First timers: Where to stay in Rome?

We recently stayed at Suitedeal (corny I know) which was a 5 minute walk from Termini station. Very clean and reasonably comfortable, nothing fancy as it was just four blokes going to watch the rugby, if I was with my family then we'd stay somewhere better but for a basic place to crash out and not stay in longer than necessary it suited our purpose. I'm sure I paid £70 a night for a twin room however you're a bit late for booking for May, I suspect a lot of places are booked up and those that are left will be charging more.

Rome is very walkable, we walked practically everywhere so there isn't really a particular place that is best located. We opted to be near the train station as that was how we arrived and departed.

You might want to look at the MonasteryStays.com website - some monasteries and convents in Italy provide accommodations for travelers as a way of supporting themselves, and there are several such in Rome. The website describes them, shows you where they are, and lets you book. They tend to be plain and simple, some have a (fairly late) curfew, many provide breakfast.

I really like Largo Argentina area near Pantheon. We stayed at hotel della Torre Argentina. It puts you in the middle of many things. Easy walking to many sites; easy to get a cab; easy walk to Despar grocery store near Pantheon. The hotel charges too much extra for breakfast. Instead, the rooms have mini-fridges. So, we picked up some items at grocery store and kept them in the room.
The hotel was fine. I'm not "married" to this particular hotel. I really like the largo Argentina or Campo dei Fiori area in general for location.
Check out Hotel Smearaldo, very close to Della Torre.

I am amazed at the number of posters who have not purchased guidebooks to assist them in their vacation planning in Europe. A simple meander over to Amazon.com will reveal that the RS Italy guidebook may be obtained for the princely sum of $18.16, a huge savings off the retail price. That book sets out dozens of hotels at various prices, lists restaurants, sights, travel techniques and more.

https://www.amazon.com/Rick-Steves-Italy-2018/dp/163121666X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521383193&sr=8-1&keywords=rick+steve+italy+2018

Please take a shot at purchasing it, and the world will unfold before you insofar as your Roman Holiday is concerned. You are indeed very late in the game to start planning, but I am confident that armed with that guide, you will be able to pinpoint not only the area in Rome to stay and enjoy yourselves, but you will be better able to have the folks on this forum help you fine tune your travels. Buon Viaggio!

Hey,
It's okay to ask for recommendations here! I do both guide books, Internet, and recommendations and glean my trip from all of that. There are pro.s and con.s to all sources of info..

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. This trip came about quite suddenly, and I have very limited time for research and planning, so I really appreciate your help.

We stayed in the Vatican area and liked it very much. We were only a short bus/metro ride from the Colosseum, etc. We enjoy taking the bus in a new city as an inexpensive sightseeing option. Accommodations were a bit less expensive in the Vatican area and I felt less crowded with tourists. We appreciate some peace after a long day of touring.

Enjoy your trip!

I usually stay near the Main Train Station. There are many budget and reasonably priced hotels. I have stayed at the Sonya, Contila, Aberdeen and Diana(?)
Just a couple short blocks to the main trains station and Metro station.
Several nice restaurants with great prices in the area.
I was able to walk very easily to the Forum area .
Single rooms at all these were about $100 . Double room prices I don't know.
But love this area and now always stay around there because it is so easy to get anywhere. Happy Travels.

Thanks everyone. There was very little availability for our dates, so we booked at the Hotel Genio, which looks decent for the $$.

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Looks like a good choice even for short notice; you shouldn’t have more than a 30 minute walk to almost everything you want & walking in Rome is a great part of the experience. Don’t forget to wander down to Trastevere in the evening and pick from the many restaurants in the back streets. On the way back, there is a nice view of St.Peters basilica with Ponte Sisto bridge in front of it from the west end of Ponte Garibaldi.

If you can swing it, try and do an early morning tour of the Vatican museum/Sistine/St.Peters. During the day the crowds get horrendous and by late May it may be getting uncomfortably warm inside with all the bodies and no a/c. I know we found it pretty brutal even in October...