Rome Hotel/B&B for Family of Four -- best options?

[junglejane]

I've done several searches here and on TripAdvisor and am feeling overwhelmed, so please forgive me for starting a new thread. We're a family of four planning a 5 night pre-cruise visit to Rome next summer. Our 2 DD's will be 10 and 14. I prefer not to squish the four of us into two double beds if I can find a viable alternative.

 

Ideally I'd like to find something in Rome like we had two years ago at Locanda Orseolo in Venice: a room with a king bed and two twins, in a good location and preferably with some type of breakfast. Can anyone give us some suggestions for something like this in Rome? Our kids are obviously not old enough to be alone in a totally separate room, so I'm hoping to find an alternative that doesn't require me and DH to split up into two rooms.

[euro cruiser]

Take a look at this place: http://www.navonagardensuites.com/suites.htm

 

I haven't stayed here personally, but am acquainted with a couple who did stay with another couple in one room. I don't think they had the exact configuration you are looking for, but there was a king and a queen, so maybe that would work?

[hal2000]

When we were looking, it looked like the best options were for staying in apartments rather then hotels, but I think Hotel Centro had an quad room similar to what you're describing. [i don't know about the king bed, though -- I seem to recall mostly seeing singles and doubles in the hotels.]

[agabbymama]

You might try venere dot com and put in a quad. It's a pretty good website, showing where the hotel is located and price in dollars. And you don't pay ahead like other sites make you do.

 

Then I usually go to Tripadvisor dot com to see the reviews. Then make my choice.

 

Some say going straight to the hotel can get you a better rate, but I had a bad experience with that in '08, so prefer not to do that. I booked on the B&B's website about 8 months in advance. Got an email back immediately confirming. The next morning received an email from the owner, that they were sorry, they couldn't accommodate my request for the dates I wanted. So I started looking again. Found another hotel. Then about 1 week before departure, the owner of the B&B called me at 3:00 am to tell me he had the room available, did I still want it? I told him NO, when he informed it was unavailable, I booked elsewhere. He seemed surprised that I no longer wanted the room, and kept asking if I wanted to cancel. I told him he had done the cancelling 8 months ago. Then I worried for 6 months, whether he would charge my credit card for a no show. As he had my credit card number, address and phone number. But he didn't charge my cc. But still an unsettling experience just before departure for our cruise.

 

Have fun planning, then taking your trip.

[junglejane]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. DH and I have been working our way through expedia and venere dot com. Every time we find someplace that looks promising, we look at the trip advisor reviews and find a bunch of bad ones that scare us off! Reports of terrible beds, noise, bugs, unfriendly staff etc.

 

We are also exploring the apartment option. We had a very good experience renting an apartment in London last summer, but we also had a not so good experience last month in Manhattan with an apartment we found on the internet. The problem was that the air conditioning wasn't working and the owner was on vacation. We were never able to get the a/c fixed during our 5 night stay. So now I'm a little nervous about an apartment if there isn't some on-site management to deal with.

 

Please keeep the suggestions coming! Thanks again.

[numbersix]

Jane:

 

We have not been yet, but we (me, DW) and 2 kids (DS, 13, DD, 11) are booked into the Hotel Diocleziano in early August, in a quad room (1 larger (queen? double?) bed, and 2 singles), at 149 Euro (we booked a few months ago). Includes breakfast, and (soft) drinks from the mini bar. Not Piazza Navona, not Pantheon for location, but close (but not too close) to Termini train station, and entirely walkable for us. Reviews very well on TripAdvisor.

 

Kevin

[whale-watcher]

We stayed at the Hotel Raffaello with two of our kids in November, and were happy with our choice. Family suite with two separate bedrooms (king in one, two twins in the other) plus bath, as well as comfortable beds, good breakfast, and fairly convenient location.

 

Price was less than 200euros (can't remember exact amount) and was the best bargain of our entire stay.

 

Great reviews on tripadvisor as well.

[CathyCruises]

I was also going to suggest Raffaello--although we didn't stay in a quad room but I know they are available. The hotel was in a good location close to Termini and Santa Maria Maggiore, 6 blocks from the Colosseum. Good included breakfast as well. I would definitely check them out. We were very happy with what we got for the price!

[KCcruisin07]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. DH and I have been working our way through expedia and venere dot com. Every time we find someplace that looks promising, we look at the trip advisor reviews and find a bunch of bad ones that scare us off! Reports of terrible beds, noise, bugs, unfriendly staff etc.

 

We are also exploring the apartment option. We had a very good experience renting an apartment in London last summer, but we also had a not so good experience last month in Manhattan with an apartment we found on the internet. The problem was that the air conditioning wasn't working and the owner was on vacation. We were never able to get the a/c fixed during our 5 night stay. So now I'm a little nervous about an apartment if there isn't some on-site management to deal with.

 

Please keeep the suggestions coming! Thanks again.

 

The suggestion above sounds good, but if you are still thinking about an apartment: we stayed in apartments in Rome (VRBO) and Paris (found through Home Stay). They seem to be American companies or have an American connection. Both owners gave us a cell number to reach them.

 

As you narrow it down to an area and then a couple of choices, you can go on Trip Advisor and ask for feedback before you decide.

 

We stayed in Trastevere, and my husband and a neighbor had daily conversations, though they didn't speak each other's language.

[CathyCruises]

I also forgot to mention something most people don't know. Albergo del Senato gets rave reviews on these boards but is quite pricey. Well, we found out that Raffaello guests have privileges to use the rooftop terrace at Del Senato, overlooking Piazza Navona! So, this is a way to combine a lower cost hotel with high end amenities. And it is very convenient to plan your day so that you end up at Piazza Navona at cocktail hour!

[misspupule]

Hey Junglejane

We were in rome oct 208 and found a private apartment thru freereservation.com another site is booking.com certain things to consider: elevator (lift) available or how many stairs to climb with luggage, payment with credit card or cash euros when you arrive, how far away so as to consider cost of transportation, do the girls get tired with lots of walking. We had a little kitchenette; made coffee or hot chocalate (we brought over with us) and picked up something at a bakery the day before. we also bought a few drinks to put in fridge, had meat and cheeses with crackers or bread for snacks. apartment was near piazza navona if we wanted to come back for a nap then head out at night. everything worked out wee.

happy travels

miss pupule

[notentirelynormal]

I also forgot to mention something most people don't know. Albergo del Senato gets rave reviews on these boards but is quite pricey. Well, we found out that Raffaello guests have privileges to use the rooftop terrace at Del Senato, overlooking Piazza Navona! So, this is a way to combine a lower cost hotel with high end amenities. And it is very convenient to plan your day so that you end up at Piazza Navona at cocktail hour!

 

Do you know it the roof top terrace be open mid October? I hope so because I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[CathyCruises]

Do you know it the roof top terrace be open mid October? I hope so because I'm looking forward to trying it out.

 

My guess is that it would be. We were there in January and it was def. closed--way too cold anyway! But October is lovely.

[cruisemom42]

I also forgot to mention something most people don't know. Albergo del Senato gets rave reviews on these boards but is quite pricey. Well, we found out that Raffaello guests have privileges to use the rooftop terrace at Del Senato, overlooking Piazza Navona! So, this is a way to combine a lower cost hotel with high end amenities. And it is very convenient to plan your day so that you end up at Piazza Navona at cocktail hour!

 

I believe the terrace is open for use by anyone -- it's just that few people use it if they're not staying there. I have used it a few times when I was staying around the corner at a different hotel. :)

 

Do you know it the roof top terrace be open mid October? I hope so because I'm looking forward to trying it out.

 

I believe the terrace is open through October. I know for sure it's been closed when I've been there in mid-November.

[junglejane]

Thanks again for all the tips and please keep them coming. It sounds like an apartment makes a lot of sense. I'm just a little nervous after our experience in Manhattan. We found that apartment through vrbo.com. Everything was fine except that the a/c didn't work and it was unpleasantly hot. The owner was on vacation and hard to reach. When we did reach him, he said he was working on it but it was never fixed during our 5 day stay. All we got from the owner was an offer of 10% off if we booked another stay with him.:( So I'm hoping that if we go the apartment route, we find one that has someone on site or readily accessible if you need something fixed.

 

We really like the cruise ship arrangement where we can have connecting rooms with our kids. Two bathrooms is a godsend, LOL.

[CathyCruises]

I believe the terrace is open for use by anyone -- it's just that few people use it if they're not staying there. I have used it a few times when I was staying around the corner at a different hotel. :)

 

 

Huh. They had a specific sign posted at our hotel and woud give you a 'pass' if you asked! And here I thought I was getting something special!:rolleyes:

[KCcruisin07]

Thanks again for all the tips and please keep them coming. It sounds like an apartment makes a lot of sense. I'm just a little nervous after our experience in Manhattan. We found that apartment through vrbo.com. Everything was fine except that the a/c didn't work and it was unpleasantly hot. The owner was on vacation and hard to reach. When we did reach him, he said he was working on it but it was never fixed during our 5 day stay. All we got from the owner was an offer of 10% off if we booked another stay with him.:( So I'm hoping that if we go the apartment route, we find one that has someone on site or readily accessible if you need something fixed.

 

We really like the cruise ship arrangement where we can have connecting rooms with our kids. Two bathrooms is a godsend, LOL.

 

If A/C is a major issue (and I understand if it is), you could definitely specify that a working A/C is a must. But it really sounds more like you want a place that has an owner who plans to be available if there are problems.

When we were considering places in Rome, I made some special requests (coffee maker and European hair dryer), and the owners I contacted were more than willing to provide these things even when they did not have them. I think you could specify in your emails that it is important for you to be able to have someone available to fix things if problems arise.

I did have one problem with a VRBO owner in Long Beach. My husband was going there for surgery. I specifically asked the owner in an email if she would give me a refund if for some reason the surgery was canceled. Oddly the MD canceled the surgery. She was in the medical field and asked questions to know this was true. Then she ignored my requests until I wrote VRBO. Suddenly as if by magic she remembered that she had been meaning to send a refund.

I think that with a major company like VRBO owners do not want to have to answer complaints, especially legitimate ones.

But if you go on Trip Advisor and inquire about an area or a place you can usually get some feedback. If you don't find someone who stayed there, sometimes people suggest alternatives where they have actually stayed that they really liked. You may end up with something better!

[whale-watcher]

Thanks again for all the tips and please keep them coming. It sounds like an apartment makes a lot of sense. I'm just a little nervous after our experience in Manhattan. We found that apartment through vrbo.com. Everything was fine except that the a/c didn't work and it was unpleasantly hot. The owner was on vacation and hard to reach. When we did reach him, he said he was working on it but it was never fixed during our 5 day stay. All we got from the owner was an offer of 10% off if we booked another stay with him.:( So I'm hoping that if we go the apartment route, we find one that has someone on site or readily accessible if you need something fixed.

 

We really like the cruise ship arrangement where we can have connecting rooms with our kids. Two bathrooms is a godsend, LOL.

 

There was an a/c unit in the family suite in the raffaello (not that we needed this in November :-) Only one bath, however.

[whale-watcher]

I did have one problem with a VRBO owner in Long Beach. My husband was going there for surgery. I specifically asked the owner in an email if she would give me a refund if for some reason the surgery was canceled. Oddly the MD canceled the surgery. She was in the medical field and asked questions to know this was true. Then she ignored my requests until I wrote VRBO. Suddenly as if by magic she remembered that she had been meaning to send a refund.

I think that with a major company like VRBO owners do not want to have to answer complaints, especially legitimate ones.

Had they agreed to these terms in advance? It can be difficult for property owners to re-rent units at the last minute, even for when there are legitimate reasons to cancel. Trip insurance is usually a good idea in these situations, as most vrbo owners have a 30 day cancelation policy (and even longer for popular destinations/peak times

[KCcruisin07]

Had they agreed to these terms in advance? It can be difficult for property owners to re-rent units at the last minute, even for when there are legitimate reasons to cancel. Trip insurance is usually a good idea in these situations, as most vrbo owners have a 30 day cancelation policy (and even longer for popular destinations/peak times

As stated above, she had agreed to those terms in advance (in writing), and she was not steadily booked at that time.

[tricialee]

I had a room with a king bed and bunk beds here http://www.hoteltrastevere.net/ It was clean, the staff was very friendly, we walked everywhere (my kids were 6 and 10), breakfast was good. Let me see if I have a photo of the room.

 

OK, found 1. It is a little messy, and as you can see the large bed is actually 1 singles pushed together, but it worked for us and we are thinking of staying there again in 2011. (or an apartment, as there are 6 of us travelling together this time.)

 

 

[junglejane]

Just thought I'd come back and give an update on my tentative plan. I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and have done more research. A quad room such as the one pictured by Tricialee is a little too cozy for us. I think we'd be at each other's throats after 5 or 6 days, LOL. At least the price on the quad room at Hotel Trastavere is reasonable (155 Euros). At several of the hotels we checked, quad rooms were quite expensive for what you get. For example, at Albergo Santa Chiara the quad room is 360 Euros per night in high season. And for that price you're crowded into one room with one bathroom.

 

So despite my misgivings about apartment rental, we are leaning toward that option. I have put a hold on the red apartment at Residenza Giubbonari, which is located near Campo de Fiori and gets lots of good reviews on multiple websites. There we can get two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, small kitchen, washer/dryer, a/c, elevator, etc. The owner says she owns multiple apartments in the building and has an office across the street, so hopefully she is readily accessible if there's a problem, unlike our VRBO owner in Manhattan.

 

I also discovered that the price was much better dealing directly with the owner instead of one of the rental agencies.

 

Anyone have any feedback on this plan? The cost works out to be about the same as the family room at Hotel Raffaello. We get more space but have to fix ourselves breakfast.

[euro cruiser]

I always prefer an apartment when I'm traveling with one or more of the kids. I find it easier to get them going in the morning if I can feed them breakfast as we all get ready, it makes for a more relaxing start to the day. It's also nice to have the extra room to spread out.

 

There are lots of small grocery stores in the Campo dei Fiori area, and at least one decent sized (city size, not suburb) supermarket. I'll see if I can come up with the address for you.

[Ferry Beach Kayaker]

Precruise we spend 4 nights in Rome with our 2 young adult children. We stayed at a charming Bed and Breakfast called the Holiday House Roma which was located near the Vatican. We did rent 2 rooms. The place was clean, safe and very close to the metro. A typical Italian breakfast was included (juice, cappuccino, and a sweet pastry) and served to your room. The family that owns it were very helpful and spoke excellent English. Here is their website - http://www.holidayhouseroma.com/index.php We would stay there again.

[KCcruisin07]

Just thought I'd come back and give an update on my tentative plan. I really appreciate everyone's suggestions and have done more research. A quad room such as the one pictured by Tricialee is a little too cozy for us. I think we'd be at each other's throats after 5 or 6 days, LOL. At least the price on the quad room at Hotel Trastavere is reasonable (155 Euros). At several of the hotels we checked, quad rooms were quite expensive for what you get. For example, at Albergo Santa Chiara the quad room is 360 Euros per night in high season. And for that price you're crowded into one room with one bathroom.

 

So despite my misgivings about apartment rental, we are leaning toward that option. I have put a hold on the red apartment at Residenza Giubbonari, which is located near Campo de Fiori and gets lots of good reviews on multiple websites. There we can get two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, small kitchen, washer/dryer, a/c, elevator, etc. The owner says she owns multiple apartments in the building and has an office across the street, so hopefully she is readily accessible if there's a problem, unlike our VRBO owner in Manhattan.

 

I also discovered that the price was much better dealing directly with the owner instead of one of the rental agencies.

 

Anyone have any feedback on this plan? The cost works out to be about the same as the family room at Hotel Raffaello. We get more space but have to fix ourselves breakfast.

 

Sounds good. Campo De Fiori will be convenient to other sites, and shopping there is fun! Have you had feedback from anyone who has stayed there?