Any hotel advice for first time Italy/Europe travelers? We will be in Rome and Florence. Not necessarily specific hotels (although feel free to mention any that you like) but just wondering if there is anything we should be aware of that maybe isn't obvious.
As always, thanks all.
Rome- stay in area of Piazza Navona and/or Pantheon as you can walk almost anywhere you want. Travestere is also popular with tourists. Don’t stay near Spanish Steps.
We liked staying at the Hotel Palazzo Navona, antique building with modern interior and amenities. We also stayed in an AirBnB near Palazzo Navona, great location, not a good AirBnB! l
I don’t know of any hotels in Trastevere but I sure do like the neighborhood. I discovered it while staying at the nearby Hotel Smeraldo which is on the opposite side of the River Tiber.
The Piazza Navona is also a nice area with lots of al fresco restaurants which is a nice area to end the day.
Florence - Hotel Pendini is our favorite.
Some general tips for looking at hotels in Europe:
-Air conditioning is not a given. Assure it’s available in the hotel if you’ll want it during warmer months.
-Similarly, elevators. Though their absence is less common, and usually limited to rather small hotels at the lower end of the budget scale.
Location:
-I prefer not to stay if the very heart of tourist action, but rather in a neighborhood where real people love their real lives. For convenience, this usually means the residential areas closest to the center. (Don’t overcorrect and end up at a hotel in business district that’s dead off-hours.)
-How I’m traveling into and out of the city might influence location. Especially when that means I want to stay within walking distance to a train station.
