Rome hotel...classy,central location, quiet
 

My 70 y/o mom is going to Italy this June with another couple in the same age bracket and has asked me to help find a hotel.

They are looking for a centally located hotel which will give easy access to the prime tourist sites, either walking, cabbing(?), or taking the train.
Cost is not really a consideration. They would like a hotel with some sense of "quiet" and a great deal of ambience.

My preliminary research has turned up some interesting properties...The Grand Hotel de la Minerve and the Raphael in the Piazza Navonna, Villa Spalletti Trivelli, and the Inn at the Roman Forum.

In addition to seeing the obvious sites, they also plan to take some escorted excursions out of Rome.

ANY and ALL feedback is appreciated...I ,personally, liked the look of the Inn at the Roman Forum...looks kind of tranquil.

Thanks fodorites! Or should I say Fodoriti?

We stayed at Albergo del Senato which is directly across from the Pantheon. It's not cheap but it was quiet and quite elegant. Many Fodorites have recommended it. It's very centrally located.

Here is their website: http://www.albergodelsenato.it/

Hope this helps.

If they can afford the Minerva that would be my choice.

I like the Albergo, but depending on the room, it can get a liitle on the noisy side being that it is facing the Piazza. But for a 70 year old wanting "quiet" and the other amenities mentioned, I would say that the Hotel della Minerva fits the description of what you are looking for to a "T." I stayed there for business three years ago and again last year and I noticed the clientele while being alot of businessmen, had become more "silver" than it had before - and more importantly, everone seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

I don't consider the location of the Albergo del Senato would fit the requirement of a "sense of quiet". I find that location quite chaotic, the square is always full of people.

The Raphael is not in the Piazza Navonna. It is one street over. It is a very beautiful hotel.

The St. Regis Grand is VERY quiet. In fact, it is as quiet as a graveyard. This hotel exudes old-world hauteur. The lobby looks like a Norma Desmond's living room.

The Hotel de Russie is also in a very quiet location. The garden of this hotel is probably the most beautiful of any hotel in Rome.

The Hassler is VERY old money. The old guard stays here.

Thin

If price is not an issue I'd recommend the Hotel D'Ighilterra. Old world class, very well located.

I would try the Inghilterra, the Hotel de Russie, The Raphael or the Minerva, if I could afford any of them. They would at the very least be the ones I checked first.

Hotel de Russie is gorgeous; if you are not staying there, try to have dinner in the garden.

The Hassler is indeed old money, but mostly old, and on top of the Spanish Steps which can be a hassle for older people.
The Inghilterra has a great location; I don't know it it's been done up recently, but it's quite old. Take a larger room, some have balconies.

The Inn at Spanish steps is nice too. Both the Inn and Inghilterra are in a shopping area, but the evenings are very quiet.

I loved the Albergo del Senato, we had an enormous room, with a very high ceiling. The Piazza can be a little noisy though.

If money is no object, I would stay at De Russie.

The Inn at the Roman Forum is not conveniently located for touring other sights and you will have traffic impact.

I've never stayed at the Minerve, but it's a good, quiet location, has a knock-out bar on the roof and taxi ranks nearby. The food at the restaurant gets very low marks, however, so plan to eat elsewhere.

I stopped staying at Albergo del Senato because of late night noise in the piazza della Rotunda outside.

Stayed in the del Senato 2007 a week after Easter, the weather was wonderful, the crowds plentiful and the noise on the 2nd floor room overlooking the Piazza was nonexistent. Closing the windows and curtains seals out the noise. The piazza itself is lively with tourists from about 10am to 11pm, but people (like yourself) enjoying themselves and having a great time is a major part of the essence of Rome. The hotel is within easy walking distance of several major sites and an inexpensive (for Rome) cab ride to all others. Finding an excellent restaurant nearby after a long day of being a happy tourist is not a problem. Regardless of the hotel, have a great vacation and a gelato or two on me....

We found rooms at The Inn at the Spanish Steps to be very noisey, thin walls,noise from rooftop area early morning and late at night.

Of all the hotels mentioned, you stand a much greater chance of securing a larger room at the Grand Hotel de la Minerve. Some of their rooms are truly fabulous and the location is superb. It's a very comfortable hotel for grand ladies in their 70's.

I like the Russie but it's a bit more trendy. I don't find the furniture to be all that comfortable and I'm 20 years away from 70. Piazza del Popolo is on the outskirts of Rome's city center. The area is lovely but this hotel is a serious walking distance from old Rome.

Everybody's taste is different, for sure, so IMO, The Raphael is pretty on the outside but staying there is the most over-rated and over-priced experience one can find in Rome. As far as decoration goes, they have no idea who they are or who they want to be. Be it old-world traditional, California modern, and their new embrace of Richard Meier, their interior decoration is all over the map. Unfortunately, most of their rooms are tiny. They don't show those on the internet.

The St. Regis Grand is fun grand but it's not my favorite location. They do have some fabulous rooms and, like the Minerve, their rooms tend to offer much more space than most other Rome hotels.

Villa Spalletti Trivelli is not in a location I prefer to call home. The Inn at the Roman Forum does nothing for me. I've always thought the Hassler was ugly and old. Don't put a 70-year-old near any steps.

Most rooms at the Del Senato are embarrassingly small, even the doubles with views. They do offer sound-proof windows. But I love fresh air, especially at night, so if you face the piazza, you can forget about getting any sleep, unless you travel with ear plugs.

The d'Inghilterra has its charms and if all you want to do is shop via Condotti, this hotel is very convenient. Unless the fashion scene is your thing, I wouldn't stay here unless you can secure the 6th floor suite that comes with that fabulous terrace.