hi awesome travel friends, can anyone recommend hotels in the areas of val gardena/ castelrotto areas as well as venice, florence, and rome? we prefer friendly family run places (with decent beds!), but anything that you would consider friendly will do. we aren't the 1% and aren't totally broke just outta high school kids either. approx 40 yo, middle class, fun, athletic folks. we wanna hike and mtn bike in the dolomites, see the uffizi, take a bike ride in tuscany, and, of course see rome. i know rick steves recommends staying near the historic center - so... if anyone has been and knows where they would stay again, we would appreciate the help. going to book in the next week for a mid september trip. thanks in advance for everyone's kind help. we appreciate it.
Posted by
southington
64 posts
Stayed at Dei Mori B & B in Florence last October. It is RS Italy 2011. It is a 5 min. walk to the Uffizzi and the Duomo. Located on a quite pedestrian street. Lovely rooms and public area. Excellant host. (we were welcomed with a glass of Prosecco). The cost was 125 euros ensuite double incl. breakfast. It is up about two flights of stairs, but worth it.
Posted by
Oakhurst, CA, USA
101 posts
I loved Locanda Orseolo in Venice. All of the great reviews on TripAdvisor are completely true. The staff work so well with each other and pay personal attention to each guest. They have opulant, comfortable rooms. I'm aching to go back.
Posted by
NYC area
2914 posts
Hi Tracy, Only place we stayed in the Val Gardena was the Garni Ariston in St. Christina. We would stay there again. Since the 3 towns/villages of the Val Gardena (Ortisei, St, Christina, Selva) are only about 5 minutes from one to the next (St. Christina being in the middle), any makes for a good place to base. www.garniariston.com www.val-gardena.com www.worldisround.com/articles/351565/index.html Paul
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
If you don't have the RS Italy book yet, you really should get it. His lodging recommendations for all price ranges are really good. Otherwise this kind of broad request can be like drinking from a firehose. Another lodging resource is booking.com and venere.com. They are based on reviews done only by people who have actually stayed at the hotels/B&Bs through their websites. No fake reviews like you might find in tripadvisor. You can sort by guest ratings, restrict it to certain price ranges and display only those places that have availability. You've waited a little long to book for mid-September, so that might be a helpful feature. Also, be sure to do a Google Maps Streetview of the neighborhood before booking any lodging. That saved us from staying right above a McDonald's once. Happy travels.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16397 posts
If Paul's suggestion of Garni Ariston does not work for you, you might look at Villa Martha, also in St. Cristina. Or for gorgeous views and direct access to hiking and mountain biking, stay up on Alpe di Siusi. Hotel Zorzi and Pension Seelaus are both small, family-run, and friendly. You will want to take half board at the hotel if you stay up there, as there aren't really any restaurants open in the evenings. Many places in the Dolomites have minimum stay requirements 3 nights to a full week) but they might not apply in September. Locanda Orseola in Venice is a great suggestion but they may be already booked. Try there first and come back for more suggestions if they are full. In Firenze, we really enjoyed our stay at Casa Tintori, a small B&B near the river and Ponti Vecchio. The old building has been beautifully restored. No views, however.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11363 posts
Hi Tracy, In Rome, if you are here for 3 or more nights, you might enjoy an apartment. When we traveled here prior to moving, we loved this place http://www.romerentalapartments.it/argentina-holiday-rome-rental-apartment. VRBO.com lists many including Argentina House as well. This is a GREAT location, 5 minutes from Camp dei Fiori on foot, and a major transportation hub.