Would you rather: Hotel Lancelot (w terrace 1st flr) or Smeraldo (double superior alley )?

Posted by ResponsibleBee (USA) on 10/27/25 02:18 AM

Would you rather stay 7 night in October 2026 at the Hotel Lancelot (w terrace 1st flr) or the Hotel Smeraldo (double superior alley ) for a 10 year anniversary trip?

Smeraldo is about 74 euro more per night or about 518 euro more over course of the total 7 night stay in Rome than Lancelot.

Both are top pick in the RSGuide.

Smeraldo appears to be in a “nicer” neighborhood being in Sant’Eustachio nearer to Campo Di Fiori and Navona.
Lancelot is in the touristed neighborhood of Celio, close to the colosseum and the Lateran.

It’s husband’s 1st trip to Rome. He is “American sized,” 6+ foot tall, broad build. He Melts in heat but we hope October is comfortable.

Are there any other pros or cons as between the two that I should consider other than price ? Noise? Room size? Bed size or softness? Shower size? Proximity to transport? Romantic ambiance or lack thereof? Etc.?

Thank you all in advance for any thoughts you can spare!

Posted by Theresa

Seattle

10/27/25 04:40 AM

252 posts

I've stayed at both hotels while on RS tours, Hotel Lancelot in a single room and Hotel Smeraldo in a double (twin beds) room. Both are the epitome of accommodation Rick Steves prefers: family-run, great value, excellent location and I enjoyed them both. Looking at the city map, Hotel Smeraldo is more 'central' but really, when visiting the Eternal City and wanting to get to as many sites as possible, it entails venturing into many of the city's 22 rioni. I'll give the nod to Hotel Smeraldo because of its roof top bar and proximity to both Campo de' Fiori and Piazza Navona. For Hotel Lancelot, of course the Colosseum is mere blocks away and I took advantage of touring the nearby Baths of Caracalla, with fabulous private guide Wally Zanchetta (Ms). Congrats on 10 years and have a great trip!

Posted by Andrea

Portland, OR

10/27/25 04:46 AM

18 posts

Hi,
I've stayed at both hotels - just returned from a trip where I stayed in a first floor terrace room at Hotel Lancelot. I've stayed at Hotel Smeraldo several times since 2023 - it's a nice hotel in a good location. The rooftop bar could probably qualify as romantic. The breakfast is good - but the breakfast room gets noisy and crowded very quickly. The Campo de' Fiori area is generally very busy (though I've only stayed there in March and April, I can't speak to October). Ultimately, this year I wanted to stay somewhere a little quieter so I tried Hotel Lancelot. It's a quieter area despite being so close to the Colosseum with some good restaurants.
If the choice is only between these 2 hotels, I think one significant factor is how you want to get around. If you only want to walk, Smeraldo is probably better situated. You can easily get taxis at either one - though the car situation is a bit chaotic at Smeraldo because of the narrow streets and throngs of people. It's hard to speak to bathroom size and room orientation as rooms at both hotels are variable, but from my experience, the rooms at Hotel Lancelot were bigger. The balcony adds some lovely extra space. If you choose Smeraldo, I'd highly recommend a room that faces the interior as the street noise is significant in my experience. I spent a very hot night there one April because it was too noisy to open a window for fresh air but too early for the AC to be turned on.

Honestly, you can't really go wrong - and getting to be in Rome for a week is amazing. I hope you have a fantastic trip.

Posted by Barbara

Brooklyn, NY

10/27/25 05:25 AM

4798 posts

After a long back and forth, we booked the Smeraldo for next May based on location and recommendations here. We are 8 people traveling together around Italy and I was tasked with finding the hotels. This was based on other trips we took together and my success rate.
I wanted the Hotel Regno, we stayed there last trip in 2017. Their rates come out in January. I was anxious (pressured) to have something booked so we went with Smeraldo
.