Scribbler

I've had the Hotel Navona recommended to me by a good friend and frequent traveler. Opinions on some of the internet sites are mixed. Wondering if anyone here has stayed there. Would also appreciate Piazza Navona area dining suggestions. Thanks,

JonJon

Your "friend" is someone you know and might have some knowledge about their taste in travel, hotels, food, etc. On the other hand, you have absolutely NO idea what seems "good" or "bad" to some people with info on the Internet, including some people here who say things like "Go here..." or "Eat there..." but they never give any rationale.
Your friend is also someone you can directly QUESTION about the particulars of a place.
So, to answer the title of this post I would ask you, "Who do you trust the most...your friend or others?" Good luck.

ira

Hi scribbler,

What the internet can offer is the collective experience of a large number of people. You have to assess the opinions yourself.

I checked out the hotel on tripadvisor. Here's my take on it:

An OK place for young folks who don't expect too much.

I think you can do better. Try a text search on the forum for "Navona AND Hotel".

One of the links you get will be this one:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34473202

jenifer

I agree with both of the above.

And consider - if the hotel reviews online are "mixed" that means that some people (like your friend) liked the place and some didn't. You'll find that's true about everyplace, though some places have more people who love them than other places.

Still, maybe take some of the criticisms that you have read online and run them specifically by your friend. She may be able to tell you why that wasn't an issue for her, or say yes, that was a problem, but not enough to make me not recommend it . . .

bardo

Online advice is OK, but it will never be as good as advice from someone you know (and who knows you!). Only a good friend would know the little things that might be important to YOU.

missypie

We spent our honeymoon in Interlaken and had a small but beautifully decorated corner room with a tiny balcony. When we walked down the hall when rooms were being cleaned, we could see that practically every room was decorated differently and that the rooms varied in size...one room had the neon green and orange, huge flowered wallpaper, straight from the '70s. If we had gotten that room I would have said the hotel was poorly and shabbily decorated...as it was my opinion was quite the opposite.

Moral: The rooms in smaller (independent) hotels are not cookie cutters and experiences may vary.

Also, as mentioned before, consider the source. I know a lot of men who rate a restaurant based on the size of the potions (e.g. a huge platter of food = a great restaurant).

elaine

Hi
Yes, it's the details that matter, whether on line or in person.
Sometimes someone hates a restaurant or hotel, and it turns out that on the first night someone was rude, or the heat didn't work. That may or may not be symptomatic of the usual experience, it may just be bad luck.

Perceived value is also important. Someone on a very tight budget may be very pleased to just have a clean room and if that's what they got, they feel it was a good value. Someone else who has higher expectations may feel that the room was too small or the bathroom too old. What's quaint for one person may seem shabby to another.

In on line or printed reviews, look for the details.

Dick

In addition to the above advice, you should ask...

1. Did the person actually stay at the property or did they just get a quick visual. Some people pass on advice that is not necessarily first hand.

2. How recently did they stay at the property? A change in ownership or renovations can make a big difference.

3. Some descriptive terms are not easily quantified. ( deluxe, clean, pleasant, tastefully decorated, upscale, etc).
It is likely that you and a personal friend will speak "the same language"

Scribbler

Thanks to everyone - my friend has stayed there several times and is friendly with the owners- he put me in touch with them via email.

As for my standards, clean, safe & centrally located over plush, mostly because I like to walk everywhere, take naps after lunch and save every spare ducat to spend on wonderful meals.

I found a few of the reviews on Tripadvisor unsettling, but as was mentioned here, it could very well be a matter of expectations.

I think I'll go with a positive attitude and it will work out fine.

My favorite place to eat on my last visit was Da Lucia in Trasteverre. Any suggestions for Navona area?

bardo

Osteria dell'Antiquario is near Piazza Navona - Piazzetta di San Simeone 26/27, on the Via dei Coronari. Phone 06-687-9694 (you'll need a reservation).