Rome hotels 2005 sticker shock! HELP!!!!!
 

Hello all. I posted a few messages last year but mostly have been lurking. Your posts have been incredibly helpful, interesting, and fun. I'm planning a trip next April to celebrate our 25th, starting off in Rome, and was hoping for someplace special to stay for 3 nights. Thanks to all your posts, I narrowed it down to the Albergo Del Senato. They just quoted me 480E for the Senior Suite (room 602). YIKES!!!! I wanted to splurge for our anniversary, but this rate takes it out of the merely painful and into the unthinkable, unless I want to take out a THIRD mortgage on my house! I've read so many other posts here about how small the Del Senato's pantheon-view rooms are, that I figured I'd better aim for the famous room #602 (Senior Suite). As impossible as it is for me to spend 480E for the suite, I don't want to spend less than that and only get a closet with a view. Sigh.

We're not strangers to budget travel. But I wanted some more luxe for this trip.

I checked out the Pantheon View B&B and they're in the same price range. The Inn at Spanish Steps, Raphael, Minerva are MORE expensive. The Scalinata di Spagna has quoted me 350E for their top terrace room but we so love the Piazza Navonna/Pantheon area. Do you have any ideas? I want something with charm, in the center, and with a terrace or view. I'd say that 350E - gulp - is what I'd be willing to pay for a nice room. Am I nuts? Is this possible anymore?

BTW I've also looked at the Cesari, the Colonna Palace, the Nazionale and the San Carlo. I've looked at so many hotels on the internet that my head is swimming. Thank you thank you in advance for all of your sage advice.

If you haven't tried it yet, www.venere.com.
Good packages (in American dollars): www.luxurylink.com (go to Europe, then Italy-you may be pleasantly suprised. I used it for Prague and got excellent value).
Of course, the old stand by: www.biddingfortravel.com. Take 3045 minutes and read this site on how to use priceline.com. Learn the secrets. Then check what others have paid for Rome hotels. Jot down some notes, then go to priceline.com. It's worth the effort.

Rereading your post, www.luxurylink.com may be just your ticket. That way you can be sure of the higher end hotels you're getting, and jr. suites, deluxe rooms, etc.

Thank you Stevey. Will do. Any other suggestions posters?

The Del Senato has a junior suite on the sixth floor with a terrace. It isn't as big as Room 602, but it is larger than the standard doubles, and the terrace is big enough to accomodate a couple of chairs to overlook the Pantheon (you are actually closer to it than with room 602). It is going to be less than 480 Euro but I don't know how much less. I am surprised that the rates at the Raphael were more. Several posters have mentioned getting extremely good rates there recently. You may want to keep checking back with them.

In the same general area is a hotel we stayed at a few years ago and loved. Also recommended by many on Fodors:

Albergo Santa Chiara

www.albergosantachiara.com

Some of the rooms have balconies, very nice breakfast room and better than average breakfast included. The staff was very helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. I think you will find the rates considerably less than those you mentioned in your post.

i know you are looking for something special, but there are many on this board who can recommend something more modest (250E) that will have a lot of charm. go for a great location and have wonderful meals. you can have the fab room somewhere else. rome's room rates are so much higher than many other italian spots. i do not know where else you are visiting, but i'd seriously entertain this idea if you are going to venice, florence, siena, etc.

henchwife,

There's no view or terrace, but we really enjoyed our stay at the Hotel Pantheon, which is literally steps away from the Del Senato. This puts you smack in the center of Rome, around the corner from the Piazza Della Rotunda, and within about a 20 minute walk of the Colosseum, less to Piazza Navonna. I think you should be able to get a very nice double room there for around 300 E. The hotel is a converted monastery, very small, with lots of charm, and an excellent front desk staff.

Good luck, and congratulations!

Thanks all. I'll ask about that junior suite at the Del Senato. I did look at the Hotel Pantheon but got stuck on that terrace idea. Will look again. And I will try the Raphael again too, though I know they've had some dreadful reviews for their less expensive rooms.

We'll be in Rome just for the 3 nights before heading off a cruise through the med that ends in Istanbul. (We to stay at the Empress Zoe in Istanbul.) So this is really it for Italy this time. (And one overnight somewhere in the Castelli Romani before heading to the cruise.) I thank you all for your help and suggestions. It's going to be a fabulous trip, regardles... I love Rome, and I look forward to returning to the places I love regardless of the room we finally get. I was just being, well, greedy I guess. It's so wonderful to have these kinds of concerns, yes? Thanks again all.

I don't think that the Pantheon view doubles at the Del Senato are too small for comfort. We had a good bed, a little balcony with a tremendous view and really enjoyed our stay.

We just returned from Rome last week and stayed in room 606, the one opposit the famous 602.
It is not a junior suite. It is considered a Senior suite. The room has a living room with couch and tv along with a chair and small table. The couch was a pull out for added sleeping area.
The bedroom was decent size and had a king bed with 2 side tables and a dresser along with the mini bar.
The terrece has 2 potted plants, a table and 2 chairs with a FANTASTIC view of the Pantheon and Piazza della Rotunda.
Room 602 while nice, did appear to me to have a obstructed view of the Piazza, but a great view of the Pantheon. I did ot actually go into 602, so I could be wrong.
Our friends stayed in room 605, a superior double with a small balcony with a potted plant and room for just 2 chairs, no table.
602 was very nice and spacious along with the small balcony.
We paid 468E for 606, and they paid 285E for 605.

We really enjoyed sitting on our balcony at night eating cheese and drinking wine looking down on the Pantheon.
I paid the price for the bigger room for our annniversary and enjoyed every minute of it. The staff at the Del Senato were exceptional and made our stay a pleasant one.

If I can answer anymore questions let me know!

Sorry, I meant to say 605 was very spacious with a small balcony, not 602

It appears that due to the popularity of the Del Senato and the numerous requests for "senior suite" they have changed the designation of room 606 from a junior suite to a senior suite. Two years ago, 602 wasn't available for the first dates I wanted but they offered me 606, and called it the junior suite. The rate was somewhere in the low 300 Euros. Now it's a senior suite with a price to match. Room 602 has a wonderful view of the piazza, the only thing you can't see is the McDonalds, which is fine by me.

Have you ever heard of "supply and demand"??? Why are you whining about the cost of this room? Your buddies have made it so popular that management obviously decided it could be rented for more money. Sorry this isn't one of those "interesting and fun" posts you are used to but if you want to stay in this place then be prepared to pay for it.

We stayed at the Hotel Baracco and would recommend it to anyone looking for a very nice, smaller, boutique type of hotel. The staff was excellent and the breakfast was great. We paid 325 Euro for a deluxe double room.

Am I the only one who thinks no room in Rome is worth over $550 a night?

I just don't get it, wine and cheese overlooking the Pantheon be damned, I'd never pay that much. How nice can the room be?

Nina, I'm with you. :-) There are lots of free places to eat cheese and sip wine.

I think it's amazing how much we've become accustomed to paying for hotel rooms.

I always recommend www.travel.it They have a ton of hotels in Rome. You go directly to the hotel and cut out the middle man. You can scan all of their websites and see prices.

hi- Went to Rome last August. My husband and I stayed at the "Hotel Artimide". pronounced...are tim me tee (that is what the cab driver said anyhow) It is on Via Nazionale. Closer to the train station. Which was great for us because we took the subway everywhere we went. The rooms were extremely clean, AC, very small and personal. I was impressed, after touring Europe and find that our standards are very different here in America. I think the rates are high 200's to low 300's. Good luck

Well said, Nina. What a monumental waste of money. I don't go to Europe to sit in my hotel room or my B&B to eat cheese and sip wine. When I was in Rome in Feb. I got a 30% discount by mentioning Rick Steves' name and I paid 58 Euros/night to stay in a centrally located nice hotel. I prefer B&B's but I would stay there again.

Whether your pay 50 Euros or 400 Euros a night, the room looks exactly the same when you turn the lights off- dark.