Hotel in Rome...

jennifer, Have a look at Hotel Sonya or Hotel Aberdeen, both very comfortable hotels in the Termini area. The walk to the station from either one is about 10 minutes. You could also look at The Beehive, which is more of a Hostel. It's usually booked up well in advance. Happy travels!

I have never stayed at the Aberdeen, but second Ken's recommendation about Hotel Sonya. I stayed there in May on a Rick Steves tour and enjoyed it. Do be aware that the single rooms are t-i-n-y if anyone in your group is traveling solo. Breakfast was very nice, I liked the location and there is an elevator. We walked to the Colosseum/Forum area as well as the Piazza Navona/Pantheon/Trevi Fountain. It is a pretty short walk to the Termini. It was pretty hot while I was in Rome and I did use the AC in my room which worked pretty well.

Jennifer, I have stayed at the Aberdeen 2 times and will stay again in September. You will not be disappointed. It is close to the train station and across from government buildings. Very safe. The breakfast is good and the accommodation are comfortable and clean. I thnk you can get a room for $150.00 double, per night. Have a great trip and let me know what you think. Regards,
Lorie

I stayed at the Hotel Gambrinus, also near Termini and enjoyed it. There are also several hostels near Termini that have private room options that would be within your budget. I stayed at the Freedom Traveller and thought it was clean.

Over the years we have used both Aberdeen and Sonya. Wife prefers Sonya because she thinks the lattes are better but the difference is very small. Sonya is a little closer to Termini. Have also use Contila which is closer but really good for a quick over night stay.

Jenn, We stayed at the Albergo Chiara RIGHT BEHIND the Pantheon! It was fabulous. This was May of 2013, we booked day of arrival, it was our last stop on a 23 day Italian trip that got knocked off course. I asked for best rate over the phone when we got to Rome Termini train station, then told the receptionist I was using a Rick Steve's guide and she LOWERED the rate I'd already said yes to! Fantastic! (If memory serves, about €170/night, big breakfast included) The location is an 8 minute cab ride from train, 35 min cab to airport (it was early morning, pre-traffic!) and was less,than 20 minutes walk to Spanish Steps, Colloseum, even closer (8 minutes) to Trevi Fountain, Piazza Novena (try Cul de Sac,(think it was One block northwest) just outside the piazza for a wine selection like you've never seen and delicious food!! We probably could've walked to Vatican City, but did the €12 cab ride. http://www.albergosantachiara.com/
Have a great trip!!

Let me add for Santa Chiara: comfy beds, nice sized rooms, inner courtyard rooms, windows facing trees in courtyard, so just birds, no street noise, a.c. , nice big showers and tubs with LOTS of hot water ( even some big brand names we stayed didn't have sufficient hot water). I'd stay again for sure.

I took have stayed on the RS tour at the Hotel Aberdeen and liked it very much. It had a nice breakfast room and a very good breakfast. I am going back on the RS Rome tour this Sept and we are staying there again. Hotel is in the RS Rome book. Take a look at this hotel. Have a great trip.

We stayed at Hotel Smeraldo in Rome and were very happy with it. It has a small rooftop terrace where you can look over the roofs of Rome. We woke up each morning the the smell of fresh bread coming from the bakery outside our window. It is in the Campo de Fiori area, which is in the heart of Rome, so we were able to walk almost everywhere. There is an open farmer's market a few blocks down from the hotel, and every morning we went there to get fresh fruit. The same square is alive with activity in the evening--people eating dinner or gelato, or just socializing. You can look on the Hotel Smeraldo website for prices, but when we went, it was very reasonable, especially considering it comes with a generous continental breakfast. It was also in a very safe part of town, and if you need a ride to the airport, they have a company they contract with. Have a wonderful trip!

Albergo del Senato. Incredible location smack in the middle of the historic Barogue district. The Pantheon is right outside the hotel! Walking distance to just about everything. We really loved it.

Have rented apartments on the last several visits to Rome but have also stayed at Hotel Smeraldo and could recommend it. Great location, wonderful air conditioning for a summer visit and a nice breakfast too.

When did Hotel Smeraldo get ac? We stayed there in June 2005, there was no ac and it was hot and miserable. Tiny, dark, claustrophobic "double" room. Shower so tiny you touched all four walls when taking a shower. If you ped the soap, you couldn't pick it up.. lol. Terrible breakfast in dark, depressing breakfast room in basement.. guess that's why people recommend the bakery nearby. Guy at reception was awful. Went on a rant one night about how much he hated American tourists. Would never stay there again. Stayed at the Albergo del Senato that allison mentions on our second visit to Rome and loved it. Huge rooms, huge bathrooms, great breakfast, rooftop terrace w/bar, free computer w/internet in lobby, and fabulous location looking right out onto the Pantheon and square. Looking out our two large windows onto the Pantheon at night, all lit up, was so special and worth every penny.. it's a view I will never forget. They also had a large basket of fruit and cookies waiting for us when we checked into our room. Highly recommend it.

I can only speak of our July 2006 stay at the Smeraldo and yes the rooms were quite small but the Smeraldo had what I call real air conditioning. The kind we have here in the U.S.and probably some of the best we have ever had in Europe as we needed blankets when we went to bed. Did not experience any rudeness from any of the staff.

Janet, it was just that one guy and I'm sure he's gone.. probably the very next day, lol, but all in all it wasn't a pleasant stay for us. Maybe our room didn't have ac for some reason? All I know is we didn't have it and couldn't sleep it was so hot and miserable. Loved Rome though!

I stayed in the Hotel Sonya with a Rick Steves trip and then switched to the Hotel Contila - about 4 blocks away and very close to the Main Train Station. Moved to Contila because the Sonya was full and we were staying 2 more nights in Rome. I think the location of both of these is ideal. The Contila is a bit cheaper than the Sonya.
I think I paid $110 for a single and my friends paid about $140 for a double. But I'm not certain on the prices - trying to recall from memory.....LOL