Thanks for the Venice tips, Simone. I've actually ended in up in a B&B for 73 euro a night (Ca della Musica) so goodness knows what that will be like!! I could only find 2 reviews for it online but both were positive so I'm hopeful it will at least be clean. We ended up using our savings from both Rome and Venice to book an exquisite country hotel in Tuscany (Chianti region) for 3 nights. That's our little treat during the 2 week vacation.

KT - I think my biggest problem was I started booking so late. It was a real last minute trip with only about 4 weeks of planning. We were originally going to Nova Scotia so this was a major change of plans.
I suspect the convents with more reasonable prices are the ones who were full. I'm sure they book up first. Naturally, they didn't bother to tell me their price because they hadn't any rooms left.
I didn't have any problems corresponding by fax once I'd got help from a friend who translated my request for me. Apart from the numbers that were disconnected, I got prompt replies from most places I faxed.

We leave in 2 weeks - can't wait.

ttt

Not sure why Saraho topped this thread, but I just want to point out that Athena is incorrect when she says that Santa Giuliana rooms all have sinks. I stayed in a single room last Fall, and it did not have a sink, so not all of them do. It was a great place to stay. Can't beat the location.