I am planning to go for three days in Rome on the 30th of April till the 3d of May and I find that hotel prices during that period of time have sky-rocketed! Do you know why? Is there any festival going on these days? Do they have the Olympics or something? It's outrageous!!! I mean I have to pay like 200 euros for a shithole in Termini area with no bathroom! Unbelieavable! I have been three times in Rome during high season and I have never experienced these crazy price levels. Actually Rome is considered a cheap hotel destination. Why is that? Do you think this is normal for the season? It's three times the usuall prices. Should I wait some days before booking? I don;t want to be ripped off and then find that the prices have went down... your help please... snifff

http://www.the-beehive.com/ We loved them

May 1st is a national holiday. Perhaps that explains the price hike.

I've stayed here and liked it: http://www.hotelgiuliana.com/Default.aspx

Rates for those dates are up some but not a lot.

Yup, Rome was absolutely jammed with tourists around May, 1 holiday when we were there one year Italians and other Europeans. Huge lineups for attractions.

Have you considered AirBnb? www.airbnb.com

Lee Ann

Interestingly, I'd planned to take a train in Italy on May 1st several years ago, feared the worst, booked well ahead and then found the trains not crowded. Maybe everyone was already where they wanted to be.

Book something that you can live with that is refundable now. You can then keep checking prices and cancel if you find a better deal.

You can also try Cross-Pollinate.com . I've used them a few times in the past without issues and once in Rome:

http://www.cross-pollinate.com/rome/p/1

http://www.venere.com/bandb/rome/ban...15&rgval=2||-1

I just found this place for $120 AUD (less in USD) - or you'll have to stay a bit out of the central area - like in EUR or similar.

Holiday. Weekend. Only 30 days out... But I don't think you've looked very hard.

The Hotel Due Torri shows availability of a double room for three nights, private bath, breakfast included, at US$598. The hotel is 400 m. from Piazza Navona and 800 m. from Piazza di Spagna. We've stayed multiple times at its sister hotel Fontanella Borghese nearby which also shows availability but without a stated rate. You'd have to send them an inquiry.

I also suggest the Bee Hive. We haven't stayed there, but family members and friends have.

Check venere.com and booking.com.

Pope just declared it a "&&&&& year" which is bit like the fish-on-friday declaration, means good RCs should go there. Italian government (austerity government) now upset because they have to police the thing.

Plus it is a holiday

Holy Year doesn't start till 8th December, Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

We stayed here recently:

http://www.hotelprincipessaisabella.eu/en/hotel.html which is a couple of hundred yards down the street from the Via Veneto at the top end. Nice breakfast, quiet location, OK room, good rates for central Rome.

I just tried using www.booking.com with "Rome City Centre" as the destination, and your dates. I sorted the list by price, and then went down until I found a guest rating that I consider acceptable (over 7.5). There were plenty of hotels at under €100 per night. Here is one:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/prin...deo.en-gb.html

I've never stayed there, but I often stay in that area, and I've seen the hotel.

Just returned from a short trip to Rome and here is part of my trip report that I have recently posted here. We stayed at a hotel which would probably suit your budget (we paid about 120 Euros per night for 2) :

HOTEL : Hotel Artorius
Via del Boschetto 13
Monti

We were basically very satisfied with this hotel. The street and the area are beautiful, the room was very clean and large by European standards. Bed was comfortable, sleep at night was peaceful and we heard NO noise at all, neither from other guests nor from the outside (and we were there over a weekend and I know there were plenty of people outside). Kudos for that.

The hotel has basically no lobby. You walk into a small area and then from there into an even smaller area which is their reception desk. All the service people we met were very helpful and sweet and that was great.

On the OTHER hand, breakfast at the hotel was no less than ATROCIOUS and AWFUL. The choice was large but it seemed like they chose the worst possible quality of each individual type of food offered. Cappuccino was tasteless and bad (in Rome??? in Italy??) and seemed watered down. The only tasty food was the pastries. And the elderly gentleman who was in charge of the breakfast was also a bit eccentric and not terribly interested in the guests I believe.

To be fair, I must also write that towels are very thin and should desperately be exchanged and there is a need for some expert hand in small repairs and cleaning in the room (such as duct tape on a part of the bathroom door frame and dirt left probably from people's hands touching the light switches and electrical outlet surroundings).

But none of these things, save the breakfast which really needs to be bettered, would prevent me from recommending this hotel or choosing it again. It ticked all MY boxes, i.e. was in a great location both street-wise and sites-wise, it was very clean and comfortable, and the price was very very reasonable.