Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Seeking Hotel Recs in Rome

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Seeking Hotel Recs in Rome

Hi there, My husband and I will be visiting Rome for the first time in mid November. Any hotel recommendations (we don't want to spend more than $200 per night and hopefully less)would be greatly appreciated. Since we'll be staying only 4 days, any suggestions as to som highlights we shouldn't miss would also be great. Thanks, Marcia

Good evening, Marcia We have used the HOTEL INTERNAZIONALE Via Sistina, 79, it is a three star hotel with 37 rooms, street side rooms can be noisy, rear rooms can be much quieter. Almost every room is different in shape, etc, some have baths others have showers. First used this hotel in 1981 when a double was $48.00 USD. per nite. [email protected] check out on www.venere.it and www.hotelguide.ch/ Hotel located atop of the Spanish Steps 1/4 block down from the Trinta de Monte. Have a good trip. Richard of Hickory Hills, IL....

The hotel we like best in Rome, well within your budget, is the Teatro di Pompeo. Intimate, refined, confortable, charming and historical (built on top of the ruins of of Theater of Pompey, steps from where Julius Caesar mas murdered). IMO, it's one of the best located hotels in Rome, in the heart of ancient Rome, at walking distance to just about everything (Vatican, Trastevere, Piazza Navona and Pantheon, Roman Forum, etc). Only BIG problem: it's recommended by most guide books and its 12 rooms are too few to bear demand; you'll be lucky to find a room there by now! Relevant data is: Largo del Pallaro, 8 phone: +39 06 6830-0170 fax: 06 6880-5531 http://www.romeguide.it/teatrodipompeo/hotel.html Suggestions on what to do will follow later but it would help to know what your main interests are. Most probably, one of your 4 days will entirely spent in the Vatican (museum + piazza + basilica + climbing the dome + doing the scavi tour or the gardens depending on your interests). This would leave only 3 days to play with. Paulo

Our favorite hotel is the La Residenza. Like most of the best value for money accommodations in Rome, though, it's small. You may find some difficulty in obtaining space in the better recommendations. You'll find many, quite a few in your price category, at http://twenj.com/romehotel.htm As to highlights, you'll find our rankings of the top dozen sights at http://twenj.com/romesights.htm As well you'll find suggested walking tours, lesser sights, excursions, etc.

Paolo: Your posts are always so filled with useful information. I copy them all and store them for future use! But please--what does IMO stand for? Mille grazie.

I recommend the Hotel Regency on Via Romagna. Can't locate the number right now but it's not far from the Spanish Steps. Small, charming rooms, good area, and inexpensive. BTW (by the way), I warrant a guess that IMO stands for "in my opinion." TTFN (ta ta for now)

Sabrina: TAL (Thanks a lot!)

LOL (laugh out loud) ... TTFN is a find! Our last time in Rome was our daughters' (then 17 and 15) first. We thought it was appropriate for them to decide what we should visit ... They were provided extensive reference material and a good map and they sure did their homework. The only limitation we imposed was that we would be fitting a "theme" visit in: Caravaggio (who fascinates both of us). That meant the we should be visiting, appart the Pinacoteca Vaticana (which we ended up missing by minutes), the Galleria Borghese, the Chiese di San Luigi dei Francesi, Santa Maria del Popolo and Sant'Agostino, the Gallerie Nazionale d'Arte Antica (Palazzo Barberini and Corsini) and Doria Pamphili, and the Pinacoteca Capitolina. This was fun and interesting, because it ended leading us to places we've never been before (relatively off the beaten path). Among the above, the Museo and Galleria Borghese is certainly a must. It's very well organized (you may reserve), small (visit should take about 2 hours) and if you get there early you may play around with the computers getting detailed info on what you're going to see. It's hard not to stumble on the San Luigi dei Francesi when visiting Piazza Navona but one may easily miss the Sant'Agostino close bye. One other true gem that usually goes almost unnoticed is the Santa Maria del Popolo. Our daughters ellected the 4 basilicas, the Vatican Museum, the Gesu and S. Peter in Chain churches, the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Pantheon, a stroll through the Campidoglio, a Catacomb, the Piazze S. Pietro, Navona, Spagna and Sta. Maria in Trastevere (from Fellini's La Dolce Vita) as well as the Trevi Fountain. They also "demanded" being set loose from 6pm to closing hours to stroll the Piazza di Spagna shopping district every day (to which my wife certainly didn't complain :-). Definitively out of the way were only San Paolo Fuori le Mura and the Catacomb. To the former we took the metro. To give our legs a rest we took a 3 1/2 hour bus tour the last afternoon to visit Sta. Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano (including the Battistero and the Scala Santa) and a Catacomb (S. Callisto was up that day). So, Marcia, I suggest you do your homework ... If you're mainly interested in ancient Rome you may extend your visit to the Palatine Hill, Caracalla Bath's or Castel Sant'Angelo and eventually to Tivoli and/or Ostia Antica. If you're interested in Etruscan art the Villa Giulia museum would certainly be a must. Whatever you choose, you should give yourself a lot of strolling time. Be it "organized" or "random" strolls, you'll find a gem just about round every corner. Paulo

Thanks everyone for all your help. This gives me a great jumping off point for planning our trip. I'll let you know how it goes. Can't wait! Thanks Again, Marcia

Marcia--Rome is a beautiful city--most of the scaffolding is coming down and everyone is working hard to make certain that the city is sparkling for 2000! Just returned from Italy and I too spent four days in Rome--I stayed at the Hotel Locarno--($108/single)--it is in within walking distance of all major sites and I found the staff, the charm and the lack of tourists in this area wonderful--it is off the Piazza del Popolo (via delle penne)--plenty of restuarants in the area--don't miss the Galleria Borghese in the Villa Borghese while you are there--have your concierge arrange for tickets--truly magnificent--also the Palatine and Forum were truly beautiful--refer to my post "Bella Roma" for more info. Enjoy your trip! cheryl

In reference to the comment about La Residenza. Three summers ago, after reading various recommendations for that hotel we booked it for 5 nights. Upon arrival we were shocked by the ragged and filthy carpet, the stained walls and the general dirtiness of the lobby. Our room was HORRIBLE. We had requested a room with a balcony (as suggested by Fodor's) and we got one, complete with a rusty railing and two broken down rusty old lawn chairs. The room was like my worst nightmare of an old YMCA dormitory. We dropped our luggage and spent four hours pounding the pavement looking for another hotel, but lesson #1 -- never go to Rome in early September without a reservation, because our first 15 or so attempts were met with laughs when asking for an available room. We returned and complained bitterly to the management. The orignal desk clerk told us it was one of their best rooms. This desk clerk found us another one and we couldn't believe it was in the same hotel. It was beautifully furnished and had a spectacular marble bath beautifully accessorized. This past summer we peeked in the lobby and saw it had been redone. The big lesson here -- never accept the first room they offer you in Rome. We have been told that over and over again.

We have stayed at the Internazionale twice before, and will be returning next summer. The rate during the summer is about $200. per night (with taxes and breakfast). The hotel is charming, and the location is perfect-- right at the top of the Spanish Steps.

Just reread my last entry and can't believe the mistake I made. The entire episode relates to Hotel Internazionale on Via Sistina, not La Residenza, which is a lovely small hotel, but too far away from the more exciting "lower level" of Rome, Trastevere, etc. for my tastes.

Hello, I'm an english student and I live in Milan. I recently had to go to rome for a conference and I Found a very nice and comfortable accomodation in a self-catering apartment n the heart of rome. It's not expensive at all, you can ask for information to the following e-mail address: [email protected]