Hotel in Rome Question

[pbo258]

What hotel would be the best to stay in to get into the center of town?

Crown Plaza, Empire Place, or the Leonardo Davinci?

[euro cruiser]

Why are you limited to just these three hotels? None of them are ideally situated, but the Crown Plaza is clearly the farthest out. I'm not sure there's a big difference between the other two, unless you prefer to be closer to the Vatican. In that case, the Da Vinci would be closer.

[KirkNC]

I guess it depends also on your definition of center of town. We are staying at Hotel Paba near the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill and Capitoline. Others prefer being near the Spanish Steps, Trevi and the Pantheon. No matter where you stay, if you are trying to see the highlights you will end up using public transportation so I don't think there really is a best place to stay.

 

Kirk

[pbo258]

Thank you all for you comments. The only reason for these three is this is what the cruise lines is offering at this time with our package.

[CoralReef]

Public transportation in Rome is so good, you can easily get to the major sites from anywhere within the city walls.

 

If you are considering a "Cruisetour" pre- or post-cruise stay through the cruise line, I suggest checking out www.venere.com to see if you can get a better hotel rate on your own. In my experience, it's usually possible to do better on your own.

[katkell]

Thank you all for you comments. The only reason for these three is this is what the cruise lines is offering at this time with our package.

 

We are staying at the Crown Plaza St Peters (the same?) pre cruise through the TA package. I looked at a lot of other hotels and previously have stayed near Termini. We decided to stick with Crown Plaza as it is a known product worldwide. They have a shuttle that goes in to Rome, somewhere near Spanish Steps, so that is a nice Central place to be dropped off.

[BigGuy25]

Can't help you with the three that you mentioned, but I can tell you we stayed at the Albergo del Senato at the Pantheon a few weeks ago and loved it.

[Susan-M]

We decided to stick with Crown Plaza as it is a known product worldwide. They have a shuttle that goes in to Rome, somewhere near Spanish Steps, so that is a nice Central place to be dropped off.

 

There are trade offs though in having to plan around the hotel bus schedule for your trips there and back (unless you use taxis or public transportation) ... and dealing with the traffic.

 

We enjoyed staying in the historic centre of Rome (P. Navona) where we could head out in the morning for our day of sightseeing, come back and freshen up and then head out for dinner and a night stroll.

[euro cruiser]

I'm with Susan, it's not a tradeoff that I would make, but that's me. I have traveled with friends and family members who would much prefer to be in a less central location if it means having a more American-style hotel experience. They're generally good travelers, it's just that the hotel part is where it is most unsettling for them and they like some familiar touchstones.

[cruisemom42]

I would also strongly encourage anyone who has a choice to select a hotel in the historic area. It gives an entirely different feeling to your time in Rome. I've traveled for a long time, and have stayed in locations varying from the 8th hill of Rome to right across the street from the Forum. It does make a difference.

 

There are hotels in the center that are more Americanized; of course, they also tend to be more expensive than those on the fringes. In Rome, as in real estate, location is everything.

 

Cruise line packages are generally NOT a good deal for anyone. They charge per person, so you're already paying about twice as much for that hotel room as you would if booked on your own. Plus, their locations are usually less desireable. However, I understand that there are some instances where the hotel package is part of the deal. In those cases, as others have said, transportation isn't bad. Just requires a different plan of attack.

[waverley7]

We were there in May and stayed at the Hotel Atlantico near the train station, walked to Trevi Fountain and the Colessium, it was a nice little spot to stay!