Pre-cruise Rome stay, looking for hotel suggestions- w/good Location!

[CruisingGatorGirl]

Thank you all for the recommendations and advice. CruiseCritic is the best website!

 

First off, loved your previous European cruise review! I read and re-read many parts as we planned our last trip to Europe on the Equinox! We now leave in October on the sillouhette out of Rome, 14 night holy land/greece.

 

I thought rome was overwhelming when looking at hotels. We decided on casa campo di fiori. Seemed central location, walking distance, not too expensive, but clean. We are mid 30s and love to walk, but wanted to not waste too much time walking or riding in taxis. We also booked a food tour with bruno that sounds really fun for the one night we are staying post-cruise.

 

Thank you so much for the nice words! Our previous trip was easier to plan because we used my dads hotel points :) I hope you have a wonderful trip!... I know you will!

 

There are so many factors involved when looking for a hotel in Rome (or Europe for that matter)….. I use these 3 every time I look for a hotel (Rome or otherwise)

 

1. WHEN are you going ? PRICE - There is high, low and mid season. Prices vary ALOT from one to the other. So always state your dates you are visiting. If you are giving referrals - do not give info on prices unless you stayed around the same time as this can confuse the OP even more when they can't get the same price as you did because it is in a different "season"

 

2. LOCATION ? The closer you get to the good stuff the more you will spend. Also, remember if you suggest a hotel that is "a ways out…" and you have 6 days to spend in Rome - that works. But if you only have 2 days and your list of must dos/sees is long - it is better to stay closer in. Its simple logistics. Many hotels will list how far/how long to walk to the various sites…. look around the website for it. And get a good map - mark in red the sites you want to see/visit and then in green the various hotels you are thinking about booking.

 

3. AMENITIES ? Hotels in Rome are a very different animal than those in USA. The rating system (stars) has more to do with WHAT is offered than HOW NICE it is…… If you want quiet - stay a bit further out or in a more residential neighborhood…… Rome can be a bit noisy in the center. There are exceptions if you have a room say on the back of a hotel away from the street/piazza. Also ask if there is a restaurant/bar in close proximity as those can be really noisy later into the wee hours of the morning especially if they have outdoor seating.

 

As a side note: If you are staying in Rome 3 or more nights - consider an apartment. You can save BIG BIG $$$$$. Plus you get more room usually with a full kitchen etc. One of my favorite things to do after checking in is to head to the nearest grocery (they are tucked in everywhere in the historic area) and buy items for breakfast and snacks. I love having my coffee and danish/breakfast in my jammies and then head out for the day. We have stayed in 2 apartments in central Rome and plan to again next April for our next visit pre cruise.

 

ps: Hotel Golden is a favorite of many cruisers but it is out of the way imo and doesn't have much charm. But clean and cheap (well for Rome)

 

Thank you for the advice! Here are the answers to your questions, if this helps anyone :)

 

1.) We would be staying this nights of May 19th and 20th, 2015. I think this is mid season?

2.) We are here only 2 nights, we think location will be important

3.) A/C and hot water, we don't mind not having a lift. We can carry our luggage upstairs. (of course it would be nice, just not required for us)

 

 

THANK YOU all again!

[idiebabe]

If you want to be by Borghese Gardens, then Via Veneto is OK. Otherwise, you want to be there if you want be be near all those very high-end hotels where the celebs and foreign dignitaries stay. And, you can be near that American contribution to excess and arrogance - the US Embassy.

My last hotel in Rome (the Cavalieri) has it's shuttle pickup there at Piazza Barberini, at the bottom of the Veneto. Always lots of cop cars and men in black suits with sunglasses earpieces around, especially at the Jumeriah and the Westin…other than that "activity", the street seemed pretty bland. It's not a bad walk down to the centro storico from there if you do stay there.

 

What did you think of the Cavalieri and was it convenient with the Shuttle service to Piazza Barberini? Any restaurants around the hotel itself?

 

Thanks! :)

[vatali27]

We stayed at the best western president, and while not the most beautiful surroundings, it was a great place to start from. maybe 4 blocks from the coliseum, with little cafe's and stores on the walk to get a drink or a cannoli!

 

The rooms were nice, had free breakfast, and the hotel staff was very nice. Made walking easy, and when we wanted to go further, say the Vatican, it wasn't hard to get a taxi.

[slidergirl]

What did you think of the Cavalieri and was it convenient with the Shuttle service to Piazza Barberini? Any restaurants around the hotel itself?

 

Thanks! :)

 

I liked the Cavalieri. I had a non-Rome view room, which was perfectly OK with me. The room was larger than most I have had in Europe. VERY COMFY bed - with a PILLOW MENU!!! The grounds of the hotel are nicely groomed with some neat statuary around it. Some very cool artwork inside the hotel - they have a self-guided tour of it. Staff was very professional, but friendly. Concierge staff made all the restaurant reservations I asked for and gladly gave directions to any place I wanted. They used to give their Ulvieto breakast free to HHonors Gold and Diamond guests - an excellent breakfast buffet - but that stopped this Spring. I didn't mind taking the shuttle, even though I had to wait in line a couple of times. It takes a few minutes to get to/from the hotel via the shuttle. It is a very easy walk from the drop off at Piazza Barberini to anywhere. I did take a taxi down and back for dinners. There really aren't any restaurants around the hotel - you have to go down the hill a little to find some. My favorite thing was to come back to the hotel at night, sit outside on the patio, get a glass (or two) of Barolo and just watch the Rome lights at night. One night we had a thunderstorm - it was fun to be able to see the lightning over Rome.

If I were paying, I wouldn't have stayed there. But, since I had 4 free nights at any Waldorf, it was worth it to me…

Now that I'm not a Hilton/Waldorf employee anymore, but I work for another well-known luxury brand. Fortunately, they have 2 hotels in Rome that I can look for under $100night stays ;)

Edited August 5, 2014 by slidergirl

[gold1953]

We will be in Rome for 5 nights pre-cruise in Nov. and have a reservation made at Casa Di Amy a B&B near termini. It has good reviews and we like to walk . Has anyone stayed here? We can still change, but like that we can walk to the termini as well

[CathyCruises]

We will be in Rome for 5 nights pre-cruise in Nov. and have a reservation made at Casa Di Amy a B&B near termini. It has good reviews and we like to walk . Has anyone stayed here? We can still change, but like that we can walk to the termini as well

 

So your choice is, would you rather stay in the central area and be able to walk to just about every place you want to go for 5 days, and then take a 10 euro cab ride to the station; or walk to/from the train station and have to either walk very long distances or find a bus (or the very limited metro) to get to all the sites for five days?

 

I have spent 5 days in a hotel near Termini and had to walk 10+ minutes just to get to the bus stop to take me where I wanted to go--so I know from whence I speak! Then I stayed in the Centro Storico--what a difference!! And the bonus was that the restaurants were WAY better too!

[softail]

So your choice is, would you rather stay in the central area and be able to walk to just about every place you want to go for 5 days, and then take a 10 euro cab ride to the station; or walk to/from the train station and have to either walk very long distances or find a bus (or the very limited metro) to get to all the sites for five days?

 

I have spent 5 days in a hotel near Termini and had to walk 10+ minutes just to get to the bus stop to take me where I wanted to go--so I know from whence I speak! Then I stayed in the Centro Storico--what a difference!! And the bonus was that the restaurants were WAY better too!

 

Im with you on this the Centro Storico area is the best place to stay IMHO. We had an apartment in October 2 blocks from Campo Di Fiori and loved the area. And was an easy walk to all but a few places of interest. Very lively at night with tons of places to eat. And Trastevere was a very close walk for dinner also. Cant wait to go back next year and will stay in the same area again.

[Lastdance]

Alberto del Senato is right by the Pantheon and we walked everywhere from here. Also, it is the hotel where Julia Roberts stayed and has a great gelato place, also in the movie "Eat, Pry, Love" if you are interested. The best thing to do when the huge doors of the Pantheon open is to go inside immediately. The quiet and hugeness of the place is so awesome! We did it at least three times! We had just finished breakfast at this hotel with the very best cappuccino! I kid you not! We also walked everywhere...I would stay there again in a heartbeat!:)

 

I also agree that an apartment is great, especially if you plan to stay for more than 3-4 days. Much easier on the pocketbook! This was our first time and I wanted everything to be perfect - whatever that means! I wanted to walk all over and be where it was all happening!

Edited August 6, 2014 by Lastdance

[texancruzer]

Absolutely I would stay in an apt. for 5 days !!!! We have stayed in 2 hotels on 2 separate trips (Hotel Mozart near the Spanish Steps and Albergo (not Alberto) del Senato near the Pantheon…… both were nice with the del Senato being the best…..

 

but then we stayed in 2 apartments on two separate trips and it was even nicer. We had a full kitchen, living room and bedroom and bath (we were with another couple) and it gave us a social area other than a bedroom…… our first was literally steps from Albergo del Senato and the other was steps off Piazza Navonna.

 

You can definitely save a TON of money renting an apartment over a hotel….. and with a kitchen you can have breakfast in your jammies !!!! One of my favorite things to do right after I get to rome is to go to the nearest grocery store and get breakfast items and snack items in ….. it is an experience very different than grocery shopping here….. in a good way. So many new and unusual items.

 

I would not choose Termini area for a 5 day stay (or any other) but rather stay in the center of the action !!!!

[idiebabe]

I liked the Cavalieri. I had a non-Rome view room, which was perfectly OK with me. The room was larger than most I have had in Europe. VERY COMFY bed - with a PILLOW MENU!!! The grounds of the hotel are nicely groomed with some neat statuary around it. Some very cool artwork inside the hotel - they have a self-guided tour of it. Staff was very professional, but friendly. Concierge staff made all the restaurant reservations I asked for and gladly gave directions to any place I wanted. They used to give their Ulvieto breakast free to HHonors Gold and Diamond guests - an excellent breakfast buffet - but that stopped this Spring. I didn't mind taking the shuttle, even though I had to wait in line a couple of times. It takes a few minutes to get to/from the hotel via the shuttle. It is a very easy walk from the drop off at Piazza Barberini to anywhere. I did take a taxi down and back for dinners. There really aren't any restaurants around the hotel - you have to go down the hill a little to find some. My favorite thing was to come back to the hotel at night, sit outside on the patio, get a glass (or two) of Barolo and just watch the Rome lights at night. One night we had a thunderstorm - it was fun to be able to see the lightning over Rome.

If I were paying, I wouldn't have stayed there. But, since I had 4 free nights at any Waldorf, it was worth it to me…

Now that I'm not a Hilton/Waldorf employee anymore, but I work for another well-known luxury brand. Fortunately, they have 2 hotels in Rome that I can look for under $100night stays ;)

 

Thanks for your input! We're Diamond so was a bit disappointed to read a few months ago that they stopped giving the breakfast, etc.

 

We were booked with partial points and $$ so decided to find a hotel more in the heart of things.

 

Thank you all for all your input! :)

[gold1953]

Im with you on this the Centro Storico area is the best place to stay IMHO. We had an apartment in October 2 blocks from Campo Di Fiori and loved the area. And was an easy walk to all but a few places of interest. Very lively at night with tons of places to eat. And Trastevere was a very close walk for dinner also. Cant wait to go back next year and will stay in the same area again.

 

Love to know the name of the apartment. We are still looking

 

being that far from the main attractions was not an issue for us as we love long fast walks and do them twice daily at home just because!

[CathyCruises]

Love to know the name of the apartment. We are still looking

 

being that far from the main attractions was not an issue for us as we love long fast walks and do them twice daily at home just because!

 

To me, the issue is not just the walking distance. It's the vibe of the neighborhood you are staying in, the type of restaurants and bars nearby, the markets that you can Stroll in early in the morning when they first open. If it was just the distance alone you could take a cab or bus or walk, but it's more than that. I would a thousand times rather stay in a locally owned small hotel than a big impersonal cookie cutter chain, but that's just me.

[texancruzer]

To me, the issue is not just the walking distance. It's the vibe of the neighborhood you are staying in, the type of restaurants and bars nearby, the markets that you can Stroll in early in the morning when they first open. If it was just the distance alone you could take a cab or bus or walk, but it's more than that. I would a thousand times rather stay in a locally owned small hotel than a big impersonal cookie cutter chain, but that's just me.

 

Absolutely…….

 

Our last two trips we stayed in apartments right in the heart of Rome (after previously staying in 2 hotels in the same areas on 2 previous visits) and truly enjoyed the extra space and feeling of "living like a local".

 

Our next visit is next spring and we again plan on an apartment…… I can't wait :)

[cruisemuse13]

To me, the issue is not just the walking distance. It's the vibe of the neighborhood you are staying in, the type of restaurants and bars nearby, the markets that you can Stroll in early in the morning when they first open. If it was just the distance alone you could take a cab or bus or walk, but it's more than that. I would a thousand times rather stay in a locally owned small hotel than a big impersonal cookie cutter chain, but that's just me.

 

I agree with Cathycruises about the walking issue not being just about the distance. Our first time in Rome, we stayed at the hotel Rafello, a very nice hotel in the Termini area. But we found that we were walking over to the area between the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona for our evenings. Around that area, there were alot of pedestrians and activity. When we walked back to our hotel at the end of the night, we were walking down streets with very few pedestrians and all the stores and businesses were closed. Even though they were large streets for cars, and not little alleyways , we still felt a bit uncomfortable and were relieved to get back to the hotel.

 

On subsequent trips, we have been willing to pay more to stay in the more central area and have not regretted it. There are still many options for long walks from that area, in every direction .

[softail]

Love to know the name of the apartment. We are still looking

 

being that far from the main attractions was not an issue for us as we love long fast walks and do them twice daily at home just because!

 

Go to google and put in VRBO 221275 it will be the first line that shows up

[pinecrest6]

Several years ago we stayed at the Hotel Mozart which is within easy walking distance of the Spanish Steps. Nice location and great complimentary breakfast.

[CathyCruises]

I agree with Cathycruises about the walking issue not being just about the distance. Our first time in Rome, we stayed at the hotel Rafello, a very nice hotel in the Termini area. But we found that we were walking over to the area between the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona for our evenings. Around that area, there were alot of pedestrians and activity. When we walked back to our hotel at the end of the night, we were walking down streets with very few pedestrians and all the stores and businesses were closed. Even though they were large streets for cars, and not little alleyways , we still felt a bit uncomfortable and were relieved to get back to the hotel.

 

On subsequent trips, we have been willing to pay more to stay in the more central area and have not regretted it. There are still many options for long walks from that area, in every direction .

 

That's funny, we stayed at the Rafaello too. But it was January and we were on a two month trip and REALLY pinching pennies--we got it for E80/night including full (not just continental) breakfast. Totally agree with your comments about walking round at night--nothing like being in the Centro Storico!!

 

One day when we were walking to the bus stop, a woman ran across the street and grabbed DH's arm and said she was being accosted by this VERY weird and drunk guy. We got her away from him but then he followed us onto the bus. . .it's a long story but he was scary and we saw him several times after that day in that general area--:eek:

[texancruzer]

That's funny, we stayed at the Rafaello too. But it was January and we were on a two month trip and REALLY pinching pennies--we got it for E80/night including full (not just continental) breakfast. Totally agree with your comments about walking round at night--nothing like being in the Centro Storico!!

 

One day when we were walking to the bus stop, a woman ran across the street and grabbed DH's arm and said she was being accosted by this VERY weird and drunk guy. We got her away from him but then he followed us onto the bus. . .it's a long story but he was scary and we saw him several times after that day in that general area--:eek:

 

Hmmm weird and scary can be anywhere tho…… we were in Rome on our second visit (I think it was 2nd) at Capitoline Hill when a man with his shirt off began slashing his stomach with a razor blade. He was yelling in Italian at the top of his voice as blood trickled down his front. Needless to say all the people in the piazza (and there were a lot of people) began moving away from him so he was then all alone in the middle of the square….. I don't think he was a threat to anyone else but it was weird and SCARY. The polizia whisked him away once they arrived.

[SadieN]

For cheaper rates, need to look in the residential neighborhoods, away from the city center.

I've had rates as low as e60 for a BnB in Monteverde Vecchio. About a 15 minute bus ride on the 75 bus to the Colosseum.

 

***

 

DD's neighborhood, Monteverde Vecchio, has it's own resident creep-A French guy with a foot fetish!

Edited August 12, 2014 by SadieN

[scorpio47]

Ashley,

We did a pre-cruise stay in Rome in 2009 booked through Celebrity. We stayed at the Empire Palace Hotel (Via Aureliana, 39 Rome )(theempirepalacehotelrome_dot_com) and liked it a lot. It's located near enough to lots of sites to permit walking. Sorry, I don't remember the price, but we booked through Celebrity so we probably paid a premium.

Good luck and enjoy your trip. We're looking forward to another visit to Rome in the near future.