I need advice..we have a trip planed for March 27th to April 12th from NYC
3/27-arrive Nice- Palais De La Mediterrranee
3/28-Nice
3/29-Nice
3/30- Monaco- Fairmont Hotel- heard a day would do us...
3/31- Train to-Santa Margherita- Grand Miramonte Hotel
4/1- SML
4/2-Train To Roma
4/3- Roma-Westin Excelsior
4/4-Roma
4/5-Roma
4/6-Roma
4/7-Driver will drive us to Positano-Covo Dei Saraceni Hotel
4/8 Positano
4/9-Positano
4/10-Positano
4/11- Driver will drive us to FCO for flight to LHR and fly back to NYC the 12th
The reason for the 5-star hotels is because I am too old for scratchy sheets! I will eat/drink in a dive, just can't sleep in one
Is our time frame too close? Not enough time in a certain spot? Any better suggestions for hotels ( hence-scratchy sheet 'issue'?)
Any place we should just blow off all together?
It will be myself- scratchy sheet phobia 46 year old, husband and 17 year old son, who actually likes us... at times
We LOVE LOVE LOVE Rome...
Any ideas good or bad..suggestions would be greatly appreciated..
Thank you!!!!!

I'd scratch Monaco and add a day to SML.

Consider staying at Le Sirenuse Hotel in Positano-

http://www.sirenuse.it/Eng/Home.asp
Absolutely lovely and very well located. The sheets are divine.

With your budget, I think the Hotel de Russie in Rome would be my pick-

http://tinyurl.com/od4bdm

If you want to see Monaco, you can go by train from Nice for the day and skip changing hotels.

Oh Thank you! I will look into both hotels! Although, my consideration with Covo Dei Saraceni was that it wasn't on top of the hill... I could see me falling over the side, after a touch of the 'grape'.
There was a restaurant that my husband wanted to try in Monaco Joel Robuchon's? Not worth it? Then, we will forget it.
What did you like best about SML?
The Splendido isn't open in Portofino..THANK GOD! I would have to sell a kidney for a stay there...

The Westin Excelsior is in a bad location on the Via Veneto. It is great if you want to be near the Villa Borghese, but you are long walks away from most sites. The Metro, however, isn't too far away at Piazza Barberini, but that won't take you to the heart of old Rome around Piazza Navona or Pantheon or Campo Fiori.

There aren't any restaurants that I would eat at on the Via Veneto. Most are overpriced tourist traps.

Just my two pence, guv.

Thin

I know the Excelsior is in a rotten location and the restaurants are horrible and over priced. Do you have a recomendation as to what would be closer? With keeping in mind my scratchy sheet 'issue'.

Better located 5 stars than the Westin:

http://www.grandhoteldelaminerve.com...el-in-rome.htm

http://www.stgeorgehotel.it/luxury-h...me_302_ENG.htm

http://www.berninibristol.com/hotel-...otel-rome.html

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/interco...ocations/romha

http://www.royaldemeure.com/en/hotel...rra/storia.htm

I live on the Italian Riviera, so I love it immensely, but at that time of year, I'd fly from Nice directly to Rome and skip the extremely long and rather tedious train rides you are contemplating just to have a night or two on the Italian Riviera. (If you are too old for scratchy sheets, you are too old for Trenitalia's scratchy seats.) Or I'd consider taking a boat or flight to Sardegna for my five-star one-nighter, and going on to Rome from there.

I would look at the Raphael. It is an alley away from the Piazza Navona. You could easily walk to the Vatican from the hotel by going over the Ponte Cavour.

Ky, whilst the Bernini Bristol is right on Piazza Barberini, it really isn't that far from the Excelsior. I also don't like the looks of the outside of the Bernini Bristol.

I love the Hassler. Keith and I went there for drinks. I wish we had stayed there instead of the St. Regis Grand.

The St. Regis is very posh and we were close to Piazza Repubblica, Termini (Conad for groceries in basement), Mary Major (my favourite church in Rome), St. Pressede (another church with fab mosaics), and Trattoria Monti, but it really was a trek to see old Rome and Trastevere.

Cheers,
Thin

Oh, please..the Hassler? bad 1950's decor....and a bunch of gay guys wishing they were Mrs. Stone LOL

Thank you for all of your help! I think we will for go the tedious train ride to SML/Portofino..leave more time to explore Nice and surrounding areas.