Hotels in Rome

[PORT ROYAL]

41 minutes ago, sasandy said:

I will be staying in Albergo Santa Chiara with a courtyard view. The description says 3 adjoining buildings. Do you have any information on this hotel in regard to an "annex" type of building or are all 3 buildings "charming"?

Think it’s better asking the hotel to send a set of photographs from “potentially” one’s actual room.

[kohanfam]

On 10/31/2023 at 10:09 PM, kohanfam said:

We are not going to be there until October 2024.  The rooms are just now coming available and some room categories are already showing sold out. I was shocked.  Specifically the Superior Double at Senato.   Assume the 3rd party booking sites are gobbling them up.

[Cruising89143]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:41 PM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Just in case you need it, another good hotel tucked right behind the Pantheon is the Albergo Santa Chiara.

 

just booked this hotel. 
 

Thank you. 😊

[sasandy]

35 minutes ago, kohanfam said:

On 11/1/2023 at 12:09 AM, kohanfam said:

We are not going to be there until October 2024.  The rooms are just now coming available and some room categories are already showing sold out. I was shocked.  Specifically the Superior Double at Senato.   Assume the 3rd party booking sites are gobbling them up.

I contacted Hotel Albergo Santa Chiara through their website in June to get a room for October 2024. They saw I wanted a quiet balcony room and contacted me to make sure I got just the kind of room I wanted. I ended up getting a courtyard view but no balcony. 

[Lalof]

I think we are ready to jump and book Hotel Lancelot for our stay next July.  I would be interested to hear if anyone stayed there in the last several months, and if so, how was your stay?

 

Thanks

[odblnt]

On 11/4/2023 at 8:01 PM, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

 

We met a couple from our cruise when we were heading back to FCO and got their

feedback on where they stayed? 

They stayed at the Hilton AT the airport. (NOT the Hilton Garden, that is farther away)

So when we were driving into the FCO, we could See the Hilton AT the airport, and boy

is it AT the airport!  Like a short walk into the Terminal!  That looked so easy!

 

To be honest, I wish we stayed there, and took the train or taxi into central Rome to

walk around the sights..... then be closeby the airport when it was time to leave.

We would have gotten alot more sleep!

The couple said they really didn't hear the planes... couldn't have been any worse than

the street noise we got all hours.  Even with our windows closed, we heard Everything.

 

So, If you have a short stay pre or post cruise? 

You might consider Hilton AT the airport, instead of staying in town in Rome.

Thats what we plan to do if theres a next time.

Happy travels all.

 

 

That's where we plan on staying after our Western Med cruise next year. We're even going to add an extra day so we can take the express into Termini for a day tour to Pompei.

 

Pete

[Creekside89]

We recently stayed at Smeraldo in the annex. We were on the 1st floor. No outside noise, just thin floors. We could hear the people above us walking around and opening their wardrobe door.

 

Housekeeping wasn’t up to scratch. Toiletries weren’t replaced, and floor not cleaned as when I went to put on my shoes my feet were dirty.

 

On a very sour note, we went to the rooftop bar late afternoon one day and had a drink. Thought we might stay for dinner but as we couldn’t get any further service we left. Upon paying for the drinks, I handed over my card and the bartender looked at DH and proceeded to give him a lecture, saying he is the man he should look after the financials. But in saying that he had no hesitation in taking my card and processing it whilst giving this lecture.

 

Would we stay here again. No.

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Creekside89 said:

We recently stayed at Smeraldo in the annex. We were on the 1st floor. No outside noise, just thin floors. We could hear the people above us walking around and opening their wardrobe door.

 

Housekeeping wasn’t up to scratch. Toiletries weren’t replaced, and floor not cleaned as when I went to put on my shoes my feet were dirty.

 

On a very sour note, we went to the rooftop bar late afternoon one day and had a drink. Thought we might stay for dinner but as we couldn’t get any further service we left. Upon paying for the drinks, I handed over my card and the bartender looked at DH and proceeded to give him a lecture, saying he is the man he should look after the financials. But in saying that he had no hesitation in taking my card and processing it whilst giving this lecture.

 

Would we stay here again. No.

 

Thanks for the report. The room situation doesn't sound great.

 

Re: the bartender -- are you sure he wasn't just trying to kid around with you? Humor sometimes doesn't translate well.... I find it hard to believe someone would be hired for the role (which requires good interaction with customers) with that kind of attitude.

 

 

[maggietaggie]

5 hours ago, Creekside89 said:

We recently stayed at Smeraldo in the annex. We were on the 1st floor. No outside noise, just thin floors. We could hear the people above us walking around and opening their wardrobe door.

 

Housekeeping wasn’t up to scratch. Toiletries weren’t replaced, and floor not cleaned as when I went to put on my shoes my feet were dirty.

 

On a very sour note, we went to the rooftop bar late afternoon one day and had a drink. Thought we might stay for dinner but as we couldn’t get any further service we left. Upon paying for the drinks, I handed over my card and the bartender looked at DH and proceeded to give him a lecture, saying he is the man he should look after the financials. But in saying that he had no hesitation in taking my card and processing it whilst giving this lecture.

 

Would we stay here again. No.

We are staying at Hotel Smeraldo for two nights post cruise in the main hotel.  Now, I am a little concerned.  Do hope it was a fluke couple of days as have many other positive reports.

[kohanfam]

Thanks cruisemom42 for your expertise. We booked two rooms with Alberto del Senato. Excited to be in the heart of the action.

Have exchanged email with them and they have been very responsive.

Now we need to determine if we should book restaurants.

Do you think we should and which restaurants do you feel are a must.

Are Armando Al Pantheon, Osteria Da Francesco must do.

 

[Debbie819]

Has anyone stayed at the W (Marriott) in Rome? I have enough points to stay. We have been to Rome several times and I do not know this area?

TIA!

[cruisemom42]

On 11/9/2023 at 8:33 PM, kohanfam said:

Now we need to determine if we should book restaurants.

Do you think we should and which restaurants do you feel are a must.

Are Armando Al Pantheon, Osteria Da Francesco must do.

 

It makes more sense to keep this thread to a discussion of hotels. But I'll say that I try to eat at Armando whenever I'm in Rome for more than just a day or so. On the other hand, while I enjoyed Da Francesco, I don't feel I have to go back.

[Haljo1935]

On 10/26/2023 at 4:21 PM, Host Bonjour said:

Ciao tutti!

 

Hope everyone is doing well, and if not in Italy, planning to be sometime soon (or reflecting on memories of a recent visit 😉 )

 

Thanks to everyone for making this topic so wonderful, can't believe it's up to 38 pages!! So I was wondering what the community wanted: close this, link it into a new edition, or leave it to grow a bit longer? (Too much to scroll through??)

 

Totally up to the group, so if a majority of you think let's leave it as is, we will. If not, we can do a 2.0 and link this topic at the opening of the start of the new edition so there's easy access to the original.

 

 

I'll check back in a few days, à presto. Grazie!

Agree this thread is getting long and I tend to start at the end working backwards as others mentioned. 

Starting a new one with this one linked for quick reference would be great. Thanks for asking.

[Haljo1935]

On 11/5/2023 at 9:32 AM, cruisemom42 said:

...One further note: many people ask about the availability of triples in Rome hotels. Triples also seem to be located in annex buildings, probably because the room sizes are larger and can accommodate them. Just be aware of what you're getting.

Pre-cruise out of Civitavecchia Porto, we recently stayed 3 nights at Hotel Cambridge, walking distance to Termini. While our room was not a Triple, they do have them in the same building. We used Termini as "Base Camp" to go daily to the sites we wanted to see; it worked well and there are lots of dining options convenient to the hotel. 

Post cruise, we wanted to be closer to the airport and stayed at Hotel Intorno al Fico. We could hear planes when outside in the courtyard, but not in the room so no issues sleeping. The hotel is walking distance to the beach (currently off season, but we made the walk anyway) and a great pizza 🍕 place. Our room was a Triple, even though we didn't need it. It was a great choice for a one night hotel stay, but not for "seeing" Rome.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Haljo1935
Typo

[BarbaraEH]

On 11/5/2023 at 10:32 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

Thanks for your report.  It's a good opportunity to talk a little bit about hotel "annexes" in Rome and other places. 

 

In historic centers like the one in Rome, most buildings are classified as historically important and footprints often can't be changed. 

 

To get around this, some hotels will have a separate annex building to provide additional rooms for guests. These buildings are usually near the original hotel but may be situated with a less pleasant aspect (view) or be part of a more modern building (not in a good way). They tend to have less of the historical character and interest of the original building. This isn't unique to Rome. Even the famous Hotel Danieli in Venice has an annex building that lacks the same period charm and details of the original.

 

My own policy is to avoid rooms in annexes after a couple of experiences that underwhelmed me. Definitely reserve a room in the main hotel building, if at all possible. If there is not a room in the main building, or the annex is less expensive and you decide to go for it, be aware that it may not be to the same standards as the reviews you've read for the hotel.

 

One further note: many people ask about the availability of triples in Rome hotels. Triples also seem to be located in annex buildings, probably because the room sizes are larger and can accommodate them. Just be aware of what you're getting.

 

 

We stayed at Hotel Smeraldo's annex for 3 nights in late October in a "Deluxe Double Room Parione" which included a king size bed, 1 1/2 bathrooms, and 2 closets.. The photos of this room on their website show exactly what it looks like. We were more than satisfied with the annex, the accommodations and cleanliness. Our room was overlooking the narrow, cobblestone street outside and the main hotel which is catty-corner across the street. It was well insulated so very little noise. Fully renovated yet had some old-world charm. Rooms tend to be small which is why we booked the Deluxe Double. Breakfast was included offering continental and American style options. Nothing fancy but enough to satisfy. All the pastries were from the Roscioli Bakery across the street. This was our first trip to Rome and we didn't have any idea what to expect but were pleasantly surprised and would stay there again.

[Host Bonjour]

On 11/8/2023 at 6:31 AM, Creekside89 said:

I handed over my card and the bartender looked at DH and proceeded to give him a lecture, saying he is the man he should look after the financials

 

I had dinner at an upscale restaurant in Mexico once where the menus for women did not even have the prices listed (they did for men), women were given roses when they arrived, and when the time came for the check, a lavish basket was brought to the woman who was then instructed to hand it over to the man she was dining with. It was the check. 

 

Now, taking into account this doesn't account for LGBTQ+ couples or less modern views of women's ability to earn and certainly manage money, at times old world views still may appear on occasion. Italy is probably still a bit more old fashioned in some ways than some other European countries, but they're not entirely backwards either. 

 

I think the bartender probably meant no offense and was probably thinking old world ways...in Italy of all places, this would be the default presumption. You still can't go into most churches without proper cover etc etc. so things are still how they are; not for everyone, but for some people. 

 

It's always ok to send feedback to a hotel, in a constructive, polite manner. Perhaps it would help them for future guests...maybe they could put better hinges on the furniture, silicone stoppers or whatever so nothing slams shut, just make some slight improvements with hardware so the furniture isn't slammed and maybe that's a fix for less noise? They don't know if they don't know. 

 

Changing cultural views via different languages? Either spend a lot of time there and make friends or chalk it up to the experiences of traveling, or even at home. Some folks just see things differently. 🤷‍♀️

 

☺️

[furloughedagain]

Here’s a question. Any recommended hotel or AirBnB with an included clothes washer and dryer? After a 7 day cruise might be nice to do some laundry before the second half of our vacation.

[PORT ROYAL]

42 minutes ago, furloughedagain said:

Here’s a question. Any recommended hotel or AirBnB with an included clothes washer and dryer? After a 7 day cruise might be nice to do some laundry before the second half of our vacation.

There are dry cleaners and laundromats throughout Rome, so one can select a Hotel with an eye to providers.  Think some Laundromats do a drop off, wash and fold service, so one can enjoy viewing beautiful sites, rather than viewing the front of an ugly machine.

[furloughedagain]

47 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

There are dry cleaners and laundromats throughout Rome, so one can select a Hotel with an eye to providers.  Think some Laundromats do a drop off, wash and fold service, so one can enjoy viewing beautiful sites, rather than viewing the front of an ugly machine.

Thanks. That’s exactly why I was looking for a space that had a washer and dryer - especially an Airbnb - then we could go touring while the wash is running and just worry about folding when we got back.

[euro cruiser]

Washing machines are easy to find in rental apartments, but not dryers.   They are slowly becoming more common in Italy, but space concerns in city apartments, and the extremely high cost of electricity, cause them to be fairly rare in rentals.

[Choozin Croozin]

On 11/8/2023 at 11:42 AM, maggietaggie said:

We are staying at Hotel Smeraldo for two nights post cruise in the main hotel.  Now, I am a little concerned.  Do hope it was a fluke couple of days as have many other positive reports.

We just spent 3 wonderful nights at Hotel Smeraldo the end of October, pre-cruise. @cruisemom42had recommended as a more budget friendly hotel, so I took her suggestion. We loved everything about it and have booked it for next year pre-cruise, again. We had a balcony room in the main bldg and looked down at the line to get into Rosciolis. lol - The balconies are tiny but I loved it just the same. We were on the 4th floor and there was a terrace just down the hall (used by smokers) but nice just the same. Up one floor was the bar/restaurant which was delightful. It has curtains that can be closed if weather is inclement and then the rest is open air. Yes our room was very small and wish I had taken pictures but I didn't. I expected small. It had a wardrobe area next to the bed with open shelves, open hanging spaces, a safe and a place to store luggage. There was also a desk at the foot of the bed with a built in luggage rack. It was a little challenging to open the door all the way with a medium suitcase there but we didn't really spend any time in the room but to sleep. Bathroom was a bit tight too, but our wants and needs are not much. It was clean, the staff was most pleasant and helpful and it is in a great location - except quite a long bit to the Vatican. We did not have any housekeeping service during our stay. We prefer to not have people in our room when we are gone. So you can form your own opinion. 

[cuterlmt]

Thank you for the recommendations for Hotel Albuergo Santa Chiara. It was a very lovely hotel. We had a gorgeous, large room with a s[lendidly huge balcony/terrace with a table and chairs. No view, except the other rooms but just lovely place to sit in the afternoon/evening. And it was so pleasant having the doors open in the evening to let the cool air in.

The room was great, the breakfast was great, the staff and service was wonderful. We found a great restaurant around the corner for our dinners, walked to the Colosseum, and had just a great time. 

A couple of caveats though - 1) we reserved a car from the airport to the hotel through the hotel. It was 70 euro, which was fine. Private driver who was very nice, dropped us at the hotel. But his car was parked really far from the baggage claim. We were pretty exhausted and had to walk at least half a mile (probably more), to get to the car. He did drop us off in front of the hotel. 2) We asked for a room without stairs as we had heard of folks having to climb stairs and both of us are in our 60s and use canes. We got a room that had three steps, which were manageable. BUT, the shower, which was huge and nice, had a very high tub to step in.  We managed ok, but it was a bit frightening getting in and out. 3) I thought we had pre-paid for our room, not just reserved it, so I did not have the card I used to reserve it and was prepared to use a different card to pay for the hotel. It worked out fine, but was a bit of a surprise. My fault certainly. 

The great positives: 1) huge room, with sitting area outside of bedroom, 2) terrace (as mentioned above), 3) staff was fantastic. Our ride from the hotel to the port was very late, and they were kind enough to help us out with calling them and talking to them about getting there. They talked to him in Italian so I didn't understand everything, but it seemed like the hotel staff was very much expressing how we felt about the delay. The staff was very kind and reassuring. We did make it to the port in plenty of time, but the driver had to drop two other couples off at hotels in Civitavecchia before taking us to port. He did drop us off right in front of the ship and we were able to get on board very quickly. 

 

[hmcrn]

Hi everyone!  I realize that this is mostly for hotels, but we are looking to stay in an apartment type of hotel/inn/etc if possible, near Plaza Navona.  Do any of you have any recommendations?  Thank you!

[Mrsfrz]

We have the Lancelot booked for next April but are thinking of trying to stay closer to the Pantheon. Has anyone stayed at the Little Queen Pantheon? Is the location that much better than the Lancelot?

[barcrab]

We are staying at the Lancelot in early May. I wanted to try Senato, but they required 4 nights.