Hi ljmoriarty and everyone,
It truly was an awesome trip! We are so happy we went!
For Rome, we stayed at Hotel 87 (https://www.87hotel.com/en/index). The location was great, as it was close to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps not too far from the Pantheon and plenty of shopping. The hotel was also very close to the Barberini subway stop.
Hotel 87, classified as a 4 star, in Rome was very clean, modern, and had a small, but very adequate breakfast included in the price. The hotel also had a nice rooftop bar and lounge. The only con was the street noise, but that was expected, as it's on a busy road. I do recommend this hotel, as long as you don't mind some street noise.
For the Cinque Terre, we actually stayed in Santa Margherita Ligure at the Hotel Laurin which is about 45 +/- minutes north of the Cinque Terre. We are happy we stayed here, as it was a larger town, but still quaint and it was much less busy than the Cinque Terre.
The Hotel Laurin (https://www.laurinhotel.it/en/), which is classified as a 4 star hotel had a wonderful view of the water with a large terrace. We have 4 people in our family and we booked a family room, which was tight, but it had a large bed for my wife and I, along with 2 single beds for our kids. The room was modern/clean, helpful staff, and a nice breakfast, which for us was not included, but they may have a package that included it, not sure. We REALLY enjoyed the small, but relaxing rooftop pool at the Hotel Laurin. I highly recommend this hotel and the town of Santa Margherita Ligure!
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks,
Mike