Hotels in Rome

[RocCruisers]

We plan on being in Rome after a TA in May 2022.  I think we need a week for all the things we may want to do, including a football game.  Our budget for a hotel is around $1000, and we too think an elevator is necessary if we are in the de'Fiori or Navona district.  For a first ol' timer, I don't think we want a VRBO.  Any suggestions?

PS - GREAT DISCUSSIONS without any negative comments!    

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, RocCruisers said:

We plan on being in Rome after a TA in May 2022.  I think we need a week for all the things we may want to do, including a football game.  Our budget for a hotel is around $1000, and we too think an elevator is necessary if we are in the de'Fiori or Navona district.  For a first ol' timer, I don't think we want a VRBO.  Any suggestions?

PS - GREAT DISCUSSIONS without any negative comments!    

 

A week in Rome is wonderful -- but you may be hard pressed to find accommodations in the center (Centro Storico) for $1000 for a week, even though May is still a bit cheaper than June...

 

You could try Hotel Smeraldo, a really well located and pleasant 3-star hotel. They do not have many rooms and book up fast due to their reasonable rates. If you are just two people, it might fit your budget. Rooms are not large (but that's true across Rome in general), but are pleasant and the whole place was just renovated right before COVID. Continental breakfast is included. Some rooms are in the main building and some in the nearby annexe, so be sure you know what you're being offered.

 

Since you are so far in advance it is in your favor -- I would email the hotel directly and ask them what they can do for you.  https://www.smeraldoroma.com/

 

The other well-located but inexpensive hotel I can recommend is Hotel Navona -- also 3-star and well-located just off Piazza Navona. Again rooms are small but breakfast is included. There is an elevator (tiny), I think most of the rooms are on the 3rd-5th floors of a largo palazzo and are very modern. I have stayed there and would stay again -- love the ancient columns in the courtyard. 

 

Same advice I offer above -- email the hotel for their best offer:  https://www.hotelnavona.com/hotel-navona-rome-city-centre.htm

 

 

 

[Host Bonjour]

On 4/27/2021 at 9:32 AM, RocCruisers said:

GREAT DISCUSSIONS without any negative comments!   

 

Welcome! It's a great group of regulars here (or we could say the conoscenti) that do a lot to keep the vibes so chill around here and everyone who visits, they seem to be equally cool. 

 

Might also have something with everyone feeling so good about the prospect of visiting Italy 🇮🇹 for the first time, or like most of us, returning again and again 😉

 

So it makes for a pleasant board with great conversations. This is one of the port boards that maintained steady conversations throughout the pandemic. It's a special place, we're glad you're here! 🥰

 

 

[Travelexpert35]

We stayed at the 4 star River Palace located at the Piazza Del Popolo which was central. Beautiful hotel with full hot breakfast buffet included. Would definitely recommend this hotel. Check it out.

[FionaL91]

Does anyone have experience of hotel degli artisti? I'll also take a look at some of the ones mentioned in this thread. Don't really want to spend more than £300 a night, staying Saturday - Monday June 2022.

[buckeyecruisers]

We are looking for hotels prior to our cruise in October and planning on coming in 4 days early. We have looked at Nerva after reading some of the recommendations, but I see that there are 2 Nerva hotels listed. Nerva Boutique and Nerva accommodation. Would appreciate opinions/recommendations on each of them.

[cruisemom42]

12 hours ago, buckeyecruisers said:

We are looking for hotels prior to our cruise in October and planning on coming in 4 days early. We have looked at Nerva after reading some of the recommendations, but I see that there are 2 Nerva hotels listed. Nerva Boutique and Nerva accommodation. Would appreciate opinions/recommendations on each of them.

 

The hotel (Boutique) is where I think most recommendations stem from. That is where I have stayed, although it has been consistently upgraded since my visit -- and I was very happy with it at the time.  

 

The "accommodations" are basically more like self-catering rooms/flats/apartments. They look like a new venture for Nerva -- looks like they are individual one-off places in a couple of locations.  Depends on what you prefer -- I like staying in a hotel, as a solo, and the Nerva includes a great breakfast as well. I also think the location is hard to beat if you want to be near "ancient Rome" (the forums, the Colosseum, Palatine hill, Baths of Caracalla, Domus Aurea -- all are in EASY walking distance).

 

[buckeyecruisers]

7 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

The hotel (Boutique) is where I think most recommendations stem from. That is where I have stayed, although it has been consistently upgraded since my visit -- and I was very happy with it at the time.  

 

The "accommodations" are basically more like self-catering rooms/flats/apartments. They look like a new venture for Nerva -- looks like they are individual one-off places in a couple of locations.  Depends on what you prefer -- I like staying in a hotel, as a solo, and the Nerva includes a great breakfast as well. I also think the location is hard to beat if you want to be near "ancient Rome" (the forums, the Colosseum, Palatine hill, Baths of Caracalla, Domus Aurea -- all are in EASY walking distance).

 

Thanks for the quick response and information. Went to their website and looked at Tripadviser couldn't find any information about covid restrictions and what their cancellation policy is if things are still iffy in October. The area is ideal for us as we have never been to Rome before.

[cruisemom42]

42 minutes ago, buckeyecruisers said:

Thanks for the quick response and information. Went to their website and looked at Tripadviser couldn't find any information about covid restrictions and what their cancellation policy is if things are still iffy in October. The area is ideal for us as we have never been to Rome before.

 

I would email the hotel with your question, I'm sure they will be happy to answer your questions.

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, buckeyecruisers said:

Thanks for the quick response and information. Went to their website and looked at Tripadviser couldn't find any information about covid restrictions and what their cancellation policy is if things are still iffy in October. The area is ideal for us as we have never been to Rome before.

Covid restrictions now could be totally unrelated to Covid restrictions in October. That is a lot of time in the Covid world.

[cruisemom42]

13 hours ago, buckeyecruisers said:

what their cancellation policy is if things are still iffy in October.

 

Quite a few hotels now have two sets of rates, a cheaper rate that is non-refundable, and a more expensive one that is not charged until your arrival and has no cancellation penalty up to 24 hours in advance of arrival (some say 48 hours).

 

If you go to Nerva's website, under special offers, you will see one that offers a certain percentage off but is nonrefundable. Clearly that's one to avoid. If it says nonrefundable, it will be, COVID or not.  However there are other offers you can take advantage of. In particular I'm glad to see that they still offer a significant discount for cash payment.

 

[nini]

In 2018, we stayed in a place in Rome and had hoped to return in September of 2021.

When I went to the website, we could only make reservations with FULL payment up front. They said it was refundable if we cancelled by a certain time. This was a big policy change and was a turn off for us, so we booked elsewhere.

[ML24]

Has anyone stayed at the Hotel Savoy Rome?  Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

16 hours ago, ML24 said:

Has anyone stayed at the Hotel Savoy Rome?  Thanks!

 

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 for walking to the main sites of the Centro Storico (unless you REALLY like walking....) 

 

Part of the joy of discovering Rome is doing it on foot, and having a hotel that's in the heart of the historic area makes it so much easier to get around -- you can pop back into the hotel for a quick rest after lunch, or change your shoes, or drop off those shopping bags.  It also tempts to you go out after dinner and enjoy the evening passeggiata, see the illuminated buildings, etc. 

 

On the other hand, if you want a quieter area, or don't plan to do any exploring/sightseeing, it is a viable choice.

 

[JennJ99738]

We are scheduled to cruise roundtrip from Rome on NCL at the end of September.  We have two days before and two days after the cruise in Rome.  I have visited Rome before but my travel companion has not.  I plan to do what I did the last time, the first two days when we're not exhausted in the city center and I've reserved the Hotel Residenza in Farnese.  The last two days, I planned on spending at the Vatican to see the museums, the Basilica, etc.  Both my friend and I have walking issues so I thought of staying close to the Vatican and/or in Prati or very accessible by public transportation.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a budget/reasonable accommodation near the Vatican?  Does my plan make sense?  

 

Thanks for any advice. 

[cruisemom42]

16 hours ago, JennJ99738 said:

We are scheduled to cruise roundtrip from Rome on NCL at the end of September.  We have two days before and two days after the cruise in Rome.  I have visited Rome before but my travel companion has not.  I plan to do what I did the last time, the first two days when we're not exhausted in the city center and I've reserved the Hotel Residenza in Farnese.  The last two days, I planned on spending at the Vatican to see the museums, the Basilica, etc.  Both my friend and I have walking issues so I thought of staying close to the Vatican and/or in Prati or very accessible by public transportation.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a budget/reasonable accommodation near the Vatican?  Does my plan make sense?  

 

Thanks for any advice. 

 

You have a reasonable plan, but I might suggest an alternative (as I am always a big fan of being in the historic center): If you find a well-located hotel in the center that you like, I suggest you stay there both before and after your cruise for several reasons:

• The Vatican area restaurants are very hit or miss (some of the worst reviewed and touristy restaurants in Rome are in this area), and it is not as interesting in the evening.
• Prati does have some reasonable local restaurants, but again, it's not the same as staying in the Center IMO.
• A taxi ride each way to the Vatican from the Pantheon/Navona/Campo dei Fiori area is probably going to be in the neighborhood of 10-15 euros (total, e.g., for 2 passengers). They can drop you off very close to the door of the Museum and to the entrance to the piazza in front of St. Peter's.  I can almost guarantee that this will save you steps over having to walk to the entrances from wherever you are staying in the Vatican/Prati area.
• There is a permanent taxi stand outside the arcade to St. Peter's (and there are often some lurking around the museum entrance/exit as well), so getting back to your hotel should also be easy.

If you'd rather go the public transportation route, I can tell you that, for example, from the hotel you have booked, the Residenza in Farnese (which I would love to hear your review of afterwards, by the way), you are only about a 5-minute walk from the bus stop of bus #23 which will take you within 5 minutes of the Vatican museum entrance.  

 

At any rate, your plan is perfectly reasonable if that's what you prefer, but just wanted to toss out that getting to the Vatican is not long or expensive from many places, and those places may be better when you're also considering evening dinner, etc.  Happy to help with more suggestions or details if needed.

 

[bennybear]

17 hours ago, JennJ99738 said:

We are scheduled to cruise roundtrip from Rome on NCL at the end of September.  We have two days before and two days after the cruise in Rome.  I have visited Rome before but my travel companion has not.  I plan to do what I did the last time, the first two days when we're not exhausted in the city center and I've reserved the Hotel Residenza in Farnese.  The last two days, I planned on spending at the Vatican to see the museums, the Basilica, etc.  Both my friend and I have walking issues so I thought of staying close to the Vatican and/or in Prati or very accessible by public transportation.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a budget/reasonable accommodation near the Vatican?  Does my plan make sense?  

 

Thanks for any advice. 

We’ve stayed there a couple of times and the location is awesome as is their breakfast.   The rooms are comfortable.  There is a very close by family restaurant that is wonderful and you are only a few minutes from campo di Fiori.   We enjoy walking to Trastevere,  the Jewish quarter and even the Vatican.  But next time I’d take a taxi,  but we have taken a bus over in the evenings to see the lights! 

[JennJ99738]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

You have a reasonable plan, but I might suggest an alternative (as I am always a big fan of being in the historic center): If you find a well-located hotel in the center that you like, I suggest you stay there both before and after your cruise for several reasons:

• The Vatican area restaurants are very hit or miss (some of the worst reviewed and touristy restaurants in Rome are in this area), and it is not as interesting in the evening.
• Prati does have some reasonable local restaurants, but again, it's not the same as staying in the Center IMO.
• A taxi ride each way to the Vatican from the Pantheon/Navona/Campo dei Fiori area is probably going to be in the neighborhood of 10-15 euros (total, e.g., for 2 passengers). They can drop you off very close to the door of the Museum and to the entrance to the piazza in front of St. Peter's.  I can almost guarantee that this will save you steps over having to walk to the entrances from wherever you are staying in the Vatican/Prati area.
• There is a permanent taxi stand outside the arcade to St. Peter's (and there are often some lurking around the museum entrance/exit as well), so getting back to your hotel should also be easy.

If you'd rather go the public transportation route, I can tell you that, for example, from the hotel you have booked, the Residenza in Farnese (which I would love to hear your review of afterwards, by the way), you are only about a 5-minute walk from the bus stop of bus #23 which will take you within 5 minutes of the Vatican museum entrance.  

 

At any rate, your plan is perfectly reasonable if that's what you prefer, but just wanted to toss out that getting to the Vatican is not long or expensive from many places, and those places may be better when you're also considering evening dinner, etc.  Happy to help with more suggestions or details if needed.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the great information!  So helpful.  I like to stay in different areas so would you have a suggestion for a different hotel in the city center for the last two days that is similar in budget to the Residenza in Farnese?  It seems that early fall is a very popular time to travel to Rome.  I have a hard time paying 250 Euro per night when it's around 120Euro now!  Is the room really twice as good in the fall? LOL.  

[JennJ99738]

1 hour ago, bennybear said:

We’ve stayed there a couple of times and the location is awesome as is their breakfast.   The rooms are comfortable.  There is a very close by family restaurant that is wonderful and you are only a few minutes from campo di Fiori.   We enjoy walking to Trastevere,  the Jewish quarter and even the Vatican.  But next time I’d take a taxi,  but we have taken a bus over in the evenings to see the lights! 

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the hotel I chose.  It wasn't mentioned very often but got great reviews on the websites.  I will be sure to let you know how it is post-COVID.  

[cruisemom42]

12 minutes ago, JennJ99738 said:

 

 

Thank you so much for the great information!  So helpful.  I like to stay in different areas so would you have a suggestion for a different hotel in the city center for the last two days that is similar in budget to the Residenza in Farnese?  It seems that early fall is a very popular time to travel to Rome.  I have a hard time paying 250 Euro per night when it's around 120Euro now!  Is the room really twice as good in the fall? LOL.  

 

No, it's not better, which is one reason why I like to travel to Rome off-season. 😉  I guess you could say the weather may be nicer -- if you stay at a hotel that has a rooftop lounge, for example, you definitely can use it in September, but by mid-October most hotels close them (unless they have cover).

 

At any rate, you could look at Hotel Smeraldo, which is well located and recently updated. Also at Hotel Navona, very modern and renovated but tucked into a couple of floors of a charming old building and just a block off Piazza Navona. 

 

 

[bennybear]

1 hour ago, JennJ99738 said:

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the hotel I chose.  It wasn't mentioned very often but got great reviews on the websites.  I will be sure to let you know how it is post-COVID.  

It also has a roof top terrace.   To be honest I wouldn’t move hotels,  the time and energy spent could be used doing more sightseeing.  You are less than a ten minute walk from  Piazza Navona.  

[JennJ99738]

6 hours ago, bennybear said:

It also has a roof top terrace.   To be honest I wouldn’t move hotels,  the time and energy spent could be used doing more sightseeing.  You are less than a ten minute walk from  Piazza Navona.  

We have the cruise in the middle so we have to move, lol.  2 days pre-cruise and 2 days post-cruise.  Was trying to figure out where to stay the 2 days post-cruise when we plan to tour the Vatican.  

 

Last time, I stayed right across from the Vatican Museums at what was the Hotel Alimandi, now the T-Mark Hotel, which was great for the Vatican but, as cruisemom42 said, not much else around there.  

[bennybear]

12 hours ago, JennJ99738 said:

We have the cruise in the middle so we have to move, lol.  2 days pre-cruise and 2 days post-cruise.  Was trying to figure out where to stay the 2 days post-cruise when we plan to tour the Vatican.  

 

Last time, I stayed right across from the Vatican Museums at what was the Hotel Alimandi, now the T-Mark Hotel, which was great for the Vatican but, as cruisemom42 said, not much else around there.  

Ok, 😂 now it makes sense.   I think I would still stay more in the centre and taxi over,   Perhaps nearer the Pantheon the second trip.   I must confess I am envious as I am so wanting to get back to Roma! 

[JennJ99738]

8 hours ago, bennybear said:

Ok, 😂 now it makes sense.   I think I would still stay more in the centre and taxi over,   Perhaps nearer the Pantheon the second trip.   I must confess I am envious as I am so wanting to get back to Roma! 

If you have any suggestions of a place, please let me know!

[PORT ROYAL]

8 hours ago, JennJ99738 said:

If you have any suggestions of a place, please let me know!

Previously posted

Four to consider at various price points - 

All will give a great stay and are in excellent locations

Albergo del Senato

Albergo Santa Chiara

Hotel Navona,

Hotel Singer Palace