Special Needs Hotel in Venice, Rome
 

Hello everyone-
I'm planning a trip to Venice and Rome in mid-November, and I need some hotel suggestions. I have a bad knee, and while walking around is fine, I do have trouble sometimes with steps. I also need a fairly large bed (queen or king), which I know is a rarity in European hotels. Can you suggest any mid-priced hotels with elevators and large beds available? I'd also prefer to be close to public transportation whenever possible. Thank you for your assistance.
Laura

What do you consider "mid-priced"? In Rome you might try Hotel Duca D'Alba (www.hotelducadalba.com). It is a 3* that gets mixed, but generally favorable reviews on both venere.com and trip advisor.

We stayed 4 nights in May 2003 in a king bedded room. The room itself was probably average size by European standards, and it had a private terrace which helped the room seem more spacious. The bathroom (tub/shower) however was tiny and cramped.

Their elevator would accomodate 5-6 people (or the bellman + 2 people and luggage trolley).

From the hotel's front door you can see the Cavour Metro entrance +/- 50 yards away.

There are numerous restaurants in the area. The hotel staff made several dinner reservations for us (two in advance of our arrival) and will suggest local eateries based on your desires.

Laura2004, we stayed at the Hotel Nazionale a Montecitorio on Piazza Montecitorio in Rome. They have an elevator and large beds. (By the way many hotels in Italy refer to a "double" bed, meaning a bed for 2 people, but they are actually referring to a European sized bed which is larger than our U.S.A. Queen-sized beds.) Our bed at this hotel was large...queen or king by U.S. standards. But that's not what they call it there. I believe a "letto matrimoniale" is a bed for a couple. Check your dictionary.

This hotel also has an elevator. When you walk out of this hotel, you are in a large square, from which you can walk to many places without encountering steps...you can walk to Giolitti's for gelato, right around the corner, many good restaurants, and to the Pantheon. Also you can walk to Piazza Navonna.

Web-site www.nazionaleroma.it

This is a classy hotel with a very nice breakfast buffet. Rooms are very clean and beds very comfortable. I liked our room with a view of the Piazza Montecitorio, which is nice and quiet at night as the only other place on the piazza is the Italian parliament building.

Thank you for the advice- I'll check these places out.
By mid-priced, I was thinking between 120-180 Euros.
Thanks again!

Ca Bernardi has a studio apartment on the ground level - I think you go up a three or four steps to a courtyard, and a couple of steps down, into the studio. It will be closer to 180 Euro, but in November, you never know.

It is in San Polo, close to the fish market and plenty of shops and restaurants. The San Silvestro vaporetto stop is close by.

www.cabernadi.com

In Rome, try the Hotel San Carlo, and make sure you let them know you want a room overlooking via Belsiana, as this part of the hotel has the elevator. Every double there that I've seen has a queen-sized bed.

Web site is:
www.hotelsancarloroma.com

Fax them, tell them what you're looking for, and they'll fax you back within 24 hours. (It sounds weird, but the response is usually faster than e-mailing them.) Their rooms do fall within your budgeted range.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

In Rome, try the Della Torre Argentina -right near Largo Argentina. It is adjacent to a bus stop. You can literally go anywhere from that location. They have 2 elevators, and BIG beds. Very comfortable. Ask for a room with a big bed & a walk in shower. No problem, I'm sure, if you ask ahead of time. I paid 100 Euros for a single (which had a BIG bed) 2 summers ago. I found it on venere.com, but booked it directly through the hotel's website, so I was certain to have communication with the actual hotel, and not a middle man who books it for you.

I have a friend who travels regularly to Italy and uses a wheelchair. She is a travel board host on AOL and is an expert on this subject due to her own special needs. She is not registered on fodors and has given me a response to the original post.

This is what my friend told me when I linked the thread to her:

The poster really needs to stay in centro storico in Rome - the area roughly bounded by the ara pacis on the north, the Tiber on the west and the Trevi fountain on the east and campo fiori on the south.

The only 2 hotels in that area that are wheelchair accessible 100 percent are the Santa Chiara and the Minerva and the Minerva has those funky Michaelangelo steps out front. Since they mentioned "reasonable" the Santa Chiara would fall into that category. If the poster can do a single step the Smeraldo down by campo fiori would be a bit less expensive than either the Santa Chi or the Minerva.

Venice is a city struggling for survival, there is little funding available for accessability. Venice is horrific for anyone with mobility issues. Venice is a collection of islands connected by bridges. Be prepared for huge numbers of steps. All the bridges over the canals have steps - even the little ones have 5-6 steps up and then the same number down. Since I have become confined more and more to my wheelchair I've literally given up on Venice. It is my understanding that some effort is being made to ramp some of the bridges. Do not expect to see a great deal of Venice. The vaporette (equivalent of a city bus only on water) have 2-3 steps to get on them. Not accessible to wheelchairs.

Again, this board has been invaluable. Thank you so much for the insight!
Laura