My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
never been to Europe before.
We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
$300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
a separate bedroom.

In news:[email protected],
Brian <[email protected]> typed:
> My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
> never been to Europe before.
> We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
> top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
> where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
> not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
> We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
> $300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
> a separate bedroom.

This is a wonderful hotel in a historic area, but may not be what you had in
mind - http://www.htlsantamaria.com/english/index.htm.. It's across the
river from the ruins, etc, but there is a charming tram to get you on the
other side.

"Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
> never been to Europe before.
> We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
> top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
> where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
> not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
> We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
> $300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
> a separate bedroom.

Most any central hotel will be near the historic areas.

In news:[email protected] ink.net,
Calif Bill <[email protected]> typed:
> "Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
>> never been to Europe before.
>> We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not
>> on top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized
>> rooms where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but
>> hopefully not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
>> We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
>> $300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite
>> with a separate bedroom.
>
> Most any central hotel will be near the historic areas.

But most won't have decent sized rooms, for one thing.

Try using venere.com. the areas are layed out. triples cost extra.
$300 is ?200, which is not much. when using venere.com, look at the
hotels that do not book on line, and b&b's and stuff like that.

On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 19:43:11 -0500, Brian <[email protected]>
wrote:

>My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
>never been to Europe before.
>We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
>top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
>where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
>not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
>We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
>$300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
>a separate bedroom.

"Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
> never been to Europe before.
> We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
> top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
> where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
> not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
> We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
> $300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
> a separate bedroom.

More than ample budget, I'd have thought.
Just use, maybe, the Forum as your central radial point and pick the best
hotel, working down financially if necessary.
We paid half that last May - but not up to that standard, obviously.

Surreyman

Brian wrote:
>My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will
>be in Rome in August. I've never been to
>Europe before.
>We are looking for a nice hotel near
>historic areas, preferably not on top of a
>high hill with nothing around it. We want
>decent sized rooms where the staff is at
>least fairly friendly and helpful but
>hopefully not in a hotel that we could find
>anywhere. We'd appreciate suggestions.
>Less if we can find it but $300-$400/night
>for each room or double that if it's a real
>suite with a separate bedroom.

Well the good news is that it will be 'low season', the bad news is it
will be hot.

I've never been there in the Summer but from reading many posts over
the years you will want a hotel with AC.
And not just a hotel that claims to have AC. So I would go with 1st
hand accounts of people who have stayed there in the hot summer months.
Tripadvisor.com is a good place for 1st hand reviews and I recall
venere.com also has a customer review site.

The Fodors' Forums www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2 is a
good place to search and if you register you can post also try
slowtrav.com.


So I take it you want to pass on a Triple Room and either go with a
Double & Single or a Suite.
With a price range *at this moment* of ?230 to ?307 but lets call
it 225-300.
And decent sized rooms with a local/historic flavor (not a chain-type
hotel) in the historic center.
Plus I assume you will want an ensuite (bathroom) and perhaps an
elevator and breakfast?
I would also post on those other forums and mention exactly what you
said here plus anything else you require.

Now you might find exactly what you are looking for but you might have
to compromise on some things because of price.
As you know you will pay for the location if right *in* the historic
center plus 2 rooms or a suite will cost more.
If you stay just outside the historic center you could get the same
type of hotel or even nicer for less money.

Try emailing this hotel which gets *alot* of rave reviews on Fodors and
see what the rooms go for. The location is excellent.
www.albergodelsenato.it/
http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d191099-Reviews-Albergo_Del_Senato-Rome_Lazio.html
OR http://tinyurl.com/yblsvo

The only hotel I can personally recommend on the low end of your budget
is right across the street from the Roman Forum.
It is very nice 2* hotel but not everything you would be looking for
and I don't know about the AC.
www.hotelromano.com
Regards, Walter



..And Paradise Was Lost...like teardrops in the rain...

"Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
> never been to Europe before.
> We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
> top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
> where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
> not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
> We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
> $300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
> a separate bedroom.

I would suggest going to http://www.slowtrav.com/ and looking under
"Italy" and "Hotels" in "What You Will Find in This Section". Good Luck

Neil

"Poetic Justice" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Brian wrote:
>My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will
>be in Rome in August. I've never been to
>Europe before.
>We are looking for a nice hotel near
>historic areas, preferably not on top of a
>high hill with nothing around it. We want
>decent sized rooms where the staff is at
>least fairly friendly and helpful but
>hopefully not in a hotel that we could find
>anywhere. We'd appreciate suggestions.
>Less if we can find it but $300-$400/night
>for each room or double that if it's a real
>suite with a separate bedroom.

Well the good news is that it will be 'low season', the bad news is it
will be hot.

I've never been there in the Summer but from reading many posts over
the years you will want a hotel with AC.
And not just a hotel that claims to have AC. So I would go with 1st
hand accounts of people who have stayed there in the hot summer months.
Tripadvisor.com is a good place for 1st hand reviews and I recall
venere.com also has a customer review site.

The Fodors' Forums www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2 is a
good place to search and if you register you can post also try
slowtrav.com.


So I take it you want to pass on a Triple Room and either go with a
Double & Single or a Suite.
With a price range *at this moment* of ?230 to ?307 but lets call
it 225-300.
And decent sized rooms with a local/historic flavor (not a chain-type
hotel) in the historic center.
Plus I assume you will want an ensuite (bathroom) and perhaps an
elevator and breakfast?
I would also post on those other forums and mention exactly what you
said here plus anything else you require.

Now you might find exactly what you are looking for but you might have
to compromise on some things because of price.
As you know you will pay for the location if right *in* the historic
center plus 2 rooms or a suite will cost more.
If you stay just outside the historic center you could get the same
type of hotel or even nicer for less money.

Try emailing this hotel which gets *alot* of rave reviews on Fodors and
see what the rooms go for. The location is excellent.
www.albergodelsenato.it/
http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d191099-Reviews-Albe
rgo_Del_Senato-Rome_Lazio.html
OR http://tinyurl.com/yblsvo

The only hotel I can personally recommend on the low end of your budget
is right across the street from the Roman Forum.
It is very nice 2* hotel but not everything you would be looking for
and I don't know about the AC.
www.hotelromano.com
Regards, Walter

Yep - I didn't notice 'August' - probably Rome's worst month for heat and
humidity!

Surreyman

>p.s.

Brian, You also might want to research this hotel
www.dellatorreargentina.com/

Not as popular as many in that central area but I have heard some good
things about it over the years IIRC.

The Suite rate drops to ?265 in August from ?412 and a Double &
Single would run ?250 total. Regards, Walter



..And Paradise Was Lost...like teardrops in the rain...

On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 19:43:11 -0500, Brian <[email protected]>
wrote:

>My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
>never been to Europe before.
>We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
>top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
>where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
>not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
>We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
>$300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
>a separate bedroom.

I have stayed several times in the Arenula, which for location is
pretty much unbeatable. It's within walking distance of all the
ancient Roman sites, but also is within walking distance of
Trastevere, the Spanish steps, and Vatican City. (I consider half an
hour's walk to be walking distance.)

This hotel is well below your price limit, and I wouldn't want to
suggest that it's luxurious. It's an unpretentious 2 star hotel, but a
much nicer hotel than this would lead you to believe. It doesn't have
an elevator, which disqualifies it from 3 star status. The reception
desk is up one flight of steps from the entrance. If one person waits
with the luggage, another can go upstairs to request help carrying it
up.

The staff are cordial and helpful, the bathrooms are modern and
spacious, and the air conditioning is functional. Breakfast is
included in the price, but it's not much of a breakfast. (I haven't
stayed there in the past two years, so maybe it's improved.)

My sister, brother-in-law and their 17-year-old son stayed in this
hotel when they came to visit me, and they got a triple room rather
than a double and a single. This was a nice room with a terrace
outside. The terrace had no view, but it was a nice place to sit in
the evening. I don't know if other triples have a terrace.

The hotel is located on a very narrow street in the neighborhood of
the former Jewish Ghetto. There are plenty of good restaurants in the
vicinity. It's very near both the Campo dei Fiori, the Theatre of
Marcellus, and the ancient Roman excavations of Largo Argentina. There
are several busses and trams that pass by the end of the narrow
street.

Here is the web site of the hotel:

http://www.hotelarenula.com/indexen.htm

Note that the prices they show are from 2005. Perhaps they haven't
changed, but I wouldn't count on it. August is low season, though, and
there are often discounts. It's true, as someone else pointed out,
that Rome can be hot in August. However, it's no hotter than
Philadelphia, and not as hot as Washington. You should definitely get
a hotel with air conditioning.

I agree that you should read the reviews on Tripadvisor for any hotel
before you make a reservation. Here are the reviews for the Arenula:

http://tinyurl.com/yklo4e

(That urine-soaked mattress review sounds suspicious to me.)
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

"Otter" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In news:[email protected] ink.net,
> Calif Bill <[email protected]> typed:
>> "Brian" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
>>> never been to Europe before.
>>> We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not
>>> on top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized
>>> rooms where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but
>>> hopefully not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
>>> We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
>>> $300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite
>>> with a separate bedroom.
>>
>> Most any central hotel will be near the historic areas.
>
> But most won't have decent sized rooms, for one thing.
>


We had decent sized rooms about 2 blocks from the Opera house. Nice place
and was about 120E per night via Venere. 2 years ago.

Deeply Filled Mortician <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu>
wrote:

[]
> I really, really recommend getting up nice and early and go exploring,
> spending the middle of the day back at the hotel, and go back out
> after about 5 in the afternoon. That is a part of the day you don't
> need to see in August.

I thought you'd spent time in hot countries? First time I visited Rome
was just after midday in mid-August. It was fine for me- indeed, it
seemed a good choice as other tourists had 'wilted' a bit. I was used to
east coast US summers at the time. Now? I'd probably wilt- I haven't
experienced an uncomfortably hot day anywhere I've travelled for
years... I think Bangkok at the start of 2000 was probably the worst...

--
(*) ... of the royal duchy of city south and deansgate
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
(don't email yahoo address) usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk

Let is be knownst that on Sat, 06 Jan 2007 19:43:11 -0500, Brian
<[email protected]> writted:

>My wife, 21 year old daughter and I will be in Rome in August. I've
>never been to Europe before.
>We are looking for a nice hotel near historic areas, preferably not on
>top of a high hill with nothing around it. We want decent sized rooms
>where the staff is at least fairly friendly and helpful but hopefully
>not in a hotel that we could find anywhere.
>We'd appreciate suggestions. Less if we can find it but
>$300-$400/night for each room or double that if it's a real suite with
>a separate bedroom.

August in Rome? It'll be red hot and packed with tourists.

Fortunately, with that amount of money you will be able to find a good
hotel in a good area.

I really, really recommend getting up nice and early and go exploring,
spending the middle of the day back at the hotel, and go back out
after about 5 in the afternoon. That is a part of the day you don't
need to see in August.

http://www.venere.com/ is an excellent site that I, and a number of
others here recommend.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Let is be knownst that on Sun, 7 Jan 2007 23:15:49 +0000,
[email protected] (David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*)) writted:

>Deeply Filled Mortician <deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu>
>wrote:
>
>[]
>> I really, really recommend getting up nice and early and go exploring,
>> spending the middle of the day back at the hotel, and go back out
>> after about 5 in the afternoon. That is a part of the day you don't
>> need to see in August.
>
>I thought you'd spent time in hot countries? First time I visited Rome
>was just after midday in mid-August. It was fine for me- indeed, it
>seemed a good choice as other tourists had 'wilted' a bit. I was used to
>east coast US summers at the time. Now? I'd probably wilt- I haven't
>experienced an uncomfortably hot day anywhere I've travelled for
>years... I think Bangkok at the start of 2000 was probably the worst...

Rome sucks in summer because all the stone soaks up the heat, and you
have few places to escape from it. Personally I don't mind the heat
much, but listening to others complain drives me nuts.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--