Rome: Residenza Santa Maria/now Residenza San Calisto

Posted by Jennifer (Cleveland, OH, USA) on 12/27/16 05:28 PM

Hello,

My husband and I are planning our second visit to Rome... we were last there in 2012 and stayed in Trastevere, which we loved. We are looking to stay in the same area and are considering booking the Rick Steves-recommended Residenza Santa Maria. However, it looks like there has been a change of name since the 2015 RS guidebook was published - it is now Residenza San Calisto. Does anyone know if there have been other changes that might affect the great recommendations for this place? They offer just what we are looking for (apartment-style accomodation in Trastevere) but I want to make sure I'm not making a big mistake, and I don't totally trust certain other Very Popular Travel Review Websites. :) Thanks in advance!

Posted by Becky

seattle

12/27/16 05:41 PM

2157 posts

If it's the same hotel, I'd trust it will be as nice, especially if it gets good reviews.

Posted by crooney55

01/01/17 04:41 PM

283 posts

I'm a bit perplexed -- we stayed at the Hotel SantaMaria (which looks exactly like the Residenza Santa Maria./San Calisto), as recommended by Rick - and loved it. It has a great location, good breakfast and small but adequate rooms -- but was not an apartment, with cooking or other facilities. If you are looking for a small, quaint hotel in a wonderful location in Trastevere, this is perfect - but not if you are looking for more apartment-style amenities.

PS
Curiously, we will likely be in Rome next fall, after spending several weeks on a cruise and then touring Eastern Europe, so I'll want to make my own dinner by the time we reach Rome. I've just started to look for apartments and am struggling. Wish me luck!

Posted by Jennifer OP

Cleveland, OH, USA

01/01/17 06:44 PM

6 posts

crooney55: To clarify, there seems to be one property adjacent to or just down the block from the larger hotel that is an apartment. I found it both on the hotel website and Expedia.com, you may want to look into it! (we are waiting to confirm dates before booking anything, but I think it looks really nice).

Posted by crooney55

01/01/17 10:23 PM

283 posts

Thank you so much! We loved the hotel - and will now check the apartment!

Posted by crooney55

01/01/17 10:43 PM

283 posts

Jennifer, I think that there may be a difference between the Hotel Santa Maria and the Rezidenza, which is evidently located across the Tiber in the Jewish Quarter at Via del Portico d'Ottavia 13) -- based on the following comment from Expedia -

"Put us in a different section of Rome

Posted Dec 4, 2015
We reserved the 2 bedroom without any knowledge that this was in a completely different facility located in a different section of Rome - not Trastevere. They emailed me a week before my stay giving me an address to meet their representative. Not knowing Rome, I had no idea that the apartment was not in the Residenza. The dark, dank, borderline disgusting apartment - not in the middle of the nightlife and restaurants found in Trastevere - virtually ruined our time in Rome. What a disaster."

It might be helpful (for us both!) to clarify precisely where the apartment may be...