I have been lurking for a few weeks, and would like some info on Rome hotels. We are planning our first trip to Italy for this spring. So far my short list is: Hotel Artimede, Napoleon Hotel, and Hotel Artorius.
Must haves: elevator, good A/C, close to bus or Metro. On airfares from EWR, I am finding direct fares of about $1300; book now for late May- early June, or wait? We were considering a EWR-CLT-FCO flight, which is much cheaper, but I have heard US Air has THE most uncomfortable seats, particularly for long hauls. Thanks for your help!
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11780 posts
Nancy:
Palazzo Olivia has apartments that rival hotel rooms for rates. There is an elevator and A/C. A short walk to many bus options and the tram to Trastevere, about a 20 minute walk to the Colosseum Metro stop. http://www.palazzo-olivia.it/ Also check P Olivia out on Trip Advisor. That's how I found it. Laurel
Posted by
Houston, Texas, USA
158 posts
i've had good luck with rick's hotel recs from his books. that said, my upcoming trip to rome, we are staying in an apartment that i found on vrbo.com. we'll save 200 euro over our stay versus a hotel room.
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
I agree with Laurel. We stayed in Palazzo Olivia (apartments) in Sept 2009 & really enjoyed it. The location is perfect & it's down a quiet alley that's literally right around the corner from a bus stop, taxi stand, bank/ATM's, cafe's. It's a few minutes from Piazza Navona & Campo de Fiori & it has all the amenities you're looking for. But, because it's an apartment, you'll also have a little kitchenette & it will be much larger than a hotel room would be. It was nice to have the room to spread out. The A/C works well & it also has ceiling fans which we used at night instead of the A/C. It does have an elevator which is somewhat rare for an apartment building too. As for airfare, I think I would wait a little longer, maybe another month & see what the fares are in January. $1300 seems high to me but I usually travel on points/miles therefore I haven't monitored airfare in a while. Have a wonderful time in Rome. We were there for 5 days and it sill wasn't enough...I'd love to go back!
Posted by
Saugus, MA, USA
48 posts
Hi Nancy...we have booked a small B&B near the Panethon Casa di' Fiore but I don't think it has an elevator. We booked that for 900 euros for the week of June 14. However, I have not yet bought my airfare to Roem yet either. I'm still waiting a bit longer crossing my fingers I can get the fare for a comfortable price for us. Have a great time in Rome.
Posted by
Coraopolis, Pa, USA
1018 posts
I suggest you research venere.com and tripadvisor.com for accurate hotel info. Each site will provide choices, pricing, map locations, and client reviews. As for airfares, buy when you think the prices is right and then DO NOT look back because they will make you crazy. I paid $1573 for roundtrip Pittsburgh-Roma for the end of July on Delta. One strategy you might want to consider is to fly open jaws into one city and return from another. This will eliminate time consuming backtracking and often times they are a little cheaper. Buon viaggio,
Posted by
Randolph, NJ, United States
5 posts
Nancy:
You may want to try flying from Philly to Rome. Rates can be much better.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
I've stayed in both the Hotel Artemide and Hotel Napoleon. Both are very nice hotels with the Artemide being just a bit more upscale and - more expensive. However, the Napoleon has nice rooms, big open lounge spaces for relaxing (not just a bar), THE most unbelieveably nice - bend over backwards - employees, and a metro right at the front door. There is also a restaurant just around the corner from Napoleon called Trattoria Vecchia which was absolutely terrific. Great Italian food and good prices. It's small so the Hotel Napoleon staff called and made reservations for us. I would choose the Napoleon over the Artemide. Hotel Artemide http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d205044-Reviews-Artemide_Hotel-Rome_Lazio.html Hotel Napoleon
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d203085-Reviews-Napoleon_Hotel-Rome_Lazio.html Trattoria Vecchia http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d1584357-Reviews-Trattoria_Vecchia_Roma-Rome_Lazio.html
Posted by
OP
princeton, nj
2 posts
Thank you for the valuable insight and suggestions. I think we will wait a bit on the airfares.
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
Hi Nancy. I would advise waiting on buying tickets. $1,300 seems high to me also, esp. from the East Coast. Take a look at Kayak.com for ticket prices and flights - they give you results starting with the cheapest flights. You could also price tickets out of other nearby cities (New York, Boston) to see if you can find a better deal. And DO NOT fly US Airways if you can help it.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
If you register with Yapta.com, you can have that site automatically email you when prices change. It's a great feature. I've got them monitoring about ten different flights from Seattle to Italy for me. And it's free.
Posted by
Monkton, MD, USA
41 posts
Aer Lingus to Italy? We're going back to the boot in March and found RT AF from JFK for $700 PP.
We'll be laying over in Dublin but the layover is not a long one and we're still in Rome in the AM.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Most airlines have much lower pricing to Italy if you travel before March 30. After that, the rates are MUCH higher.