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Although it's best to have a reservation for a restaurant you really want to visit, we've been to many without one. Armando al Pantheon was accepting some without a reservation at opening last time we dined there. Personally I wouldn't want to chance it, but it's worth a try if you were not able to get a reservation. If you don't get in, there are plenty of other options. We've walked up to many without a recommendation and I can't say we've ever been disappointed. There are so many on side streets in the area of the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. I've heard of Tonnarello, but have never been there.

Are you aware bookings at Armando al Pantheon open at midnight Rome time (and go quickly) on the same day of the month you want to book in the previous month? To state it more clearly, bookings for August 8 will open at midnight tonight Rome time. As for restaurants we enjoy... Virginiae, Via di Parione, 41 / IMHO just as good as Armando al Pantheon / Book up to 90 days in advance on their website or on The Fork Osteria Da Francesco, Piazza del Fico, 29 / Full service, but we go for pizza / Book up to 90 days in advance on their website or on The Fork Rimessa Roscioli, Via del Conservatorio 58 / We're doing the Wine & Food Tasting Dinner for the first time...looks interesting / Reserve on their website Ristorante Maccheroni, Piazza delle Coppelle, 44 / Always an excellent meal / You need to call or email for a booking I suggest you check the Italy: all things food and wine-related thread just below this one...

It was the one pictured below. I should mention that @mahdnc was in a room a few doors down and was perfectly happy with the size. There is a discussion of room sizes beginning with post 700 if you're interested.

Excellent idea...much more convenient for you also. Just the two of us. Selection was a bit limited when we booked. The extra space will be welcome, especially after the tiny room we had last fall at Albergo del Senato.

According to the NCL website your cruise disembarks on the 12th. You might want to double check that. We booked a Family Suite Town House. I have no idea what their balconies overlook, but we're happy to just go up to the rooftop bar to enjoy the view. By the way, I believe you can book Hotel Smeraldo now for next July on their website. You'll get the best pricing there also.

Will do. If you think you may want to stay there I suggest you book now while there are rooms with free cancelation available.

I'm a bit confused about the time you have available for what you're planning between cruises. Your signature states you're cruising on NCL embarking July 3, 2024. That cruise disembarks in Venice (Trieste) on July 12. The following MSC cruise embarks in Naples on July 15. Unless I'm missing something, you'll have three full days between cruises. If so, my suggestion would be to pick one location...Venice, Florence, Rome, or Naples...and spend your time there. Considering the time constraints, I would take the train to Rome upon disembarkation in Venice, stay three nights there, then travel down to Naples via train the morning of the 15th. There are many very nice hotels in the area outlined by @cruisemom42. We've stayed in some very nice hotels ranging from Albergo del Senato down to some I don't even want to mention. We're looking forward to our stay at Hotel Smeraldo for the first time this fall. According to Google Maps it's a nine minute walk to the Pantheon...very convenient. Good luck with your trip planning...

We used My Best Tour in October 2017 and found them to be excellent. My contact, Giovanna, provided excellent customer service. I would definitely use them again for another tour and have no reservations recommending them.

I've been in Splendor's spa. It's a very quiet area. You should have no worries about your suite being above that area.

If it were me, I'd head back to Rome. There's so much more to do...even for just a day...in Rome. Check back on this thread for highly recommended hotels. We book in an area roughly bordered by the Pantheon and Piazza Navona for proximity to interesting sites and great restaurants.

Thanks, Bruce. We stayed in that general area about 25 years ago on Rue de la Paix and enjoyed the location very much. More recently we have been staying across the Seine in the 5th. I'll do some research and check with the hotel in a few months when they begin accepting bookings for late September / early October 2024.

Hey @CruiserBruce... How would you rate your Paris accommodations? If it's recommendable, I'd love to hear about it for our week in Paris in October 2024. Thanks...

H10 Madison is in the Gothic Quarter and very well rated and located. Sometimes they offer free cancelation...sometimes they don't. So you need to be careful when booking. We choose H10 Metropolitan because of its location and excellent ratings...and free cancelation.

Regardless of all the reasons why booking with this agency may not be advisable, they do offer one hour wait time which was not honored. My suggestion is to contact your credit card institution to request full credit for the amount you paid. This is a screen shot from the booking site...

There you go!! That's good news...

I believe you would have no trouble recalling if you had to do it. We did and it was brutal.

When you arrived in Civitavecchia did you have to walk down stairs, walk under the tracks, then walk up stairs to get to the terminal?

The free breakfast is another benefit that comes and goes. When it's available at H10 Metropolitan for Club H10 members, you'll see instructions to book the room without breakfast and it will be added at no charge later in the booking process. I booked ours with breakfast with the hope free breakfast will become available before October 2024.

I believe the 15% discount comes and goes. It was purely a chance encounter... I upgraded by booking a completely new reservation and cancelling the original one. Our first booking was for a Deluxe Terrace room...we're now in a Deluxe Room Terrace jacuzzi. We're going to be there for a week and I figured we would enjoy the extra room...especially with the additional 10% discount.

Ah-ha! I was clicking on REQUEST PRICING, but I see clicking on SUITES brings up pricing. Thanks for your response. Enjoy the Regent Suite!!

I'm seeing itineraries, but no pricing...only an online form to request pricing.

As I mentioned previously, we're staying at H10 Metropolitan between cruises in October 2024. Be sure to join Club H10 for discounts. Looks like an excellent hotel in a wonderful location. I upgraded our booking this morning after seeing a 15% discount offered. Just checked and the discount is back to 5%.

We stayed at Citadines Ramblas Barcelona a few years ago and have no problem recommending it. It is a well located, modern, clean, reasonably priced hotel.

Wow! The luck of the draw certainly worked in your favor for that stay. I didn't know that room existed.

In Italy, and Europe generally, floor numbering begins with ground floor, then first, second and so on. The first floor in Italy equates with the second floor in the US. The hotel's room numbering scheme further confuses their floor location.