Hotels in Rome

[discru]

You all are FANTASTIC!  So helpful!!  I saw Hotel Lancelot mentioned... How is that hotel and location?  Price looks good. How does it compare to Hotel Smeraldo or Navona?

[FionaMG]

24 minutes ago, discru said:

You all are FANTASTIC!  So helpful!!  I saw Hotel Lancelot mentioned... How is that hotel and location?  Price looks good. How does it compare to Hotel Smeraldo or Navona?

 

Have not stayed there yet but I have it booked for May. I chose it for the location because we particularly want to visit the Colosseum. The owner is very responsive and helpul so I have a good feeling about it. Hopefully that will turn out to be correct. I booked direct on their website.

[nini]

We always book directly with the hotel. This keeps it simple and as cruisemom42 has stated, it may help with getting a nicer room than booking with a third party.

[discru]

16 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

Have not stayed there yet but I have it booked for May. I chose it for the location because we particularly want to visit the Colosseum. The owner is very responsive and helpul so I have a good feeling about it. Hopefully that will turn out to be correct. I booked direct on their website.

Thank you. It looks nice and price works, but I cannot tell if it’s in the middle of things...or a little further off the path. I, too, like that it’s close to Colosseum... just am not familiar enough with Rome to know abt location of the other historical attractions to this hotel. Cruise was just moved from beginning in Venice... to now Rome, so the research begins all over again. LOL 

Edited January 23, 2022 by discru

[FionaMG]

9 minutes ago, discru said:

Thank you. It looks nice and price works, but I cannot tell if it’s in the middle of things...or a little further off the path. I, too, like that it’s close to Colosseum... just am not familiar enough with Rome to know abt location of the other historical attractions to this hotel. Cruise was just moved from beginning in Venice... to now Rome, so the research begins all over again. LOL 

 

I'm not familiar with Rome myself as we have only been once and that was on a shore excursion but you can plug the hotel into google maps and then ask for walking directions from there to the different places you might be planning to visit. That would let you see the distance so you can figure out if they are really walkable or if you'd need to use some form of transport.

[FionaMG]

24 minutes ago, nini said:

We always book directly with the hotel. This keeps it simple and as cruisemom42 has stated, it may help with getting a nicer room than booking with a third party.

Yes, definitely, and quite often cheaper too since they don't have to pay a third party commission. 

[nini]

5 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

I'm not familiar with Rome myself as we have only been once and that was on a shore excursion but you can plug the hotel into google maps and then ask for walking directions from there to the different places you might be planning to visit. That would let you see the distance so you can figure out if they are really walkable or if you'd need to use some form of transport.

 

About a year before our Mediterranean cruise, we purchased a Rick Steves book on Italy and the Mediterranean. It really helped us in deciding where we wanted our hotel. We were very central and walked to the Colosseum in one direction and walked back from the Vatican which was in the other direction. The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain were fairly close also. We walked to our Trastevere Twilight Food Tour easily and loved that too!

[pjhootch]

Hotel Amalfi anyone?  I no longer remember where I heard of it or saw it- but for the moment I have two rooms booked for 4 nights in early October, pre-cruise.  One of the rooms is a triple and the other is a standard double.    The group is myself and my husband, our grown daughter and her boyfriend (40ish couple) and the youngest daughter (who is 30).  I originally booked the triple because it was my 3 grown kids going and they are used to having to share a room if mom and dad are picking up most of the tab for a big trip.  However, 30 year old son joined the military and now 40 year old daughter's boyfriend is coming instead.  All 3 of the "kids" have been put on notice they are sharing a room on the cruise and at the hotel and deal with it. They are fine.  ROFL.    

 

We want to be near ancient Rome but also near some cafes, restaurants and bars.  I prefer a "breakfast included" hotel and we are fine with the basic continental breakfast.  We love exploring food and will probably be snacking for lunch and having a real dinner, but coffee and bread in the morning is good enough to kick start us for sight-seeing.

 

We don't need fancy but clean and comfortable is important.   Our total for the 2 rooms, 4 nights in early October 2022 is 1872 Euros.   I don't want to pay much more than that.  Wondering if anyone knows this hotel and has good or bad insights or alternate suggestions that may be a better fit.

 

 

[-Lew-]

18 minutes ago, pjhootch said:

We want to be near ancient Rome but also near some cafes, restaurants and bars.

 

That requirement alone would eliminate Hotel Amalfi for us.  We prefer the area roughly bordered by The Pantheon and Piazza Navona for their side streets full of excellent restaurants and nightlife.  Hotel Amalfi is about a 35 minute walk from this area.

 

Many of the the sites you'll want to visit are within walking distance also.

[discru]

2 hours ago, nini said:

 

About a year before our Mediterranean cruise, we purchased a Rick Steves book on Italy and the Mediterranean. It really helped us in deciding where we wanted our hotel. 

Great idea. Ordering today!  Thanks!

[slidergirl]

10 hours ago, swigso said:

Hello we have stayed at the Savoy.

 

“While the hotel should be nice, the location would not be one that I'd choose if you want to really enjoy Rome.  It's too out of the way forwalking to the main sites of the Centro Storico (unless you REALLY likewalking....) l”

 

We found it to be a nice hotel if a little dated but, that was back in 2018 when we stayed 4 nights pre cruise. One of the things we did think was a good thing was to  buy a 3 day hop on hop off tour bus ticket.

They are very frequent and we just got on and got off to where  we wanted to see and then get back on to go back to the hotel  or another area or just walked till we were ready to go back to the hotel if needed. We also used them to help plan where we would go next. We walked quite easily to the Trevi Fountain from the Savoy and my wife was very happy browsing the shops on the way.

I would say that the location for us anyway was OK, the room had a nice view and we had a nice meal in their restaurant. 
The service was very good and there is a computer to print boarding passes and check and print any documents from your email account.
We are visiting Rome again in September and I booked the Westin Excelsior ages ago using the Marriott app and reserved a room using my CC which can be cancelled up to 48 hours before arrival.  Am I glad I did, I booked our flights yesterday and looked at hotels again. Wow the prices have gone through the roof.

The same room for the same dates has risen by €210 per night. Just want to say this is a great thread thank you for all the information 👍

 

 

Well, if you thought the Savoy was too out of the way, you're not going to like the Westin.  It's on the opposite side of Via Veneto and Via Ludvosi from the Savoy, maybe 500 yards further.  I stayed at the Westin when I was a Starwood employee (gotta love the $89/night rate!!).  I honestly liked the walk from there down the hill to the Spanish Steps and onto Centro Storico.  But, I like to walk and people watch.   I believe HAL used the Savoy as one of it's pre-stay hotels.  

[nini]

We stayed at Hotel Damaso which is located just off of the very large main road of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The street they are on, basically intersects at this main road (Piazza della Cancelleria 62). This location is about halfway between the Vatican and Colosseum. The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain are just a bit of a walk on t other side of this main road. This is also close to Trastevere. However, I think this is more than the budget of @pjhootch. They do have triples which we booked in October 2018 because our Aunt was traveling with us.

[pjhootch]

43 minutes ago, nini said:

We stayed at Hotel Damaso which is located just off of the very large main road of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The street they are on, basically intersects at this main road (Piazza della Cancelleria 62). This location is about halfway between the Vatican and Colosseum. The Pantheon and Trevi Fountain are just a bit of a walk on t other side of this main road. This is also close to Trastevere. However, I think this is more than the budget of @pjhootch. They do have triples which we booked in October 2018 because our Aunt was traveling with us.

Thank you!  I will take a look.  My budget is not set in stone and I am more interested in good walking to attractions than the budget.  🙂.  lol.  Sometimes I wonder why I bother trying to stick to a budget at all.   I really am open to suggestions and appreciate Lew’s input too.  

[cruisemom42]

Nothing beats spending a few minutes studying a good map when it comes to choosing a location to stay, especially if you want to mainly tour the sites on foot (which in Rome is not only possible, but recommended). Also, it's worth reminding that there is no one perfect hotel that is going to be close to everything, because Rome is a big city and even the central historic area is probably a 30-minute walk from E to W or N to S.

 

Maybe it will help just a little to look at a map of just the most central area -- which covers most of what tourists want to see in Rome. The oldest part of the city sits in the curve of the Tiber shown here, and just a bit south of it:

 

 

 

At the center top you have the Mausoleum of Augustus. Just north of it (not on the map) is Piazza del Popolo, probably the northernmost point of what I'd consider the "central" area.

 

Going clockwise, the buildings in red at about 2:00 are the Terme di Diocliziano (Diocletian's baths), beyond which lies Termini, the central rail station -- this would be the farther east boundary, although personally I wouldn't recommend staying much further east than the area around Trevi Fountain.

 

At the S (bottom) you can see the Colosseo (Colosseum) and Palatine Hill. This area is rich in ancient Roman historic sites and not a terrible place to base yourself IF you primarily want to see the various Forums, Colosseum, Domus Aurea, Circus Maximus, Baths of Caracalla, Capitoline museums, Mamertine prison, etc.

 

And at the West, you can see the Vatican and its major sites of St. Peters and the museum.

 

Clearly, the more you place yourself at the center of this area, the easier it is to walk to any of the areas that lie in any direction -- you are only about 15-20 minutes from any site in the "Centro Storico" -- a bit longer to the Vatican.

 

If you look at the very center of the map, you should spot the Pantheon. This is one reason why it is my most preferred location. It's literally the center of everything you want to get to with the added plus of a taxi stand beside the Pantheon (there are not that many of these in Rome and hailing a taxi on the street is not easy) in case you want a ride to the Vatican.

 

Almost any of the areas within this boundary are going to have plenty of choices for restaurants within a short walk of your hotel. Beware of staying around the Vatican where dining choices can be more limited at night. 

 

Trastevere is a bit of an outlier and also somewhat self-contained. It's an interesting area for a second or third visit but for those wanting to maximize what they can easily see on a first visit -- stay in the center.

 

The more you orient yourself by looking a maps, the easier it is once you are on the ground.

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

I'm not familiar with Rome myself as we have only been once and that was on a shore excursion but you can plug the hotel into google maps and then ask for walking directions from there to the different places you might be planning to visit. That would let you see the distance so you can figure out if they are really walkable or if you'd need to use some form of transport.

 

Also a good idea to check whether a hotel is being truthful when it claims to be "only steps from" Trevi Fountain or the Colosseum. Notice that they don't say how many steps....

 

[discru]

Thank you so much, cruisemom42, for taking the time to map out the lay of the land, and giving such great descriptions of the area!!  It can be overwhelming and you have been extremely helpful!  I cannot wait to visit this amazing city!!

Edited January 24, 2022 by discru

[FionaMG]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Also a good idea to check whether a hotel is being truthful when it claims to be "only steps from" Trevi Fountain or the Colosseum. Notice that they don't say how many steps....

 

 

Yes, indeed. I worked in tourism myself for many years so have seen numerous cases of "embellishment" in terms of proximity to attractions. I now work as a translator and make it a personal crusade to check distances before translating that claim of "steps from" as genuinely "steps from". In the majority of cases I end up with something like a "short walk from". 

[pjhootch]

13 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Also a good idea to check whether a hotel is being truthful when it claims to be "only steps from" Trevi Fountain or the Colosseum. Notice that they don't say how many steps....

 

 

Thank you crusemom42.  All too true.  This is the 3rd or 4th European cruise we have had booked since May 2020, which was cancelled less than 6 weeks before our flight. 🙂    Most of the hotels claim to be "close" to major sights.   I think I previously focused on finding someplace very close to the Forum or Colosseum.  But I like the idea of being more centrally located for walking.  Since we are spending 4 nights and will have nearly 4 full days of exploring, I expect we will be splitting up and wandering with less organization a couple of days.  The day we schedule for Vatican museums will be organized and planned to accomplish that early.

[nini]

As @cruisemom42 has said and posted the map. We used a very similar map from the Rick Steves book on Italy. It is a HUGE visual help.

Also, when looking at a hotel on Trip Advisor, go to a hotel that you want to look at. Then scroll down and there is a tab and map. You can click on the map and really get a sense of where attractions are in relationship to the hotel. This really helped our decision.

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, pjhootch said:

 

Thank you crusemom42.  All too true.  This is the 3rd or 4th European cruise we have had booked since May 2020, which was cancelled less than 6 weeks before our flight. 🙂    Most of the hotels claim to be "close" to major sights.   I think I previously focused on finding someplace very close to the Forum or Colosseum.  But I like the idea of being more centrally located for walking.  Since we are spending 4 nights and will have nearly 4 full days of exploring, I expect we will be splitting up and wandering with less organization a couple of days.  The day we schedule for Vatican museums will be organized and planned to accomplish that early.

 

You've allowed a nice amount of time to see Rome and should be able to enjoy the key sites without rushing too much. Rome is a place where it's also nice sometimes to just have an al fresco lunch or dinner at a table with a view and enjoy the people-watching and scenery. Enjoy just being in the moment!

 

 

[dabear]

Cruisemom42. We've been to Rome 4 x but it's been a while since we stayed in a hotel for a few days(I recall last time it was near Plaza de Populo). We've done plenty of sightseeing in Rome.We're looking for a 4* hotel with breakfast included one night b4 a cruise with restaurants within reasonable walking distance. Shops for dw would be nice. Any suggested areas or hotels? Sightseeing a plus but not necessity. Always nice to be near Spanish steps or trevi fountain.

Edited January 25, 2022 by dabear

[cruisemom42]

59 minutes ago, dabear said:

Cruisemom42. We've been to Rome 4 x but it's been a while since we stayed in a hotel for a few days(I recall last time it was near Plaza de Populo). We've done plenty of sightseeing in Rome.We're looking for a 4* hotel with breakfast included one night b4 a cruise with restaurants within reasonable walking distance. Shops for dw would be nice. Any suggested areas or hotels? Sightseeing a plus but not necessity. Always nice to be near Spanish steps or trevi fountain.

 

Does it have to be 4 stars?  What are you looking for?  There are quite a few good 3 star hotels in Rome, and the stars don't correlate with quality of hotel so much as with available amenities.

 

Also -- where did you stay before, and did you like that area?  

 

General shopping = Pantheon/Trevi area

Designer shopping = Spanish Steps area/via Condotti  (Gucci, Tod's, Missoni, Prada)

Antiques shopping = Just north of Piazza Navona on and around via dei Coronari

 

[dabear]

We've stayed in the Spanish steps area. We're not limited to 4*, but prefer not to be in  "tourist class" type hotel. As we've gotten older we prefer a little more comfort.

We previously were antique shoppers, but no longer go that route. 

[cruisemom42]

52 minutes ago, dabear said:

We've stayed in the Spanish steps area. We're not limited to 4*, but prefer not to be in  "tourist class" type hotel. As we've gotten older we prefer a little more comfort.

We previously were antique shoppers, but no longer go that route. 

 

If you want to be near the Spanish Steps, there are not a lot of 3- and 4-star hotel choices that I can recommend myself. Lots of B&Bs and inns, but each will not have the amenities of a hotel. 

 

If you are willing to extend to 5-star properties, the newly reopened Rocco Forte Hotel de la Ville gets good reviews. I stayed there a long time ago when it was the Hotel Intercontinental de la Ville and loved the location in some respects -- you are at the top of the Spanish steps. It's not the most central area, but if you want shopping, good restaurants, etc in close vicinity it's worth considering. To get to the hotel from Via Condotti you can either ascend the Spanish Steps (good cardio), walk around them and then up the more gentle incline of via Gregoriana, or if you are clever you can find the entrance to the metro at the foot of the steps and use the elevator inside up to the top level.

 

Hotel d'Inghilterra always gets good reviews and it is located among the shopping streets around via Condotti, so you don't have the Spanish Steps to contend with. I've never stayed there but year in and year out it is highly rated and looks very nice.

 

 

 

[seapad]

Has anyone stayed at the Doubletree by Hilton Rome Monti? 

First time to Rome. Or can someone comment what's the Monti area like? What's the feel, shopping, and proximity to touristic areas? 

 

Thanks!