´ve also want to mention that I´m arranging a trip to Rome and have been looking for the apartment recommendations that you´ve all mentioned.

I´ve also come across another apartment provider during my search.

http://www.oh-holidays.com/en/italy/accommodation_1/

I´ve browsed through their site and they appear to have well priced apartments. With availability in various locations, I look forward in booking with them.

Well, if you're looking at apartments, do read the reviews at www.slowtrav.com. Renters report not only on the unit but on the rental agency/owner and how they were to work with. I saw there were several on rentalinrome.

In fact, that site (which I am constantly praising) has nitty gritty info about renting as well lots of other good information about Italy.

Mimar- I spent alot of time on Slow Travel and the rezidenzaguibbonari.com people seem like a good bet. They are small, the office is in the same bldg and every review was positive (granted there is only a dozen or so spread over 2 years).
Also rome-accommodation.net as a company seems reliable, although the apt choices are fewer for what I am looking for. Does anyone know if they are also known as AC Accommodation and italy-accommodation?
Anyone stay at the Governo Vecchio thru rome-accommodation?

Can't help with Rome apartments, but my wife and I (also "active" 50-60's) found a very appealing and affordable hotel in Rome for Nov 3-7, 2008:

Grand Hotel Del Gianicolo
Viale delle mura Gianicolensi
http://www.grandhotelgianicolo.it/">...lgianicolo.it/

This will appeal to a folks with a certain approach to travel in a large city. My wife and I like a hotel that feels like "coming home" at the end of the day. We prefer not to be in the midst of a behive of tourists and like a hotel with some charm in an area with a more "neighborhood" feel.

Grand Hotel Del Gianicolo is a very attractive hotel located at the top of a hill in the Gianicolo neighborhood.

Location: As mentioned, it's at the top of a hill that slopes gradually to the north down through a beautiful park to the Vatican and more steeply to the east down through an attractive residential area, through Travestere to the river at Ponte Girabaldi and Isola Tiberina.

The immediate area to the south and southwest is an urban residential area of apartments and shops, some a bit plain, some more upscale.

It's a beautiful walk downhill through the park to St. Peters, with outstanding views across Rome. There's also a local bus you can catch right across from the hotel.

The walk down to the river was also interesting and took us past a beautiful fountain, through an open market in Travestere, and across an interesting spot in the river. Once you cross the river, it's not a bad walk to the Forum and surrounding sights (but have a good map and know how to read it).

After spending each day exploring various areas of Rome, we would catch a taxi back. The fare was always around 8 Euros (plus or minus). This combination of starting the day with a walk from our "neighborhood" and catching a taxi back "home" was great for our purposes.

(We read one review complaining that the walk down the hill was dangerous because you had to "walk in the street." Ignore this whining. Both walks are pleasant and safe. There's a tiny section on the walk to the Vatican where you may have to walk on the side of the street for a short distance, but it's absolutely no big deal.)

Room: We had a corner room on the fourth (top) floor that was medium-sized by European standards, with plenty of closet space, a safe, and a nice bathroom with a compact corner shower and bidet. One set of large windows looked to the east over Mura Girabaldi into a lush villa. The large window to the south looked over the hotel gardens down a busy, but attractive street.

All the facilities were clean and well-maintained.

There's a rooftop garden that is setup for an open-aired restaurant, but which was not operating while we were there. You could take a bottle of wine and some bread and cheese up there and have the place to yourself with a spectacular view of St. Peter's dome all lit up at night.

Staff: We encountered about five staff members. Four of them were exceptionally friendly and helpful, and one was a tad "grumpy" but no problem.

Breakfast: They had an awesome breakfast with made-to-order cafe, eggs, meats of all varieties, fresh fruit, cereals, pastries, an on an on. We could easily skip lunch by making a big meal out of breakfast.

There's a small bar, which we didn't visit.

They provide two hours free wireless Internet access per day, and a modest fee for additional use. There was a PC and printer available for use, too.

The environs were pleasant. There were only a few restaurants nearby, but one was a very interesting, medium-priced (by Rome standards) Sicilian restaurant. (NOT Italian, the propietor insisted. ) There were ATM machines and banks on several corners.

Finally, we looked at some of locations recommended because of their proximity to Campo de Fiori, and other points of interest, and I am VERY glad we chose the location we did. Even though the City wasn't crowded when we were there, the atmosphere was still heavily "tourist oriented." Now, I know we're just two of thousands of tourists ourselves, but I much preferred the "local" atmosphere of Gianicolo, while still being able to gaze out at the City lights from our hotel roof.

I could not find the Fontana apartment through the link you gave. Our family rented an apartment on Via della Reginella, right off Piazza Mattei, from realrome.com in Feb 2007 and loved the neighborhood. The immediate area is mostly pedestrian (vespas seem to get through) and quiet at night (important for us) but it is very centrally located. It is easy to walk either toward the Pantheon/Piazza Navonna area or over the Isola Tiberina bridge into Trastevere

Hi Aqua!

Wow, the Fontana apartment looks gorgeous! The photos look lovely and pretty thorough (although you could maybe ask to see a few more of the bathrooms -- I like to see how the tub and showers look.) And perhaps the owners can give you some references. I must say, I love the idea of an hour of daily house cleaning. Although I've rented apartments solo and not had a cleaner, with four people there might be a bit more clutter.

It might not be what you ultimately want, but I wouldn't worry too much about the location. It's still very central, I think. It's a bit further from the Vatican than the Campo de' Fiori would be. But the Ghetto is closer to the Forum, Coliseum and (one of my favourite spots) the Capitoline Hill!

In terms of your list of things to look for when renting, I like point 3. But I'm not sure about point 1, I've had good experience renting from Romans (mind you, with good English language skills so we could communicate.) You might be limiting yourself too much worrying about renting from Americans (I'm assuming you are American so that would be the home country you refer to.) And it seems fairly common for rental agencies (and individuals) to not use credit cards but instead prefer to deal partly in wire transfers and partly in cash on arrival. So again, it might be limiting to look only at places that take credit cards.

I think there's a lot to be said for communicating with different owners, getting a feel for how they are to work with, and trusting your gut instincts.

Best of luck, you have lots of happy choices!

try out www.rentalinrome.com for some nice apartments. They organize the apartments by area which is really helpful. I used them last December for my trip to Rome. I had an apartment a few blocks from Piaza Navona and loved the area.

hey guys i can suggest you another agency that offer apartments in the center of rome, ive tried one in trastevere called pplazzo dei mori and it was good. let me know if you need more info regarding the stay! www.theapartment.it
regards
K.

You might want to look at what Sleep in Italy has to offer...

www.sleepinitaly.com

I've dealt with them in the past and the agency was fine.

Hello Everyone,

I´ve read through all of the posts and there are some really great tips and suggestions mentioned here. Really, really helpful.

Another helpful tip would be to plan and search your accommodation around the activities that you will be participating in. By doing so, this will allow you to make the most out of your trip and experience.

Once you know where your interests lie and which attractions you´re going to be visiting during your stay, then you can also plan in which area or location of a city to stay in, that is most suitable for you.

You want to be taking in all the new sights and surroundings of a city and not wasting time travelling back to your lodging.

Carlos (Oh-Holidays)