12 Best Hotels in Rome, Italy

The first Italian outpost of the French brand Mama Shelter, this hip hotel features a funky design with lots of colors and patterns and playful touches like graphic ceilings painted by French street artist Beniloys and vintage pinball machines you can play. Rooms have comfy beds, flat-screen TVs with free movies (including adult movies), and bathrooms with colorful tiles and organic toiletries. The main restaurant, Giardino d'Inverno, draws a trendy local crowd for classic Italian dishes with creative twists, plus live music and DJs from Thursday through Sunday. There's also a pizzeria and, in the warmer seasons, a rooftop terrace and a ground-floor garden restaurant with a cabana bar. The shop in the lobby sells branded merch, as well as handcuffs and other sex toys.

Run by an American couple, this welcoming, community-oriented hostel near Termini Station offers private rooms as well as regular hostel beds in dorms. There's a lovely garden for lounging with a cup of coffee and a bagel in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. Aperitivo evenings feature cocktails, beer, and organic wine. There are no TVs in the rooms, but all rooms have air-conditioning. Rooms with a shared bathroom have a sink in the room. All rooms have access to self-catering kitchen facilities. Dorm beds start from as little as €25–€30 in low season.

The friendly sisters of Santa Brigida oversee simple, straightforward, and centrally located accommodations in one of Rome's loveliest convents, with a rooftop terrace overlooking Palazzo Farnese. You won't find iPhone charging docks or flat-screen TVs here, and breakfast is served only after the sisters have finished their morning prayer. Still, the atmosphere is serene, and the rooms are perfect for their rates. The Brigidine sisters, who wear a distinctive habit and veil with a caplike headband, are known for their gentle manner; they sometimes offer guests tickets to the papal audience. Breakfast is included, and you can elect to eat other meals (€25 per meal) here as well; however, your money might be better spent on meals elsewhere. The guesthouse entrance is around the corner from the church at Via di Monserrato 54.

In the heart of Trastevere but tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the medieval quarter, this basic, affordable hotel in a former monastery is centered on a lovely green courtyard and still has a chapel off the corridor. The monastery was built in the 15th century to honor St. Francesca Romana, and guest rooms are accordingly unadorned, with cheerful pastel yellow and cream-colored walls and simple tiled floors. For the money and location, this is an excellent option.

Near the most expensive shopping street in Rome, Via Condotti, and one block from the Spanish Steps, this group of hotels and apartments is all about peace, comfort, and location. Common areas and guest rooms in the main building have elegant, walnut period furnishings, gilt-edge mirrors, and top-notch linens and fabrics in warm, relaxing tones. The guest rooms exude a classic charm, though they tend to be on the smaller side. There are annex rooms and larger apartments with fully equipped kitchens spread out over seven buildings in the neighborhood.

This simple budget hotel on the third floor of a 19th-century palazzo offers rock-bottom rates and is just a five-minute walk from the Vatican. You won't find frills, but you will find clean rooms with air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. There's no bar, but there is a breakfast buffet and a vending machine that you can use 24 hours a day.

In the heart of Trastevere and across the Tiber from the main synagogue in the Jewish Ghetto is Rome's only kosher hotel, a friendly and budget-friendly place to stay. Staffers are eager to please and can even arrange prepared kosher meals if requested in advance. Rooms are basic and two rooms have a shared bath, so be sure to inquire when booking.

This is a reliable budget hotel in the side streets of Piazza di Spagna that offers great value for money. There are no extra frills, no pampering—just professional service and clean lodging.

Just off the beautiful Piazza Navona, this aging but pleasant hotel has a lovely rooftop terrace that's the perfect place to enjoy a cappuccino or a glass of wine while taking in the view. Rooms are classically furnished, and the more updated ones have parquet floors and cheerfully striped wallpaper. You can snag a really good deal here in January and February, when room rates can go down to €130.

Off the beaten path, this clean and comfortable hotel has been welcoming guests for more than 50 years. Though the exterior looks like nothing more than your average Roman apartment building, once inside you'll find that rooms are relatively spacious (if basic). The area itself offers plenty of parking, and the advantage of being so close to Testaccio is the abundance of great lounges, pizzerias, and nightlife.

When the Eternal City becomes too chaotic for you, head to this budget hotel inside a 19th-century Roman villa just minutes from Termini Station. There's a tranquil rose garden where guests typically have breakfast or sip afternoon tea. Rooms are simple and functional, decorated in soft neutral tones.

This chic hotel may fool you into thinking the digs are expensive, but the contemporary coolness of Yes Hotel, located around the corner from Termini station, actually comes at a bargain. Guest rooms are decorated in crisp neutral colors and modern fabrics, and come with amenities such as flat-screen TVs, top-of-the-line toiletries, and electronic safes.