We're planning a family trip in June/July 2013 - will need 5 rooms (2 doubles, 3 quads). Looking for suggestions for moderate hotels fairly close to attractions or transportation. Thanks!

I'm a big fan of apartments for families over hotels. Provides a lot more flexibility for meals, shared space, etc.

The Hotel Orologio across from the Piatza Santa Maria Novella is awesome. Great rooms, and walking distance, 400 yards from the main train station and 300 yards from the Duomo.

I, too, think you need apartments! you will have more room and also a kitchenette available. And probably for less money than a hotel. Look at Sleepinitaly.com, Italyperfect.com, VRBO.com, rentvillas.com. The last one is slightly more expensive but offers more service in locating the right property, so it might be good for you.

If you want hotel recos you really need to be specific - in $ or euros - about your budget per room.

Some people's "moderate" is someone else's budget or upscale.

Apartments work well with small ids - you don't give the ages of yours. But with so many people you will need to find 2 or 3 in the same building or street.

Quad rooms are hard to find in Europe. To find a hotel with 3 of them will be difficult. Look also for family rooms or adjoining rooms. Good thing you're starting early.

Another thought: European hotels have single rooms that are real singles. When we took our 14-year-old son, we got him a single room at some of the less expensive stops. He really liked having his own room.

Not to hijack your thread, but for those who book apartments from the sites listed above, how confident are you that the apartments are what you see is what you get? Especially the newer ones with only 1 or a few reviews?

I am also looking for a place for next June, for 6 of us and found some really great looking options, but I am so hesitant to book without the backing of a hotel. Although - I suppose you could run into the same type of issues with a hotel. I would love an apartment as compared to trying to find a quad and double in a hotel.

Do you find the sites you have listed above to be run by reliable management so that the properties are thoroughly screened?

Shell - we have booked several apartments in Italy, through various agents and none - twice through standard agencies, once through vrbo, and once privately. they all worked out very well.

if you are at all worried, agencies like sleepinitaly have reputations they want to protect.

annhig - thanks, that's good to know. The apartment I am most interested in is listed with sleepinitaly. So I think I'll send them an email and start the process! We'll see where it goes.

we have rented so many apartments in Europe I can't remember how many. we have rarely encountered one we did not like. I can only think of one offhand, and that was because it was sp sparsely furnished.
you can look for reviews also on tripadvisor.com or SlowTrav.com.

cmcello,

How old are your kids? Old enough to carry their own luggage up stairs? If you have to carry them plus their luggage and your luggage, you will want someplace with an elevator.

For your needs, it might be best if you checked out a website like booking.com where you can use a search filter to plug in your travel dates and specify not only that you need quads and doubles, but also if you want air-con and wi-fi, or an elevator, plus you can limit hotels to your budget.

If you find hotels are too expensive or on reflection you decide you want a kitchen, then there are lots of apartments that will beat the price of most every hotel that offers quads.

ShellD,

Why don't you just post a link to the apartment you are looking at?

vespacurves - here's the link

https://www.sleepinitaly.com/en/show...d_appartam=622

There's only one review - and it's the same review as on tripadvisor.

I did message the person who reviewed it and she responded quickly with positive comments.

That apartment looks beautiful. And it has a good kitchen, elevator, etc. I would book it.

You might check out these apartments in Rome, there are several in one building. I don't have personal experience with them but found them when researching for our trip this summer. I would also highly recommend staying in an apartment with kids. These get pretty good reviews on slow travel .

www.residenzagiubbonari.com/

I stayed in Giubbonari a few years ago, in the blue apartment. It was comfortable - on king bed and 2 twins, 2 bathrooms I believe. Location was excellent. A few min from Campo di Fiori, same distance to the transportation hub at Largo Argentina. Two min walk to several small food markets.


Wasn't a fancy apartment, but it worked well for us. Five years ago they did NOT offer wifi. If that's important to you then you should check if they now have it.

ShelID,

If you want to stay near the piazza Navona, that apartment is not really very close to the piazza Navona. Look at a map of Rome and you will see that the Largo Argentina is in a different place.

Also, the apartment says it "overlooks" the Largo Argentina. This is a very busy location for trams and busses. Some people are not bothered by noise, especially if apartment bedrooms face the back alleys, not the street. But if you are going during a time of year when you will want to open the windows, or if the apartment doesn't have modern double-glazed windows, that is a noisy location.

All that said, I prefer that area to the piazza Navona.

all that, AND a terrace?

I'd be biting their hand off!

what happened to the OP? Hasn't posted again.