We have booked the RS Heart of Italy tour in May and will be staying in Rome for a couple extra days on the front end and also a couple days on the back end in Florence. The hotel on the front is Hearth Hotel (Rome) and Hotel Torre Guelfa (Florence) on the back. We have not yet booked these hotels and thought before we do that we would see if anyone has suggestions regarding the best way to book these hotels to get the best rates and or any suggestions regarding these hotels at all would be much appreciated.
Also, is there any advantage to letting them know we are also part of the RS tour? If so, does this provide any discount for additional night stays? Again, thanks for any help!
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6500 posts
I don't know the hotels but I'm sure they are good ones and well located because the tour will use them. They should have websites you can find with Google or Booking.com. If their rates seem reasonable, I suggest contacting each by e-mail to make your reservation, making clear that you'll be part of the RS tour that begins or ends there, asking to stay in the same room, and requesting any discount they may have for tour members. Some hotels will give you a deal, some won't. Some will have no problem giving you in the same room, some won't. Contacting them as early as possible should improve your chances.
On my recent RS tour in Spain, I stayed an extra night in the Sevilla hotel after the tour ended. They couldn't keep me in the same room, moved me to a much bigger and more expensive room for that night. I paid the higher rate because it was worth the convenience of not changing hotels. One reason this might happen to you is that RS takes multiple tour groups to the same hotels, sometimes one right after the other, and the most affordable rooms get booked solid. On a tour in Italy, I arrived in Venice early and stayed in the tour hotel, but they moved me to a different room when the tour started. Both hotels moved my bags from the old room to the new one, so all I had to do was pack.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2374 posts
I always email the hotels. Some keep rooms aside for the likely tour requests, and some offer tour discounts. Occasionally a hotel has requested that I do the booking online, but most have handled it by email. I wouldn't hesitate, most RS hotels are not huge, and I have been unable to reserve for extra nights on occasion.
BTW, I loved that hotel in Florence. If you like the idea of staying in an old castle-like place with a tower overlooking the city you might enjoy it, too.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6041 posts
The Hearth Hotel looks very nice but it is located rather far from the historic center (30 min+ walk to the Pantheon)- in front of Vatican Museum- so not within walking distance of much- you would have to rely on public transportation. It's fine for the tour because your transportation is taken care of.
We always stay near the Pantheon and can walk everywhere from there, have never used public transpo in Rome other than taxi to airport or train station. Rome is so very walkable as long as you stay in the center.
Depends on how many nights you will arrive before tour and what you plan to do in that time but I would suggest looking for a hotel that is a bit more central. While it is nice to not have to change hotels do keep in mind the location and how much time/money you might have to spend on transportation while there.
There are many suggestions here on forum for hotels near Pantheon/Piazza Navonna.
The Hotel Torre Guelfa is perfectly located, would definitely stay there after the tour,
Posted by
OP
8 posts
Thanks for the feedback. If we were to choose a hotel more centrally located in Rome, does anyone have suggestions?
Thanks again,
Posted by
Sapulpa, OK, USA
6289 posts
Email the hotels and tell them you will be on a RS tour staying in those hotels. Ask if there is a Rick Steves discount. Then check the prices on the hotels' websites. Chances are you'll get a better response from the email.
We stayed at the Torre Guelfa in Florence, and loved the location and the rooftop seating area. There's a bar up there, too. As I recall (it's been a long time) the staff and amenities were great, but our room had a very noisy vent fan. And some of our tour mates complained about noisy church bells. We were there for the long-gone Best of Florence tour. After the tour we moved to a much cheaper hotel nearer the Duomo. Most folks opt to stay in the tour hotel for the convenience.
Don't know the Hearth in Rome. It's unusual for one of Rick's tours to stay that far from the center, but the center is still walkable from the Vatican area. Although it does occur to me that on the tour we're taking in 2020, Best of South Italy, the first tour hotel is in Trastevere, not in the center. Still walkable, though.
Enjoy your tour. Italy is a wonderful place to visit. We haven't done this tour, but we have done 5 other RS Italy tours, and are taking another one next year.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6041 posts
I PMd you with some suggestions
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7049 posts
Compare the rates you get either by e-mail, or on a hotel's website, or with Rick's discount (if you get one) with rates on www.booking.com for the same hotel.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6041 posts
And I just got back from Orlando, where I spent a wonderful vacation
in a Villa with my family (you can see it here
https://www.westgateresorts.com). So, I'm very glad that I booked this
particular hotel, because I liked everything about it. And even in the
lobby bar, they made my favorite portuguese cocktail, so I was amazed
at their service. Thus, I can say that I will definitely go back there
again.
What does a resort in Orlando have to do with this thread about Rome/Florence hotels?
reported as spam