Hello All - I'll be traveling with my 71 years young mother to Rome for a week in early May 2018. She travels well, but her stamina is much better when we stay in one place for the duration rather than hopping around to a different city every couple nights or so. That being said, we usually like to stay just outside of the city we are visiting and take public transportation either into the city or to a nearby attraction that we want to see. My original plan was to base in Sperlonga, but I'm second guessing that now, as I'm afraid that will be too far away from anything to see. Our departing flight from FCO is at 9:40am, so I know for sure I'd have to stay in Rome the night before. To get to the point, do you guys have any suggestions on a small, family run type of hotel that we could stay at and not feel like we were in the middle of hundreds of tourists? That's my real concern about staying in Rome, is that we won't feel very relaxed. This will be my first trip so I've no idea about what neighborhoods would be a good fit for us. I would consider renting an apartment, but not knowing the city might make that difficult? Just not sure. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hotel Villa San Pio

Hotel Modigliani

Hotel Portoghese


Thin

Ncgirl,

Rome is a very walkable city and I think you and your Mom will find it much more relaxing to step out your hotel door and be right there at the places you want to see, rather than adding the time and hassle of commuting into the city each day! Plus, if you are staying in Rome, you can more easily go back to your hotel for a break, a short rest or nap, or to refresh yourselves before dinner.

If you are planning to sightsee in Rome, you are going to have other tourists everywhere. To me, Rome never seemed too crowded because the sights are rather spread out compared to say Florence which seemed horribly crowded.

If you have a week and get to feeling like you might enjoy a break from the city, think about one of the many easy day trips you could take from Rome. Tivoli to see the wonderful Villa d' Este and Hadrians Villa, Orvieto, Ostia Antica, and others. Do a little research on these and see if they sound interesting to you.

Happy planning!

Consider Trastevere, but check and see if that location suits you -- I've stayed at WRH Trastevere, which is a cross between a small hotel and an airb&b, in that it is in an apartment building.

It consists of 5 immaculate and well decorated rooms with a central area with tables and chairs for visiting/snacking/cooking (if so inclined) and browsing the tourist and city information. The owner and manager are very helpful and informative, though they staff the place morning until late afternoon.

If you need a full service hotel or one of you can't climb a flight of stairs, this isn't the place for you.

Trastevere has many wonderful neighborhood restaurants, and a tram and busses go into central Rome.

If you are looking for a nice, small hotel near the beaten path but not on it, look at Hotel Teatro di Pompeo. It is right around the corner from Campo di Fiore. We stayed there for Easter 2014 and enjoyed it.

Hotel Modigliani.

I don't see a budget. With that mentioned.

There are various hotels run by the church or church related groups. They tend to be basic. Some more so then the others but they are clean. Quiet. Tend to have good breakfasts. Prices are usually very good value.

Even the large ones won't seem over run.

Some are in the city centre. Some are outside the walls but usually need a bus or metro stop.

I just stayed in Le Stanze di Federica, a 6-room "hotel." It's no-frills but very, very nice. lestanzedifederica.it

It's a 10-min. walk from the Vatican in the Prati area. The metro is a 5-minute walk, and you can get to Spanish Steps, Trevi, Piazza del Popolo, etc. by foot easily.

The hotel is on the 4th floor, but there is an elevator.

It is clean, modern, and lovely.

Friends have stayed here, it's just off the Via Veneto. I have stayed in the area, easy downhill walk to Trevi Fountain, etc. Not to Vatican. Near a metro stop and the Villa Borghese.

http://www.laresidenzaroma.com/en/

We're just back from Rome where we stayed in the Hotel Villa San Pio. It's on the Aventine hill, in a quiet, luxe residential area. The hotel's built around a courtyard, lush with plantings, where you can eat breakfast outdoors in warm weather. In cooler weather there's a enclosed greenhouse space with tables.

This is the quietest hotel I've stayed in in Rome. Very reasonably priced. Much as I liked the place, it's not wonderfully convenient for getting around Rome or to restaurants. However, not too far from Testaccio and taxis in Rome are cheap. And we'd been to Rome before.

What WAS convenient was the Rome-Lido commuter train to Ostia Antica, leaving from next to the Piramide metro station.

But isn't the famous Trattoria Perilli on Via Marmorata, just a short walk from Hotel Villa San Pio?


Thin

Looks like I missed this one. But we did have many long Italian lunches, so ample that we skipped dinner for gelato.

Albergo Santa Chiara, around the corner on a quiet lane from the Pantheon, a good central to many sights Rome location. Top floor reserved for the nuns in this nunnery converted hotel. Good buffet breakfast and modestly priced.

Thin and Mimar: is the Hotel Villa San Pio on an uphill walk? Are there any buses that do up the Aventino? I think this hotel is very attractive but stay away because of what I think would be an uphill walk. I would love to know otherwise.

ncgirl17: you have some great recommendations here. I will second the Hotel Portoghese as a very nice small hotel, but there are busy streets quite nearby. Nevertheless, we are going back for our 5th stay in the immediate vicinity.

Rome is one those places that I believe requires a stay in Rome.

I second StCirq's recommendation for Hotel Modigliani (http://www.hotelmodigliani.com/en/). We were there in May and enjoyed our stay. The room was a bit small but very clean and had everything we needed. The best thing about Hotel Modigliani is the staff. They are wonderful. So incredibly helpful and nice. The hotel is located on a quiet side street not far from the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. Another option, but more expensive, would be Hotel Abruzzi (http://www.hotelabruzzi.it/). This hotel is opposite the Pantheon. I've not stayed at this property but have heard it is nice.

Good luck with your travel plans!

Yes, the Villa San Pio is on a hill. Not too steep but it is a hill. And the buses and other forms of public transportation are at the bottom of the hill. If we didn't feel like walking, we took a taxi. Which, as I say, are relatively inexpensive in Rome.