I have booked the Guelfo Bianco in Florence (E118/nt) and Ponte Sisto (E205) in Rome for 3 days each Nov 15-21. I will be traveling with my mother, who is almost 70, so I wanted places that were very central and nice but not too expensive. Any personal experiences with these two hotels and tips for transportation (bus/metro), dining, shoppping, sightseeing, etc. would be greatly appreciated. I would also be interested in alternatives in the same price range.

More background: I went to both Florence and Rome about 3 years ago and saw many of the major sites, but both are a first for my mother. Florence is small, so I am not worried about getting around there, but Rome is darn big and I am not as familiar with the neighborhoods. Is the Ponte Sisto in a safe area? (I stayed in a hostel close to the train station last time and felt OK about it, but my mom might not have.)

Thanks very much!

I have not stayed at the Ponte Sisto in Rome but I do know where it is (stayed at an apartment not far away). It is a good, central location and a safe neighborhood.You aren't very close to the metro there and will probably want to use buses. the #23 bus runs along the Tiber (on the east side going north, the west side going south) and is an easy way to get to the Vatican.
You will be near the Largo Argentina which is a major transit hub
You might want to try the hop on/hop off bus with your mother

I'm not sure I'd describe the Ponte Sisto's location as "very central," but it does depend on what you have on your agenda. It being your mother's first visit, I presume the usual sights.

Although you seem to have snagged a great rate for the Ponte Sisto, I think I'd keep looking for something else.

Another poster here recently recommended the Fontanella Borghese, so I stayed there a few months ago and really liked its location about halfway between the Spanish Steps and Piazza Navona. There are a metro stop at the Steps and several bus lines within a few blocks. Lots of shopping. A very safe location because of the well-guarded former Borghese residence (now luxury condos) facing the same piazza and a police station nearby. The hotel recommended Cafe Mancini which I enjoyed very much.

www.fontanellaborghese.com

As the last two posts show, even within the historic center of Rome people have different ideas of the areas they like best. I'm not much of a fan of the Spanish steps area and I only go to the Trevi fountain once per trip to toss my coin.
On the other hand, I really like the ghetto neighborhood, Piazza Farnese and Via Giulia, Trastevere and the Gianicolo
So my comments about a "very central" location should be understood in that context.

Thanks for the responses. Let me clarify what types of sites we would like to be central to: the Pantheon, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, probably a quick swing by the Vatican. We aren't into high-end shopping, more the historical and cultural sites, maybe a day trip out to Ostia Antica (sp?).

I was considering the area around the Spanish Steps or Trevi Fountain too, but didn't find anything that looked as nice as the Ponte Sisto for a comparable price. The Fontanella Borghese didn't impress me from I saw on the website and Trip Advisor. Seems a bit...uninspired. I wouldn't mind that if I were traveling alone, but I'd like to have something nicer for mom.

We love local markets too, so if anyone has info on the best of those in Rome, please share. Thanks again!

The Campo de' Fiori, which is probably the best known market in Rome, is just a few steps away from the Ponte Sisto.

As Zerlina says, the Ponte sisto is very close to the Campo de'Fiori, a big open air market open Monday to Saturday 7 to 1:30. there are many food shops around the square and along the streets leading to it. The Campo is also lively in the evenings with a lot of teenagers/young adults congregating.
There are other markets around the city including one on Via Andrea Doria N of the Vatican museums and a covered market in Testaccio.

For the things you want to see, I still think you are in a very good location, and the hotel gets good reviews on this forum, Trip Advisor, Frommer's, NY Times, etc.

I stayed at the Ponte Sisto alone and felt very safe. It's a nice hotel and it was in a good location for me as I was able to walk everywhere. I was actually able to get a cheaper rate through Venere. I even called the hotel to see if they could match it and they told me to book through Venere.

I was just reading the NY Times travel section on line and did a search for your hotel which produced this recent article on the Farnese family
http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/07/15...l?pagewanted=1

I forgot to mention before that the nearest tourist info office to Ponte Sisto is at the Piazza Sonnino in Trastevere (just south of Ponte Garibaldi). You can pick up maps, etc there and get more detailed advice on transportation. They have a book called The Streets of Rome which includes very detailed information on the Via Giulia Via dei Giubbonari and other streets near your hotel.

That's a good article, however, I would not call the Ponte Sisto plush. It's a very nice hotel, but not plush. I would stay there again.

I stayed at the Ponte Sisto this past April with my mother who is 85 and sister who is younger.

It was a great hotel and would stay there again in a heartbeat. Make sure you get a room that faces away from the street. It can be very noisy because the bridge that connects to Trastevere is right next to the hotel.

The location is superb. A very short walk to Campo Di Fiori and Largo Argentino where you can connect to many bus lines. It is right in the center of the historic district.

The walk to the Spanish Steps is a little farther but very doable.

We walked all over or took taxis. You will not be disappointed.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Gail

Thanks very much for all of your replies! I feel much better about my choice now.