Best Rome Hotels

The Bernini Bristol, a top place to stay in Rome, takes its name for the famed Gian Lorenzo Bernini fountain that centers the round-about square upon which this hotel sits. It’s almost enough to make you forget the hotel is housed in a palace. The interior is appropriately designed for a princess or a potentate: many of the 127 rooms and suites can be a bit over-the-top with Louis XIV-style furniture and ornate wallpaper. Need to rest those weary feet? Take an hour or so to indulge in the Turkish bath or the sauna, or get a massage at the in-house spa. Or just relax on the L’Olimpo rooftop garden and watch the sunset over the Roman skyline.

Housed in a 16th-century palace across from the Pantheon and the church Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the Grand Hotel de La Minerve focuses on Old World luxury—in case you couldn’t tell from the high-ceilinged lobby, complete with stained glass, antique statuary and marble floors. The 135 rooms (including 13 junior suites and four suites) are loaded: double-paned windows, high-speed Internet, oversized desk, deep-sinking bathtubs and, in most rooms, a walk-in closet. Rooms are comfortable to the point of inducing laziness. But the hotel terrace, with its grand views of the Pantheon, should be enough to get you out of the room so you can take in the sights from one of the best Rome hotels.

Walk through the arched stone gateway from the traffic-snarled Via dei Fori Imperiali and you’ll find an air of tranquility that is this patch of cobbled alleyways wedged between busy avenues and the Coliseum. Located in the Monti neighborhood, this boutique hotel offers plenty of modern conveniences: WiFi, air conditioning and in-room bathrooms. The big breakfast buffet is even better when taken on the rooftop terrace, which affords views of a handful of historic sites. Despite its updated luxuries, the Fori Imperiali Cavalieri is one of the best places to stay in Rome if you're looking for calm beauty.

Is it ancient temples you wanted with your hotel? At Fortyseven Hotel, you’ve got them. Just outside the property is the evocative Temple of Vesta and beyond that the former palace and temple-studded Palatine Hill. But inside this boutique hotel, guests can find a temple of comfort as the property is outfitted with a Turkish bath, fitness center and an in-house restaurant with spectacular views. The 61 rooms are bedecked with original art work and some offer great views of the city. Or just watch the sunset while sipping a glass of prosecco from the rooftop Circus Bar.

Located in the lovely Trastevere neighborhood, this former 16th-century-monastery-turned-boutique-hotel surrounds a peaceful cobblestoned courtyard. The Santa Maria Hotel's rooms are simply bedecked with tile floors, brick walls and wooden furniture and are equipped with air conditioning and satellite TV. The real charmer of this top Rome hotel, though, is the orange tree-studded courtyard where guests eat leisurely breakfasts before wandering the neighborhood’s winding lanes

As the name suggests, this modest, affordable hotel is near Piazza Navona, one of Rome’s most glorious public spaces. This small Rome hotel is housed in a once-upon-a-time palazzo and rooms are tastefully decorated with antique furniture, big comfy beds and long drapery. But it’s not all rustic: there’s complimentary Wi-Fi and air conditioning. In all likelihood guests staying here are not paying for complete comfort; they’re here because Navona is smack in the center of the eternal action. The staff is friendly and offers great restaurant recommendations. The Hotel Navona is one of the best places to stay in Rome If you want a nice, but inexpensive hotel that is still located next to everything.

In a great neighborhood like Trastevere, it’s hard to believe a budget friendly hotel like the Hotel Trastevere would exist. Service is given with a smile here. Rooms are small and the amenities won’t blow anyone’s mind (air conditioning, television and hairdryers), but that’s not the reason why Rome regulars return to this place again and again. It’s all about the location, of course. Want something slightly bigger? The hotel also rents out apartments, scattered throughout Trastevere, on a daily and weekly basis, which can accommodate up to five people. Buffet breakfast is included.

This small B&B doesn’t lie: Located on the sixth floor, La Finestra sul Vaticano, the window over the Vatican, really does look out over Michelangelo’s famous dome of St. Peter’s. That said, the neighborhood isn’t the most dynamic in the city, but this is the trade-off for clean, quiet budget accommodation. Rooms come with television, air conditioning, WiFi and a mini-bar. Breakfast is served in the common area “living room.” The owners can also arrange for a babysitter and bicycle rental. Even though it offers simplicity, La Finestra sul Vaticano is still one of the best places to stay in Rome if you'd prefer spending your money on delicious Italian food and unique souvenirs.