Rome hotels on our own
 

Looks like we are going to take the task of booking our Rome hotel on ourselves rather than have the travel agent handle. She had recommended the River Palace at a cost of $430.US per night. Her first recommendation was Empire Palace Hotel at $570.US per night. I found River Palace on Expedia and Hotels.com for $302.US per night. I'd also looked at Capo D'Africa but that cost is $400.US per night probably out of our price range. I didn't find the River Palace available on Venere.com

Any comments on the River Palace? I've never booked a hotel on either of these websites, usually book direct with the hotel but River Palace website is not very user friendly and I couldn't figure out how to check rates there.

We have a group of 8 and need 4 rooms. Our dates are May 10th & 11th. We'd like to be able to walk to most sites. Thank you for your responses.

I recommend Venere.com.. I have tried them and have been pleased..I have only had the 2 star B & B's too..good luck !

What is the price range you would be most comfortable with per night?

Paige, the River Palace is north of Piazza del Popolo, which is taking you pretty far out of the center.

May is soon, for booking 4 rooms. I put your dates in venere.com and came up with some options. You can try it, but check each location on their provided maps. Two nights isn't very many and you don't want to be spending a lot of time getting to and from your hotel.

Check the Trevi, Pantheon and Navona areas on venere.com.

I would like to keep the rate around $300.US per night. So you think Venere.com is the best site for booking Rome hotels? What about the individual hotel's website?

Paige,

I have never heard of River Palace or Empire Palace.
I would suggest you deal directly with the hotel , unless the rate in Venere is more advantageous.
Also, be careful with Expedia, I think some of their "deals" are charged to your credit card 100% as soon as you make the reservation and some of them might be totally non refundable.
Hotels cancellation policies are usually 24-48 hrs prior for big hotels, but always confirm their policy with them.

Why don't you look into the Hotel Dei Mellini, it is a 4 star hotel and it is a "sister" hotel to Capo D' Africa but IMO it is in a better location.
We stayed there a couple of years ago for a week and were vey happy with it.

Their website is www.hotelmellini.com and their rates depending on type of room are between 200-250 euros.

Everyone raves about Albergo del Senato which is across from the Pantheon. Do a search here for more information.

You can use venere.com to check availability quickly and easily for a number of hotels. You input your dates, room requirements and area of the city. You'll then get a list of available hotels that meet your criteria, with prices. You can then go directly to individual hotel websites to doublecheck rates, and you can choose to book via the hotel website or through venere.
- Marie

Hotel Dei Mellini looks wonderful but website says no rooms available for our dates. I've also heard good things about Albergo del Senanto but they may be out of our price range.

Albergo Del Senato is wonderful, but it may be over your budget. In that same neighborhood, try the Santa Chiara or Albergo Caesari.

Also look into Hotel San Carlo near the Spanish Steps, and Hotel Mozart, which also has rents some apartments that may work out well for your family.

Hi P,

The Del Senato has gotten very good reviews here.

Rates are about 150E and up for a double.

See www.albergodelsenato.it/

((I))

It has been years since I have seen the Del Senato for under 200Euro. Best rates in winter have been running 225E or so and they quoted me a "special" rate in late October for 4 rooms no view guaranteed for 310 per night, 340E with a view.

I love this hotel but it no longer is affordable for my budget.

Paige, we liked the Santa Chiara very much and thought the location near Piazza Navona was one of the nicest places to be in Rome. The hotel itself is on a very narrow one-way street which limits traffic and street noise, but is literally around the corner from what feels like a wonderful Roman fiesta....if I can mix metaphors linguistically!! :)

We paid around $200 dollars/night in 2000, so I would think (hope?) you could book it for ~$300 now??

PS Even when a website shows fully booked, sometimes you can call....I think some of the hotels do not want to have all their bookings done on line and may "save" some for the more assertive customers, who may be less likely to abruptly cancel....just a thought....

I may try calling some that are showing full. Venere.com gave me 127 choices that show available for our dates. I narrowed it down to a dozen to follow up on. I avoided anything listed in the area near the train station. Was that a wise choice?

Can anyone comment on these hotels: The Duke, Duca d'Alba, Faffaello, Internazionale, Colosseum and Miami? That's have my list to pursue

I wonder if Santa Chiara didn't show up as available or if it was over my budget. I'll check it out also. So sad that Albergo d'Senato is so expensive now....

I agree with cruiseluv's caution. Expedia will charge your credit card for the full payment. Their price also does not include taxes or service fees, and they would also charge you a $26 cancellation fee.

Hotels.com also charges you the whole bundle upfront, adds some hefty booking fees, and has the same cancellation fee.

River Palace has a 260 EUR Promotional Bed and Breakfast rate *including tax* (and no prepayment requirement) that should be available on their website.

Looks like Santa Chiara has their own site where you can inquire directly via computer to the hotel re:availabity and rates:

www.albergosantachiara.com/

Paige, you asked about the Faffaello but I think you mean the Raffaello, which is the sister hotel to the Senato. It has excellent word of mouth and while it is not as well located as the Senato, it is much less expensive.

I agree with checking the San Carlo and also suggest the Internazionale de Montecitorio, which is NOT the same as the International. The latter is on via del Corso and gets mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com.

The problem with a TA is that they don't deal with smaller hotels. Although at this late date, and considering the number of rooms you need, you can't spend too much time chasing small hotels, either.

You may consider the Barberini which showed availability for four rooms on your dates. Not ideal, but it will do in a pinch.

San Carlo and Montecitorio would be where I'd check first. Ideally located and big enough that they may 4 rooms for your dates.

I checked Albergo Santa Chiara website as suggested by social worker and got a quick email response from the hotel. Looked great and they have availability but unfortunately at rate of 365E per night which is out of our budget. Raffaello is what I was referring to in earlier post and venere.com shows it's available but the hotel website says it's not. San Carlo's website showed availability but price was about $40 higher per room per night than venere.com. This is very confusing! I will continue my search and appreciate any additional suggestions or comments.

That was 365 euros/room when you are booking 4 rooms? Ouch!! It is a great hotel but that price seems outrageous!! Good luck in your searching.

tuscanlifeedit; Please don't lump TA's into one group. SOME might not look at smaller hotels; some are conscientious and look at what suits a clients tastes and budget. And it truly is impossible to know of every hotel listed in every city in the world. I'm sure you would agree that's a tall order.

PaigeS; if you are still interested in the Capo D'Africa, they have a Run of House rate of $272.01 per night that they are currently offering with a 24 hr cancellation policy. Deposit not required. Might be worth looking into.

I'd try Hotel Portoghesi near Piazza Novona. We have a room booked for may for about $200 per night. Stayed there several years ago and were pleased and checked comments on Slowtravel and other sites and it still gets good reviews. They have their own web site. Just Google it.

You can look further into these... the first 3 show availability of 4 doubles/twin on your dates.

Hotel les Chambres d'Or (Vatican)
http://chambresdor.hotelinroma.com/
Doubles 180E / website shows avail. for 4 dbls/separate beds

Hotel Canova (Cavour)
http://www.canovahotelroma.it/en/index.htm
Doubles 135E / 4 rooms avail - doesn't specify twins so call them

Hotel Dorica (Repubblica/Termini)
http://www.hoteldorica.com/en/
Doubles 145E and 165E / 4 rooms avail - doesn't specify twins

Hotel Condotti (P. de Spagna)
http://www.hotelcondotti.com/en/
Reservation form, not immed. feedback
Doubles/Twins - standard 179-259E, superior 209-289E

I'm also looking at making my own hotel reservation for Rome. I've looked at the websites mentioned by other posters here. They are very helpful. What I found even more helpful is reading the comments made by folks who stayed at the hotels on the website. Read them before making a final decision. For one, I am finding that many hotels have a one person lift where you can barely get a bag in it with you. And that many hotels are on second, third floors. Also that purchasing a complimentary breakfast means having to go a block down the road to have it while standing in line. Perhaps skip that breakfast. I'm enjoying reading the responses here as they help me with my difficulties finding that one hotel that fits my needs and not too costly.
Wishing you all a great day.

In Rome I stayed at the Hotel Urbis..without a bathroom or breakfast for 84 E - 2 nights ( March 2004)...I would stay there again..reasons: across from the train station = very convenient, it was on the 2nd floor, I felt very safe..and they had free internet..The bathroom was immaculate.. true it was only a 2 star but all I wanted was a bed/shower...You could see this hotel from inside the train station, you cross the street and you are there..If you decide what area you want to stay in, consider the means of getting there from the airport or train station, and what dollar amount that is going to cost, then the amount you want to spend on a room, that together should narrow your choices. I think the 2 stars are the way to go and nothing higher...I have yet been discouraged, disappointed or disgusted with any 2 star and I have done a Europe trip every year for 12 years. The less I spend on a room, the more I can do and the longer I can stay. Good Luck though - I hope you have a great trip.

Thanks travelnut and frugal, but I think we are looking for something a little nicer than your suggestions. Most certainly we want private bathrooms. The four choices provided by travelnut were pretty far down on the list at tripadvisor.com.

I think we should be able to fine something in the historical area where we can walk to most sites, have private, bathrooms and not spend more than $300. per night.

ok... I thought price was an issue, that's why I found those.. I skimmed TA review 'headings' to see if I should throw out any. I don't go by 'ratings' as they don't mean anything.

$300 = 232E, which the 1st and last of my suggestions fit ...

You asked about Hotel Miami - deep down in the reviews (TA and Venere), there are some comments about it that made me discard it for my own trip.

Hi Paige
You mentioned a price difference at the San Carlo, between their own website and venere.com. If venere.com is cheaper, then go for it. A well located hotel for May 2007 with 4 doubles available isn't going to be that easy.

Someone mentioned the Portoghesi, where we have stayed more than a few times, but I didn't list it because it is a small and popular hotel and I doubted that you could get four rooms for May, but if you can, do.

I repeat my suggestion for the International de Montecitorio. Very well located and prices within your range. Also the possibility of enough rooms being available.

Also, I did not mean to disparage all TAs. I have not yet found one willing to research smaller hotels and do the same kind of work that posters here do, without an additional fee. Of course they can't all know hotels in every city. PaigeS's TA's recs are typical of those that I hear of, or have been given. I'm sure there are TAs out there who could do better.

tuscanlifeedit, thank you so much for the recommendation of Hotel Portoghesi. I too had not considered the smaller hotels for the reason you mentioned. I used their online reservation request and am awaiting a reply. I assume that will come via email. It looks like an excellent choice. I did check the International de Montecitorio but it either didn't fit our budget or had no availability.

AARRGGHH! Everything in our price range appears to be fully booked. I sent emails today to Hotel Portoghesi, Albergo Santa Chiara, Residneza Antica Roma and all replied "fully booked" Still waiting for response from Colonna Palace, Hotel Apollo, Albergo Cesari and Raffaello. I checked International Montecotorio and it was also full. Venere.com may be the only solution. From comments here they seem the best of all options in Rome for this type of hotel booking service.

Perhaps check out the special rates sometimes offered at the Sofitel or Capo D'Africa. They are both very nice hotels and near enough to the center.

Don't forget the San Carlo.

Also without going back through the thread, if I had to pick between the River Palace and the Valadier, I guess I'd go with the Valadier, as the location is a little better. I'm sorry if this is a red herring, but I though I remembered a mention of it.

This is a small but well regarded B&B style place near the Barberini Metro stop. Easy walk to Trevi area, a bit further to the Piazza Navona, but having the Metro half a block away is a plus. You'd be fortunate to be able to book with them; rooms are compact but nice and the staff is super helpful. Some units are configured as 2 bedroom, 2 bath units. The only draw back is a tiny elevator at the Veneto location and none at the Trevi location. Do read the reviews on Tripadvisor/Venere.com

http://www.daphne-rome.com/

Paige I have another idea. My parents always stayed here on their trips to Rome and they adored it. Location is Via Veneto neighborhood, not your first choice but not bad at all; the price I se in May is 220 Euro:

http://laresidenza.hotelinroma.com/main_en.htm

At this time, I've found three hotels that have availability and meet our criteria; Albergo Cesari, Raffaello, and Duca d'Alba. The Cesari seems to be the best bet of these three but Duca d'Alba is almost $100 US less. One of my travel companions has suggested we try Priceline. She said she has used them in Europe before and always done well so we're waiting to see if she can get something there. If not, the last two suggestions of Residenza and Daphne look good to check out. Sofitel and Capo d'Africa are out of our price range for sure.

I have used Priceline in Europe as well with more than decent results. As long as you are ok with getting a small room and only one bed, you might be ok.

If you are bidding on Priceline, they will not guarantee 2 beds in a double room. You can request bed type and non-smoking, but they won't guarantee it. Unless your group feels comfortable sharing beds, I would not be inclined to use Priceline's bidding site.

We are three couples and two single women and they are okay sharing a bed. That's why I never used Priceline before, we always had our daughter with us and I knew we couldn't be guaranteed 2 beds. Now that she is away at college, Mom and Dad can travel without her! It's a whole new world!

IMO, while some cities in Europe are good for Priceline, Rome is not one of them. Hotels are generally poorly located.

Have you looked at hotel ponte sisto. We've never stayed there but we're booked for this summer based on what people here have said, and it's definitely in your price range.