HELP!!! Hotels in Rome

Is it only one negative posting, Barb? One negative among many positives should be viewed with some cynicism, IMO. Also look to see if the reviewer has reviewed many places or is new to TA (assuming you are looking at Trip Advisor). Then look to see if the peson ever has anything positive to say, or if all of their reviews are negative. Finally, go with your gut. If the hotel lools like it meets your needs, it probably will. As to Termini vs. Trastevere, each area has pros and cons. I think Rick Steves points those out rather well.

Barb, In my experience, if a Hotel is listed in Rick's Guidebooks, it's generally a comfortable and reliable Hotel. I sometimes also check Trip Advisor listings, but tend to "take them with a grain of salt" as there can be many factors that affect the reviews (personal biases or expectations, unique circumstances, etc.). Especially if your trip will be taking place in the near future, I'd suggest staying with the reservation at Hotel Nardizzi. One other point to consider is that while Trastevere is a unique and vibrant area, it's not as convenient as the Termini area for transportation. I usually stay in the Termini area precisely for that reason. Happy travels!

Thanks so much to both of you. I do this to myself sometimes - question my choices. I've been to Rome several times - stayed by the Vatican and later by Campo Fiori but they have not answered my request for reservations. My husband has never been to Rome but likes the sound of Trastevere but I've never gone there myself. Good advice to check out the negative posts!

Barb,
Trastevere is a wonderful part of town. We have many friends in this part of town and have frequently met for dinner - or better, house-sat for them! There are many, many B&B's in the area, multiple apartment rentals, but fewer hotels. You might look at this article which may give you more options. I take reviews on tripadvisor with a grain of salt... The reviews on booking.com and venere.com require that you have stayed there (and booked through those agents), so those reviews may be more credible.

Barb, I also look at negative reviews as well as positive ones, but I use booking.com and venere.com for the reasons Ron stated. I've talked to many B&B and hotel personnel about the reviews they get, and sometimes a negative review (one hotel was accused of having bedbugs! it was not true) is about something completely different (guests demanding services that can't be provided, like hot breakfast at 4am, or sunbathing nude on their balcony). So, unless a dissatisfaction is stated by more than one reviewer, I tend to dismiss it. But if several people say the rooms are noisy or the elevator hasn't worked in years, I pay more attention. If you stay on a major piazza in Trastevere, be prepared for noisy celebrations late into the night.