Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Santa Maria

A Trastevere treasure with a pedigree going back four centuries, this ivy-covered, mansard-roofed, rosy-brick-red, erstwhile Renaissance-era convent—just steps away from the glorious Santa Maria in Trastevere church and a few blocks from the Tiber—has sweet and simple guest rooms: a mix of brick walls, "cotto" tile floors, oak furniture, and matching bedspreads and curtains. Surrounded by towering tenements, the complex is centered on a monastic portico courtyard, lined with orange trees—a lovely place for breakfast.