Non-touristy hotel suggestions for 1 adult 2 older kids in Rome?

Hey there! Any specific cities or parts of Italy you have in mind?

Whoops, sorry, Rome, updated post.

I cannot offer a I suggestion, but have to wonder if what you want exists, within a practical commuting distance.
Most hotels will be geared to either the business traveler and be in the business district. Probably not the "authentic and relaxing" you seek.. The other hotels will be geared toward tourists and therefore nearer the tourist sites.

Hopefully a more knowledgeable responder will be more helpful.

Sorry, but everything in Rome, in terms of lodging, is tourist oriented. There are some quieter spots but they are outside the zone you want to be in for convenience. Maybe a B&B is your best bet as they are more personal and at least you might be hosted by the owner. Look in Prati, which is the area near the Vatican and less-touristy in that many Romans call it home as well. Prati is well-connected via tram, bus, and Metro.

Wanted to add that if you get out into the neighborhoods (i.e., Parioli, where we lived for a few years) you are too far from the center where you will want to spend most of your time. We saw a lot of people choose Parioli hotels and then spend 45-60 minutes each way on public trans to get to the sights.

Thanks, I am looking at the Prati area right now to see what there is. I would say that booking lodging has been the most difficult part of planning this Europe trip. Things like transportation and sights are pretty much time/cost, where you stay adds a lot of variables in terms of location, cleanliness, number of people, feel of the area. Having never been to any of these cities before it is quite difficult. I have been wondering if someone from Europe coming to the US would feel the same.

Location Location Location. Always the most important factor. Pay a little more to be where you need to be anywhere in the world.

Backing up Laurel here: as a former, temporary resident, she knows Rome far better than those of us who've just spent tourist time there. Accommodations in the center - where you're going to want to be - are geared to tourists and/or traveling business folk. Italians travel to Rome too, and have their own individual preferences for amenities and whatnot so I wouldn't worry about whether a hotel is "authentic" or not. Book according to reviews, price and amenities and location which will make YOUR stay convenient and comfortable. Remember that you're likely only going to be in your room to sleep and shower!

We've stayed in the Prati area and will absolutely agree that it's a fine location for what you're looking for: fairly residential enough, on the edge of the main tourist action but with good transport connections and walkability to quite a few places of interest. Shoot, we walked ALL over Rome from there on that trip without taking transport for our sightseeing even once!

Rome is an international city, it's top-5 worldwide for tourism, the areas where you want to visit, are also going to be catering to those from out of town visiting all the historical and cultural hot-spots. Besides budgetary considerations, you want to also consider proximity to destinations, transportation options to those destinations and possibly food options if that's apart of your interests.

If you're trying to get away from large tour groups, than steer away from the large hotels, they cater to those all-inclusive, flag/umbrulla-led amoeba-type groups. If you're looking to get a glimpse of local life, perhaps you should consider renting a AirBnB apartment. I've rented several, one was near Termini Station which was great for dumping bags after the train ride, the restaurants I wanted to hit were a bit further than I liked. Another was near Pizza Barbarini, one block off the main drag, the building was over 300-yrs old but, quiet, and accessible to Barbarini metro station; Spanish steps was a 10-minute walk away, Trevi Fountain was another 10-min walk, Pantheon and Pizza Navona was another 10-min walk. Prati is a fine neighborhood, its an upscale residential area, it's away from the Centro Storico but, near the Vatican.

I spent 6 nights in an apartment near the Prati area and the Vatican in 2016. I can vouch for the area being pretty low key, even with St. Peter's so close. Unfortunately, both the holiday apartments hosted by that owner are for 2 adults only.

Depending on the kids' ages, they may be counted as adults. And depending on how long you plan to stay, an apartment might be the best solution for your family.

Try Booking.com for your search. You can filter the results in all kinds of ways to suit your needs. Note that if you target apartments, stars mean nothing because they aren't typically rated that way. Stick with reviewer scores. In fact, I check 8+, limit by price and ignore the stars for all lodgings.

I also considered the Trastevere area, but found the apartments to be more expensive and reviews that complained of noise. When I visited the area and had dinner there on a Saturday night, I was very glad I rented where I did. It was a zoo, largely populated by drunken revelers.

I found a couple of nice looking places in the Prati area on booking.com that are either an apartment or guesthouse, basically the whole place for a good price. Going to show them to the kids and see what they think, trying to get them involved/excited. I checked out Airbnb and there are a few options, the ones I am more interested in cost more than the ones I found on booking.com. I am also a little hesitant to go with an Airbnb due to safety concerns, I'm sure most are fine as long as I pick a superhost with good ratings but still just kinda seems uncomfortable, never done one before plus with my kids even less inclined but maybe I'm just being overly concerned.

What would be unsafe about an airbnb apartment with a superhost?

Keep in mind, booking.com is a third-party booking site. It is not a directly booking with those locations, should there be an overbooking or, a conflict...guests who've booked through their respective site will get priortiy. The same applies to airline flights booked via Expedia, Travelocity, etc..