izzofan

having read tons of reviews every site imaginable....
we would like opinions whether the Senato is worth the extra euros (about 45E nightly)?
The rooms , even Superior rooms, in Senato appear quite small vs Cesari.
For those of you who loved Senato (recently), did it "feel" small?
we have reserved Superior Pantheon view, hopefully 6th floor, renovated room, but just wanted some feedback ...
We stayed near Pantheon a few years ago, and felt it most "central" for exploring.
Spanish Steps/Trevi areas felt even more congested...
agree or disagree?
BTW: we will be in Rome beginning November (so low season)
thanks!

Klgallo

We are staying at the Albergo Cesari for a few days in June. I will report back to you. We selected it because Frommers and Fodors both highly recommended it and it was so central that we knew we could walk anywhere from there.

izzofan

thank you !
please let me know if rooms are as described on their website.
Fodors said "walls are paper thin: can hear neighbors"
when you return, we'd love to know what is true
are you staying in Classic or Superior rooms?
we can't tell the difference fr their web photos
thanks again; will watch for your review when you return

ekscrunchy

I had a Pantheon view room at the Senato a few years ago. Size of the room does not matter much to me but if it did, I would discount the hotel because the rooms are very small.

The biggest draw of the Senato is the location, which is superb, and the view from the window or the small balcony.

I've stayed in both areas you mention and much prefer the Pantheon area to the S Steps area.

qwovadis

www.booking.com/hotel/it/albergo.en.html

Senato best location vibe of the 2 for me rooms soundproofed.

Though last got a great deal on the Intercontinental Ville 5*

Betterbidding.com 120 euro/nt bidding priceline.com

Awesome value right on top of the Spanish Steps.

NYCFoodSnob

I can't live in a tiny room, even for a few nights. I've been to Japan too many times. I hate staying in a tiny room.

IMO, there's only one room at the Senato that's worth the splurge. All their view doubles facing the piazza are much too small for my liking (and the price). The Senato is milking its "on the piazza" location. In November, I have to sleep with open windows (fresh air). The piazza doesn't get quiet until very late because it's the most popular with young lovers.

In the superior category, you get much more space at the Cesari. I always need a room that allows me to breath and stretch exercise. The ceilings are higher, too. At the Senato, there's barely three feet of walking space between the edge of the bed and the wall. There's little space for luggage, especially if you travel with larger bags.

Regarding location, you can't go wrong with either. You can't get more "central" than this. The walk from the Trevi to Piazza Navona, Rome's most popular walk, is so lovely, and so short. As far as I'm concerned, both hotels share the same neighborhood. The Cesari's location is great for shopping.

The primary difference between the two hotels is decor. I prefer the taste of the Senato's decorator, which matters little if your room is too small to enjoy. If space and budget are a concern, you get more for your Euro in a superior room at the Cesari.

izzofan

great help!
since rooftop bar/patio at Senato closes end of October, we weren't sure if worth staying in small space
Budget doesn't really matter for this (but not crazier than Senato at 245E)
Reviews at Cesari on TA stated "thin walls between rooms; can hear neighbors" which concerned us.
Has anyone found this to be the case consistently, even w/ Superior room?
we are light sleepers
we SO appreciate your advice!

ekscrunchy

Both the MInerve and the Raphael may well be over your stated budget but worth a look.

Check the Albergo Santa Chiara, too, right around the corner from the Senato.

NYCFoodSnob

<i>"Reviews on TA stated "thin walls between rooms; can hear neighbors" which concerned us."</i>

That wouldn't concern me. Thin walls might be a factor in a new construction but Cesari's building is pretty old. Every Rome hotel, especially the ones that offer rooms with en suite bath, has a room or two that is awful. Room reviews really do depend on what kind of room you have and where it is located. There will always be a traveler who gets one of the awful rooms and complains about it on the internet. You can never judge a boutique hotel in Italy by the "bad room" reviews. If you don't have a specific room number to request and you're on a budget, you get what you get. The higher-priced rooms tend to come with less issues.

Furthermore, it's impossible to know what constitutes noise from neighbors. Living in NYC high rises most of my life skews my perspective. I don't care how thick a wall may be, if you have a family of five with small children staying in an adjacent room, you're going to hear noise. Also, "light sleeper" and a visit to Rome don't go together. Any experienced, "light sleeper" traveler to Rome knows to bring ear plugs. No matter what you pay for your room in Rome, there is no guarantee that motorcycles and trash trucks will not disturb your sleep.

Klgallo

Just back from Italy. Rome was glorious. The weather was in the high 70's and remained in the low 70's well past 10:00 at night. We stayed at Albergo di Cesari in the heart of old Rome. The hotel could not have been better situated. It was on the same street as the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Novena. It was less then about a mile to the Spanish steps and about a thirty-five minute walk to the Vatican. It was perfect. The hotel was founded in The 1700's. Had been occupied by the Nazi's and then by the Allied forces. We had a basic triple room. The room was basic with very high ceilings. There was a double window with shutters so you didn't hear the street traffic below. The rooms looked like they had been furnished when Audrey Hepburn was in room, but it was clean with crisp white sheets and towels. You could hear an adjoining bathroom due to the echoing of the tile bathrooms. However, if you closed the bathroom door you didn't hear anything. Now and then you could hear people walking down the hall, but since there was only two or three rooms per hall, that was not really an issue. It ended up we were only in our room to sleep and we didn't have any problems other than one of us snoring. Besides the excellent location, the best thing about this hotel was the roof top terrace where they served breakfast and the bar opened at 6:00 p.m. We enjoyed relaxing here for a few hours, reading our books and reminiscing about our day before we went out for dinner. Unfortunately due to the dollar doing so badly against the euro--$1.50 to 1.00 the room came close to $400 per night. All in all it was an excellent choice.

JerryS

If you are staying more than 3 days, you may want to look at some apartments.
During November, I am sure that the rate for a high end one bedroom apartment will not exceed 125 Euro. In fact, you may be able to negotiate at that time.
The Piazza Navona, Pantheon and Campo Fiori neighborhoods are ideal and centrally located.
Google "Rome Apartments" and research carefully. You will have a wonderful experience and 3-4 times as much room as a hotel.

Weekender

Agree with ekscrunchy. I have stayed at both the Senato and the Albergo Santa Chiara. The rooftop bar at the Senato is great, but for the money, the Santa Chiara is a better bang for the buck. Rooms/bathrooms have recently been refurbished and are very well done. http://www.albergosantachiara.com/