hubby and I are planning a trip the end of July for 12 days. We're looking for nice hotels with modern amenities that don't cost a fortune. Travel agent recommended River Palace in Rome - any comments on that one? Then we need suggestions for Amalfi Coast (flexible on which town), Capri and Naples. Thanks!

Lis, My husband and I are going to the same places you are next week. We'll be back at the end of June, and I'd be happy to let you know a bit of our trip report and our hotel experiences. We are also looking at moderate accomodations, and it's still hard to find in Italy. We are planning the majority of our stay in Sorrento, as it's a good base to make trips to anyplace in the region. We'll also spend a few nights in Rome and Capri.
This forum is a great place to get ideas if you search from the text box on the top of the page. Good luck!!

I stayed in the Hotel Napoli in Naples last October. It was cheap, clean and cheerful. About 60euro for a double room. Breakfast was good. Hotel situated in the old town walking distance frome the train station. You can checkint out on www.itwg.com very good hotel site for Italy. Have a good time.

Hi lisa,

The Albergo Sansevero (http://www.albergosansevero.it/indexe.html) has gotten good reviews. It is about 100 E/nite dbl w/bkfst and is in the old district of Naples.

For our upcoming trip we chose the Hotel Le Sirene in Praiano (http://www.lesirene.com/index_ing.htm) about 80E dbl w/bkfst.

Since your trip will be coming up in July, a lot of the hotel choices recommended here may not be available. So definitely get on the ball. In Rome, I personally think a central location should be a top priority. Have your TA recommend hotels near P. Navona, Pantheon and Trevi. It's easy to walk to all the sites from there.

Can't help you out re Naples since I only spent a few hours there. As to the Amalfi Coast, it's best to determine what activities you wish to do before selecting a town, before selecting a hotel. If you want a location that is convenient for visits to Pompeii, Paestum or other coastal towns, Sorrento usually tops most recommendations. I found the town center above the docks charming, but Sorrento is a sprawling coastal city and lacks the visual appeal and quaintness of towns like Positano and Ravello. Apologies to Sorrento lovers. Although it may lack much of the activities available at other towns, I found Ravello to be a slice of heaven which was a nice respite from my wonderful but hurried pillaging of Rome. But then again, any town along the Amalfi Coast will more than suffice for an enjoyable trip.

Capri has many elegant hotels conducive to relaxation. Check out capri.net for available choices. Although it's not as luxurious or modern as the others, we loved our stay at Hotel Capri because of the northern view overlooking the marina, Mt. Vesuvius and the Sorrentine Peninsula. Most other hotels in Capri have a southern view towards the blue horizon and maybe the Faraglioni rocks. Also check out the hotels in Anacapri, a wonderful town.

Instead of solely relying on your TA, you should really check out hotels on your own (venere.com, Romeby.com and plenty others). Planning is half the fun!

We just returned from a holiday in Italy, and we spent a couple of days along the Amalfi Coast and in Capri. Very beautiful! Here's a hotel recommendation for the Amalfi area: Villa Felice (www.villafeliceamalfi.it). It is just outside of Amalfi, and they have a very reliable shuttle service into the town and back. It re-opened in May (after 8 years), and is very comfortable with modern facilities. The staff is also very helpful! And in case you're looking for a nice restaurant in that area: "La Carcara" in Pogerola di Amalfi (tel. 089.830206)--excellent food, very friendly staff, reasonable prices, and a more local clientele (closed on Mondays).

thanks Taia - I'd love to hear about your trip. and thanks to everyone else for suggestions. i'm working thru a TA and on my own which is why i'm asking for help.

We did a similar trip about a year and a half ago. I'm not sure what you consider a "fortune" but here are the hotels we used:
Rome: Santa Chiara-the BEST location-pleasant, but not elegant rooms.
Naples: Hotel Miramare-very charming small hotel with a great location on the waterfront. It's a little less expensive than some of the other luxury hotels nearby and I felt it was more charming. Also the staff is really, really nice.
Capri-Casa Morgano-lovely small hotel. All the rooms have beautiful views and are spacious and modern.