Recommends a hotel for my Italy Trip please!

[SB621]

Hi Everyone,
I'm going to Italy for 10 days in May. Specifically I'm going to Rome, Florence and Venice. I'm looking for different hotel stays in each city so I would love some feedback! We are going with another couple who are on a tighter budget then us so any hotels that are on the cheaper side but still comfortable would be great.

Rome- I want something close to the city center so I'm well within walking distance to major sites, places to eat, shopping etc. But at the same time I want to keep this budget friendly under $150 a night if possible.
Florence- no special request. Just something comfortable and budget friendly.
Venice- I want a romantic hotel on the water...dont' have a budget for this hotel as it will just be the two of us.

TIA!

 

[Amys Bling]

Hmm look into Hotel Victoria- its on via Veneto and walkable to Spanish steps and trevi fountain. It's in a strip of commercialized restaurants but off the strip you can find more authentic dining.

 

[imitcan]

I will be going in either July or August with my DH and my teenagers, for no more than 2 weeks. I would love to read some advice on reasonably priced places to stay and on things that we must do and see. Any advice really, would be greatly appreciated. I did find some older threads on travelling to Italy and they were worth reading. Nice to know that some pricescopers are familiar with "La Bella Italia"!

 

[ViolaDiamante]

May is the perfect time to go, the weather will be great! I lived in Florence for a year, so I know the city pretty well. I have only stayed in Rome twice, and both hotel experiences were nothing to recommend. Same with Venice, the hotel I've stayed in there was nothing exciting, but there was a hotel that has caught my eye several times.

In Florence, Hotel Pitti Palace is very nice for the price and for european standards. My dad stayed here while visiting me, and I believe they've done some remodeling since. The location is also excellent, only a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio. It's on the South side of the river, which a lot of people don't explore too much, but I think this area is great. A slightly less touristy feel, but still very close to everything you'd want to see.
http://pittipalace.hotelinfirenze.com/

A more spendy hotel across the street, which overlooks the river is Hotel Lungarno. My family stayed here for our wedding and we got a really good price on the rooms in November, but that is probably less likely in May, but you could check it out.
http://www.lungarnocollection.com/en/the-collection/florence/hotel-lungarno/5-stars-hotel-in-florence/

A hotel that has always caught my eye in Venice is the Bauer Il Palazzo. The location is great, and it overlooks the Grand Canal. I haven't stayed here so I can't speak for the rooms and the service, but it's where I plan to stay if I ever overnight in Venice again.
http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury-hotels/venice/bauer-il-palazzo

Oops, I lied. The hotel I was thinking of in Venice is the Bauer Hotel (better location on the water)
http://www.fivestaralliance.com/luxury-hotels/venice/bauer-hotel


I also have my list of favorite restaurants in Florence, etc, if you want any recommendations for stuff like that

PS This is my first post, but I've been lurking forever - I'm nervous!

 

[SB621]

Viola!

Thank you so much for the recommendations! Please I would love to have more recommendations for things to do and places to eat at while in Florence! Thanks so much and welcome to PS!

 

[Jen_91909]

My husband and I fell in love with a restaurant called "Il Barocchio" in Florence. We ate dinner there twice it was so wonderful - and completely affordable. A bit off the beaten path (meaning side streets, not distance-wise) and not touristy at all. I highly recommend it. It was by far the best food we had in Florence.

As for hotels, we rented apartments in Rome, Florence & Venice that we got through vacation rentals by owner (VRBO.com). It's definitely not for everyone but we absolutely loved doing it this way.
Our apartment in Rome was in Trastevere. I highly recommend you walk to Trastevere for dinner at least one night while in Rome, I promise it will be worth it.

 

[imitcan]

Yes, ditto for me. I would love to know your favourite places to eat in Florence and the things that you would recommend we do while there. Thanks Viola and anyone else who has any information regarding travelling in Italy.

 

[MishB]

We stayed here on our last trip to Venice, we were lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite overlooking the Grande Canal. It was simply divine, I didn't want to leave.

http://www.hotelcanalgrande.it/

 

[ViolaDiamante]

Thanks for the welcome everyone!

If you're interested in trying bisteccha alla fiorentina, Cambi, http://www.anticoristorodicambi.it/ , is one of the best/most famous for this. I'm a vegetarian, so I haven't eaten the steak here, but this is the restaurant my husband recommends.

A great place for lunch that I always try to eat at is Gusta Panino. I can't find a website, but its located in the Piazza Santo Spirito, right in front of the church. Address: Via de' Michelozzi 13. They have really good panini, much better than you'll find near the Duomo or station. You can get a panino and sit on the steps of the church, or do more of a sit down. If I remember correctly, they have split the restaurant into two sections, one for ordering panini to go and one to sit down at. They also have other pastas and risotto on the menu.

There's another restaurant in the Piazza Santo Spirito that we used to eat at a lot, Borgo Antico. http://www.borgoanticofirenze.com/ Its good for dinners, and if I remember, reasonably priced. The Santo Spirito and Pitti Palace area has a lot of restaurants that are pretty good, and I think any restaurant you find on Borgo San Jacapo (the street between the Ponte Vecchio and the next bridge down) will be pretty good. Some are more spendy and overlook the river, etc, and some are just good food.

My favorite pizza place closed, and my replacement is outside the center, but I found this pizza place that looks really good and has Napolitan style pizza : http://www.ovesuviofirenze.com/pizzeria-o-vesuvio-firenze-centro-storico/guarda-sulla-mappa-dove-siamo.html
I always found good pizza hard to find in a lot of the restaurants in the center; I've been served frozen pizzas more than once.

My favorite gelato place, Gelateria Medici, is outside the center, and not near anything else of interest, so while I recommend it and go out of my way to eat there when I'm in town, you probably won't want to take a cab just to try the gelato. So my second recommendation is the Gelateria Santa Trinita, http://www.gelateriasantatrinita.it/index_ing.html , which is on the corner one bridge down from the Ponte Vecchio and you can get the gelato and then hang out on the bridge and people watch and take pictures with the Ponte Vecchio in the background. There is also a small fresh fruit shop around the corner on Borgo San Jacapo that I like to get fruit and do the same thing.

There's two famous (coffee) bars in the Piazza de Repubblica, Giubbe Rosse and Paszkowski. At either of these you can get a meal or just have a coffee and relax. Also, in the Rinascente department store in the same piazza, there is a rooftop restaurant. The menu is limited (more of a deli) and a bit overpriced for what it is, but the view is great, and the experience is a little different than other options.

I thought more about the hotels, and my only other advice is to avoid the station area (noisy , kinda gross) and the Via Nazionale (noisy, sketchy, and gross) both areas are safe enough, I just wouldn't stay near there if I had a choice.

As far as things to do, hit all the major museums (pre order tickets to the Uffizi, there will for sure be long lines in May, and even with the preordered tickets, sometimes you have to wait in line), "hike" to the Piazale Michelangelo, its actually only about 15 minutes on foot from the Ponte Vechio, and check out the San Lorenzo market. A good place to buy tshirts, and you can get the good pashminas for like, 15 euro. (There's cheaper ones too, but the edges aren't finished, etc) The Santa Croce church is really interesting, more interesting than the Duomo I think. Everything in Florence is walkable, sometimes on a map things look far apart, but in reality are only a few blocks apart. I get really excited when other people visit Florence - Have fun! We'll also be there in May, I'm getting excited thinking about the food and shopping!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

We will also be in Italy in May--so thanks for the Florence restaurant tips! (we fly into Florence, but are staying in Sienna).

cheers--Sharon

 

[miraclesrule]

This hotel was our favorite in Rome..especially for the price, the location, and the amazing breakfast that we didn't even know came with the price.

http://www.hotelbramante.com/eng/index.php

In Florence we stayed at a B&B run by a woman and her daughter. It is up in the Tuscany hills, but well worth the isolation even if you have to catch the one bus that will take you into the city.

I wish I remember the name of the quaint little place while in Venice. The owner recommended a spot for dinner and to this day, it is still the best carbonara sauce I have ever eaten.

Rick Steves books have the best reccomendations....

Have fun on your trip!!!

 

[Matata]

Hotel Santa Maria is where we stayed when we married in Rome 6 yrs ago. It's a renovated cloister in Trastevere. Lovely place and within 10 minutes walk of the historical centre of Rome.

 

[AN0NYM0US]

We always stay at Hotel Palladium: http://www.hotelpalladiumpalace.it/

it's very close (400m) to the termini station and central to most attractions. Rooms range from 60Euros - 200Euros per night. The junior Suite (200Euro) is huge for Rome standards with a separate room off of the bedroom and large bathroom (marble everywhere). If you book and pay well in advance they will usually give you a better price than listed. Oh, did I mention rooftop dinning?!

 

[allycat0303]

My only advice is not to get to Venice after dark! Leave plenty of time to get to your hotel unless you are staying right on the banks of the grand canal. On my third night there, we went to the opera which was 10 minutes from our hotel, and spent over 2 hours wandering around Venice. It's a maze of canals at night!