Help with Rome Hotels

[katiekatie]

We are staying in Rome 3 days pre-cruise and 1 day post-cruise (early September 2008). I have never been to Italy and need help finding a hotel. Azamara offers three hotel packages, but I would like to find something different then what they offer. If you have stayed at a special or unique hotel in Rome, please let me know.

Also, should we stay in Rome on our one night post-cruise before heading to the airport the next day - or should we stay at an airport hotel?

This trip is in celebration of our 10 year weddding anniversary - we would like to do it right and make it one to remember!

Happy Holidays,

Katie

[tomko2]

If you have any Hilton points you might want to stay at the Cavalieri Hilton on one of the seven hills of Rome -- absolutely breathtaking. We stayed there one night post-cruise using points and paid an extra 120Euros to upgrade to the Executive Club level --- over the top -- food, champagne, drinks, all day long plus use of the spa which is amazing and lounger pads for our pool chairs. Once in a lifetime.

Pre-cruise we stayed at the Jolly Vittorio Veneto adjacent to Villa Borghese and near Via Veneto which was a perfect location for us. We managed to get one of the 7 rooms with a private terrace (no difference in costs - you just have to get them to put it on our reservation -- also reserve with hotel not online). Terrific buffet breakfast, coffee maker & mini-fridge in room; had morning coffees, lunch, pre&post dinner drinks on our terrace. Bathroom fine but bed just so-so.

We stayed at the Airport Hilton night before our flight so we won't have to worry about early morning traffic. It's an OK Hilton but doesn't compare to NA Hiltons in the same price range. Walk or shuttle to the airport.

My review covers more of the above. I am also adding some more pics to the link below.

Rome is a wonderful place for an anniversary. Book early though because the hotel rates in Sept. SPIKE -- most Europeans are coming back from vacation and starting business travel, conferences, etc.

Have a wonderful time.

Kathy

[texancruzer]

We just returned from our Med trip with 2 nights in Rome precruise.

 

We stayed at Hotel Mozart. It is a charming small(ish) boutique type hotel in the heart of historic Rome. The Spanish Steps were right around the corner and the Trevi fountain a short walk. Really convenient to Coliseum/Palatine Hill as well as the Vatican. Major shopping area is the main street it is right off of. We would definately stay here again.

 

www.hotelmozart.com check it out.

[MERLOTCHAMPAGNE]

Kathy,

 

I enjoyed reading your review. A couple of questions though, if I may? We plan to do a 3 day pre cruise in Rome and would like visit many of the same sights you did. Could you provide me the contacts so we can pre-book tickets for the Colosseum, reserve a time-slot at Galleria Borghese and buy tickets for a guided tour of the Vatican. Also, what limo service did you use?

 

Thanks.

 

Pam

[helen haywood]

Re the Colosseum, in March you shouldn't need to pre-book. If you buy your ticket across the street at the Forum, the ticket is good (for the same day) at the Forum and the Colosseum. When you go over to the Colosseum you don't get in the line to buy tickets....you'll feel strange, but you walk totally past that long line and right to the entrance with your ticket. Can't remember the site I bought the Borghese Gallery tickets, but google the name and it will come up. Absolutely breathtaking! The Vatican has a website also where you can buy tickets... We used romeshuttlelimousine.com to get from airport to hotel and back. They charged 35 euros per trip (per car, not per person), that was the cheapest I found....very nice Mercedes, very nice drivers, right there when they were supposed to be.

[cberge]

The Forum is free..no ticket needed. The ticket for the Colosso can be bought at Palatine Hill ticket booth whcih there is a charge for and ticket is good for both.Most of the sights are very walkable from one to the other...just an FYI.

[tomko2]

Kathy,

 

I enjoyed reading your review. A couple of questions though, if I may? We plan to do a 3 day pre cruise in Rome and would like visit many of the same sights you did. Could you provide me the contacts so we can pre-book tickets for the Colosseum, reserve a time-slot at Galleria Borghese and buy tickets for a guided tour of the Vatican. Also, what limo service did you use?

 

Thanks.

 

Pam

 

Hi Pam, we were so pleased we are pre-bookings. For the Colosseum and the Vatican we used Tickitaly.com. We paid in advance through the Internet and received e-vouchers which we printed out and took with us; we provided them our hotel phone number in case of last minute changes. The Vatican tour was absolutely wonderful and we didn't have to waste one moment at the Colosseum standing in lines.

For Galleria Borghese we booked through info@ticketeria.it; in essence we reserved a time slot and paid when we arrived there; they provide all the info about when to arrive etc. No cameras, backbags etc allowed in; you must check this at the front. We chose the 11:00 slot on the Tuesday morning so there would be an English guide available for hire at 5 Euros each. Our guide made the statues come alive despite all the pre-reading we had done. Only two guides were available so you need to go to the tour desk inside once you have your entrance tickets. Very much worth it. Advance research on Bernini statues will enhance your experience.

For the limo service we used Rome Shuttle Limousine: info@romeshuttlelimousine.com all the drivers were courteous, cars immaculate. We paid 255 Euros for pick up at FCO on day of arrival, transfer to hotel in Rome, pick up at hotel and transfer to port and then pick up at port for transfer back to hotel in Rome. No pre-payment was required. We did need to pre-pay 50 Euros to the driver taking us to the port against our return pick-up 12 days later.

 

We loved the trip and hope all goes as well for you as it did for us.

 

Kathy

[rebeccalouise]

I stayed at the Hotel Imperiale on the Via Veneto and it was great.:)

[blambition]

May I ask how many people did you have to transport for the 255 euros? We have set up for airport/hotel transfer and to the ship on day of sailing for 4 people and it is 205 euros. I have not set the return as we are looking at going with others from cruisecritic roll call. Does anyone know how much the one way from the port to the airport should run? We are booked with Romecab as they have been mentioned on here often.

Also has anyone stayed at the Concordia Hotel near the Spanish Steps?

Vicki

[tomko2]

We paid 255 Euros for two of us with a total of three transfers: to hotel from FCO, to Port from Hotel and to Hotel from Port.

[MERLOTCHAMPAGNE]

Kathy,

 

Thank you so much for all of the info and the emails. It's people like you that make this site such a pleasure. I love researching... it's half the fun that leads up to the trip... and after the cruise, we start reading and researching for the next one.

 

Btw, where in Naples are you? We have a place in Wiggins area.

 

pam

[tomko2]

Hi Pam, thank you so much!:o

 

We are at the World Tennis Club on Airport; we bought here in 2000 before we retired (2003) and just love Naples. Being retired gives us lots of time to research which we enjoy; we are now tinkering with the idea of an Australia/New Zealand cruise in 2011 to celebrate my 60th. We'll need the length of time to save us points for the airfare. :eek:

 

You spending any time here this winter --- weather has been awesome.

Kathy:)

[MERLOTCHAMPAGNE]

Kathy,

 

Lucky you.... we've been having ice storms regularly with another on Tues and then Thurs:( . Hopefully the weather will be decent this Saturday when my son flies up from Clemson for Christmas break.

 

I plan to be in Naples for a couple of weeks in March before our cruise on Radiance to E. Carribean. The kids will fly in from their respective cities and my husband will fly down from Hartford on the 15th for the cruise. Hopefully the weather will once again cooperate for them while I enjoy paradise in Naples. We're in Princeton Place at Wiggins, just west of 41 and walking distance to the beach in Wiggins. We've been going down there since 1991 and with every visit, our stay got longer so we decided to buy in 2001. Even with the real estate market on a downslide there, we still love it!

 

We too have designs on a cruise to Australia/NZ and we were hoping for 2009 but with 3 kids in college and using alot of miles for our Oct 08 cruise, it'll probably have to wait until 2010. I no longer work so I have the luxury of being the one to do all the research and will exploring maybe Hawaii for 2009.

 

Pam

[cruisemom42]

We are staying in Rome 3 days pre-cruise and 1 day post-cruise (early September 2008). I have never been to Italy and need help finding a hotel. Azamara offers three hotel packages, but I would like to find something different then what they offer. If you have stayed at a special or unique hotel in Rome, please let me know.

 

Also, should we stay in Rome on our one night post-cruise before heading to the airport the next day - or should we stay at an airport hotel?

 

This trip is in celebration of our 10 year weddding anniversary - we would like to do it right and make it one to remember!

 

Happy Holidays,

Katie

 

To get back to the OP's question....

 

I can highly recommend Albergo del Senato, depending on what your budget is. The hotel is centrally located, has a lovely rooftop terrace that literally overlooks the Pantheon, and gives you the feeling of being in a more Italian hotel (without the teensy room and bathroom), rather than an American chain.

 

The only downside is that the hotel does not have a restaurant; however, I'm never big on dining in hotel restaurants anyway. (There are PLENTY of good restaurants within a couple of blocks, and a great evening scene at Piazza Navona, a 3-4 block walk.) They do have a nice breakfast area and good breakfast daily.

 

The hotel has gotten pricey over the last couple of years, but it will always be my first choice in Rome and I don't think you could go wrong as far as having a special ambiance.

[agabbymama]

There are so many posters here, that each have their own preference. When I started researching for my Oct '08 Med cruise on the Grand Princess, I was astounded at the prices, and they have only gone up, with the poor performance of the dollar and the uptrend of the EUR.

 

I looked at expedia.com and tripadvisor.com and venere.com

All the hotels were way above what I wanted to pay, yet I didn't want to stay at hostels either.

 

Another poster recommended a site that has religious accommodations, but I've lost the original site. I found a place near the Vatican (run by nuns) "The Domus Aurelia" on that website so guess I deleted the original.

 

www.domusaurelia.com

 

It's listed as a two star **, but the price of 72 EUR and 95 EUR was a lot more in my pocketbook. We need twin beds, an elevator, and I smoke, so I wanted a balcony or terrace. Too many of the B&B's could not meet our criteria.

 

I don't pay $300+ for hotels here in the states, and I refuse to do it on vacation. I did have to pay $210 in NYC in '06 pre-cruise New England/Canada cruise, but I wasn't happy about it. Nothing these hotels can offer are worth that kind of money to me.

 

Have fun researching, planning then taking your cruise, and have Happy Wedding Anniversary.

[photographia]

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/guest.htm

 

I believe this is the website that agabbymamma is referring to.

 

I have stayed for months at a time in Rome on several occasions, and frankly, I would never stay in an "ordinary" hotel there if I could help it. There are so many convents where the sisters earn their income by running a small pension. Generally, they are lovely old buildings with a lot of character, are clean, safe, and in good locations--and CHEAPER than regular hotels! And I've found that sisters can be very maternal if you have any questions/problems. What more could anyone want?

[katiekatie]

Thanks everyone for your input ... I was (and am) in shock as to the hotel prices and if it wasn't for our anniversary I think we would have picked any place but Europe to go. But, it's to late now that we have the cruise and air all lined up.

I was looking at the Sofitel Roma as a posible place to stay as I don't think my husband would like staying with the nuns as someone suggested (I'm catholic, he's not) ... so, on with the suggestions.

... so thanks again everyone ... and ... happy holidays!

Katie

[alinehu]

I dont know if this is the kind of suggestion that you are looking for but we love it. It was the same for us the last time we went to the Med this June. The hotels in Rome were way to expensive and more with the euro as it is and we were 4 so it was more difficult because we have to take two rooms. Previously we had taken tours with http://www.driverinrome.com. They have a B&B at their home.We had a great time staying with the Melaragno family.its comfortable and clean.They are are very nice family and they make you feel at home.They live outside of Rome but included in the price is the transportation to the metro station.Its very easy.it was 55E per person with breakfast included.It was an experience that I highly recomend.There is more info here

http://www.remoapartmentsinrome.com/

[tcocktail]

Albergo Del Senato is a beautiful Hotel. Let me suggest Hotel Parlimento right off the Via Del Corso. Fromer states 2 star with 4 star service. You need to book very early. I was planning on that Hotel for our trip in May however in August they were booked. I might suggest a Bed and Breakfast. Or try renting an apartment. You can get some very nice one in Rome but book early. A resident of Rome Also suggested hotel: Domus Ester for 120,00 a night. It's a new hotel in Campo dei fiori. There is also a convent in the Piazza Navona, I emailed them but never heard but. Others have stated that it is clean and very basic, get a room in the back. There is 12 midnight curfew.

 

Good luck there are many places. I too was SHOCKED, especially after being in Rome in 2000.

[rebeccalouise]

there are many bed and breakfasts in Italy. You can go to Itayby.com or to bedandbreakfast.com.

 

these are roughly half of what you would pay at a hotel in the same area.

[modem9]

We stayed at the Hotel Smeraldo last month for the 3 days precruise. We definitely enjoyed it. The location was great, less than two blocke from the Piazza Navona and about the same from the Campo de Fiori. I is just over a block to the #8 tram and major bus lines. Price is very good, especially for the location. Ask for the Rick Steves rate.

 

If you are interested in the Colleseum and the Villa Borghese, I might suggest you purchase the Roma Pass. In addition to 3 days use of the public busses and metro, it give you entrance fees to two venues from a list of many. Both the Colleseum and Villa Borghese are included. We only used it for the Colleseum but considering all the times we rode the busses, it was well worth it. You never have to worry about purchasing a ticket and validating it. I printed out a very detailed bus route map (in big print) which worked great.

 

We arranged for a tour of the Vatican through our airport shuttle company. Since we wanted the tour right after our arrival, we had the shuttle take us to the hotel, wait while we checked in and then transfer us to the Vatican where they handed us off to the tour guide who quickly and efficiently got us inside without all the long lines. Even on the slowest days, the line is HUGE. This arrangement worked so well and we didn't have to worry about delays, they communicated with each other and made sure we were taken care of. Our Vatican guide was English and she was the best. I highly recommend you use a guide at the Vatican. Having just been there on a real slow day, I can tell you that without a guide, you will spend most of your time waiting in lines. With a guide, they have special entrance lines and you go straight in.

 

With only three days, you will be so busy but it is exciting. The one site we didn't dedicate enough time for was the Forum. We expected an hour or two and then move on. However, it was much more than we expected and we spent hours there, without a guide, and only left when they kicked us out. It is a full day to view the Colleseum, Forum and Pallentine hill and I would only recommend that if you can spend lots of time on your feet. Otherwise, break it into two separate days.

 

Hope this helps.

Alan.

[MERLOTCHAMPAGNE]

Modem9

 

Could you share what airport shuttle service you used at the airport who also arranged your tour guide at the Vatican. Our flight arrives in Rome mid morning so we thought we could go to hotel, check in and then head off to the Vatican. Having a car wait for us would make the process so much smoother.

 

Thanks

 

Pam

[katiekatie]

I second that request! Would not thought about hitting the ground running!

I would like to use the same tour company to pick us up at the airport, take us on tours, take us to the dock, pick us up after the cruise, take us back to Rome for one night, then to the airport the next day. I think it would be beneficial to have one reliable company to deal with. :)

Also a friend reminded me that they stayed at the Hotel Splendide - two years ago, any comment?

Holiday Cheers...Katie

[sailorschelle]

We stayed at the Nicolas Inn, on Via Cavour. It is run by an American women (melissa) and her Italian husband (francois). Great location, only 4 rooms, and breakfast at a coffee shop up the street with the most incredible pastries. Reasonable rates, and wonderful help with any arrangements from Melissa and Fracois. Also, great restaurants within walking distance. It was wonderful.

 

http://www.nicolasinn.com

[Freddy Beach]

We stayed at the Nicolas Inn, on Via Cavour. It is run by an American women (melissa) and her Italian husband (francois). Great location, only 4 rooms, and breakfast at a coffee shop up the street with the most incredible pastries. Reasonable rates, and wonderful help with any arrangements from Melissa and Fracois. Also, great restaurants within walking distance. It was wonderful.

 

www.nicolasinn.com

 

Another vote for the Nicolas Inn. Clean, friendly and convenient; location, location, location! Traffic in Rome is nuts and it is nice to walk to all of the attractions with the exception of the Vatican (where we used the HOHO bus). Otherwise, a good portion of your time will be wasted on transportation planning and in traffic jams. Melissa is like a built in tour guide great for recommending restaurants, attractions, routes etc.)

 

I would stay somewhere downtown; being able to walk to Trevi fountain in the evening or sitting on the Spanish Stairs for morning coffee or watching the sun rise over the Colosseum makes your Rome visit memorable.

 

Regarding post cruise. We stayed at the airport mostly for convenience and security of being close. However, it is expensive and transportation is not easy. Taxis want the fares to the city, not the airport hotels and, if you have 'cruise sized' luggage, you need a van in most cases.

 

If I did it over, I would stay back in Rome post cruise and arranged for transportation through the B&B (55 euros to airport). However, be mindful of your flight times and head out early (like 3 hours before). The airport is congested and famous for long line ups.