We’re happy to admit that we were feeling overwhelmed about where to stay in Rome before visiting for the first time back in July 2018. It’s natural to feel a bit of anxiety when planning trips to major cities, right? We didn’t want to book a hotel in a sketchy area that was miles away from attractions or had no atmosphere, and we were traveling on a tight budget which made things trickier.
Ideally we wanted something cheap, not too far from Termini station, with places to eat and within walking distance to historical sites. When researching we learned that Rome had thousands of hotels scattered across 22 rioni (neighborhoods) which sounded tiring, but it ended up being really easy to narrow things down, and we stayed in Monti for 3 nights, not far from the Colosseum.
The hotel worked well and Monti was a fun place to stay, but when we went back to the Eternal City for another 3 nights in May 2022 with a healthier budget, we decided to stay in the Centro Storico. Why? Because it’s got that coveted central location among the city’s famous attractions. And now that we’ve ticked them off, next time we’d choose to stay in Trastevere for a livelier atmosphere.
We travel and write guides like this for a living, and after our two touristy trips to Rome, we honestly think it’s one of the least overwhelming capital cities in the world to book a hotel. We’re going to cut straight to the chase and show you the 5 places we’d consider staying in Rome, with pros and cons for each area based on our experiences and a helpful map at the end. Read more about us.
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Centro Storico
Okay, let’s kick things off with the most popular area that we think will work best for the majority of first time visitors to Rome – the Centro Storico. This is the area we’re always drawn into like a gravitational pull by day and night because it’s central, busy with tourists, has tons of restaurants and is endlessly attractive with its historic narrow cobbled streets.
In 2022, we stayed at Residenza Sciarra along Via del Corso near the Trevi Fountain. It was a mid-range hotel (we never go big on hotels because we spend very little time in them!) with a great location overall, but it was loud at night because it directly overlooked a busy road. Would we stay again? Probably not, but not because the hotel was bad, more because there’s so many other options.
If we were to choose another place to stay in the Centro Storico next time, we’d book a hotel on a side street close to the Pantheon or Piazza Navona for a quieter and even more central hub to use for walking to places like the Vatican and Trastevere. But honestly, anywhere between Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain is going to give you the same experience.
Pros
Central location within Rome Lots of great places to eat Close to tons of attractions Very walkable area Lively at night Good for families and couples
Cons
Very touristy (not authentic) More expensive hotels Gets overcrowded and loud More grifters and scammers
Look, you really can’t go wrong if you stay in the Centro Storico. We think Rome is a very walkable city to begin with, and staying in the middle makes life even easier. Sure, it’s Rome’s most touristy area but it’s not tacky like Times Square in New York. And despite being the most likely place to be ripped off, we always felt perfectly safe in the historic center.
Hotel Recommendations
This area has so many great hotels with excellent guest ratings, so you’ve got plenty of options spanning the budget range. Below are the highest rated hotels, apartments and guest houses we can find within each price category that we’d consider booking ourselves.
Cheap:
Pantheon Unique Rooms Vicario Suites Sant’Ivo Apartments
Mid range:
Hotel Martis Palace Martius Private Suites I Tre Moschettieri
Luxury:
Monti
Monti covers a large area of the city between the Centro Storico and Termini train station (Rome’s major hub). It has the highest density of hotels in the city, mainly because it’s close to the train station but also because it’s a cool, hip, bohemian neighborhood with great restaurants and a lively buzz.
We stayed at Nerva Accommodation on Via Cavour (not far from the Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore) when we visited Rome in 2018. It wasn’t amazing but it gave us what we needed – a bed and a shower. If we were to stay in Monti again, we’d definitely book a hotel on the southwest side of the neighborhood closer to the Colosseum.
It was handy staying near Termini station because we arrived and left by train, but we don’t recommend staying too close because it can get pretty seedy at night, like most train stations do. That said, we did really like the chilled and trendy vibe in Monti. It’s not as touristy as Centro Storico, but there’s still plenty of places to eat, drink and dance.
Pros
Ideal for the train station Lots of great places to eat Charming and walkable Lively at night Good for solo and groups
Cons
Not as central for attractions Expensive Can be loud at night
Overall we’d say Monti is perfect if you want a lively and fun area close to the train station. It’s got a nice mix of charm, shopping, eateries and bars that we think works best for couples, groups of friends, solo travelers or families with older kids.
Hotel Recommendations
This area has a huge amount of hotels, so you’ve got plenty of options spanning the budget range. Below are the highest rated hotels, apartments and guest houses we can find within each price category that we’d consider booking ourselves.
Cheap:
Argileto Terra Hotel Romano Domus Avi
Mid range:
Dimora ai Fori Condominio Monti Boutique Piazzetta de’ Monti Suites
Luxury:
Trastevere
Some people think Trastevere is losing a bit of authenticity because it’s becoming too touristy, but we absolutely love the vibrant atmosphere in Rome’s most charming neighborhood. Once we’d ticked off the city’s top attractions, we found ourselves wanting to walk down to Trastevere more than anywhere else. It reminds us of Williamsburg in NYC or Saint Germain in Paris.
And by the end of our second trip, Trastevere was our favorite place in the city, which is why we said we’d stay there next time. There aren’t many tourist attractions to see here – it’s all about excellent restaurants, fun bars and swanky cocktail lounges dotted around a maze of lovely narrow cobbled streets, which works perfectly for us as a couple in our thirties.
We’d happily book a hotel anywhere near the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, but if we were being really picky we’d stay closer to the Ponte Sisto to have easier walking access to both the Centro Storico and the Vatican.
Pros
Amazing places to eat Charming and walkable Very lively at night Good for any traveler
Cons
Not close to attractions No transport links Old buildings (no elevators) Can be very loud at night
We think Trastevere is the best place to stay in Rome if you want a charming neighborhood with lots of great places to eat, a bustling nightlife scene and a buzzy vibe. Overall, we’d say it’s most suited to couples, groups of friends, solo travelers, foodies and families with older kids.
Hotel Recommendations
There are far fewer places to stay in Trastevere because despite it’s increasing popularity, it’s still not a classic tourist area with tons of attractions. Below are the highest rated hotels, apartments and guest houses we can find within each price category that we’d consider booking ourselves.
Cheap:
Hanky Suite SuitInn19 Window On Rome
Mid range:
Hotel Santa Maria Residenza San Calisto Trastevere 2.0
Luxury:
Donna Camilla Savelli Giuditta in Trastevere
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Prati
Prati is a ritzy and affluent neighborhood to the immediate northeast of Vatican City. We’ll admit we totally overlooked this area both times we visited Rome because we thought it was “too far out” based on reviews and what we’d read online. And sure, it’s a long way from the Colosseum, but it’s also super close to attractions on the north side of the city.
We took a walk through Prati on our second trip to Rome, and we realized it’s a very safe and quiet neighborhood with tons of highly rated places to eat, wide streets and attractive buildings. It felt very modern and architecturally similar to Paris in some ways, which was a complete contrast to the old-world feel we were used to in the Centro Storico.
After taking this special early walking tour of the Vatican, we ate lunch at a superb spot along Borgo Pio called Rione XIV Bistrot. Technically, the Borgo Pio area is slightly south of Prati, but it’s close enough and it would also make for a great place to stay in Rome because the Centro Storico is just across the Tiber.
Pros
Very close to Vatican Walkable and relaxing Quiet at night Great for families
Cons
Long walk to some attractions Not many transport links Long way from Termini Not much going on at night
For us, Prati is a place we’d definitely consider booking a hotel in Rome if we visited with our young kids because it’s safe, quiet and affluent. But it also works perfectly if your top priority is high-end shopping or visiting the Vatican Museums. Oh, and we’d definitely consider spending our evenings in Trastevere before taking a short ride share to a quieter hotel in Prati – just food for thought!
Hotel Recommendations
Interestingly, there are very few traditional hotels in Prati – it’s more luxury guest houses and apartment-style accommodations. Below are the highest rated hotels, apartments and guest houses we can find within each price category that we’d consider booking ourselves.
Cheap:
B&B Domus Quiritum The Place 217 Polinari Rooms San Pietro
Mid range:
San Pietro Boutique Rooms Growel Exclusive Suites San Pietro Domus Alberico
Luxury:
Campo Marzio
You’ve heard of the famous Spanish Steps in Rome, right? Well, they’re located next to Piazza di Spagna in Rione IV, which is called Campo Marzio and is located north of the Centro Storico and east of Prati. We think this would be a great place to stay because it’s Rome’s most popular shopping area, it’s less touristy but still close to attractions, and it’s near Termini train station.
Another positive is that it’s close to Villa Borghese, which is the Roman version of New York’s Central Park. So this area really ticks a lot of boxes, and yet it remains a place that’s often overlooked. Why? Honestly, we’re not sure. From what we’ve seen, it’s busy by day but quiet at night, it’s got a lot of high end restaurants and accommodation, and it’s a very safe area. So it really is a mystery!
We’d be more than happy to book a hotel anywhere between the Trevi Fountain and Piazza del Popolo among the charming cobbled streets near Via del Corso or Via del Babuino – as long as we had the budget available. We walked around this area quite extensively and thought it was a lovely spot with trendy boutiques, independent shops and art galleries, so don’t skip it.
Pros
High end places to eat Near Termini and attractions Good transport links Charming and walkable Quiet at night Good for families
Cons
Not lively at night Expensive accommodation Not suitable on a budget Very busy during the day
For us, Campo Marzio is the most intriguing part of Rome in the sense that it would work perfectly as a place to stay for many types of visitor but it still rarely gets mentioned online. It’s not good for nightlife, hipster vibes, mingling with locals or budget travelers. But otherwise, it’s a fantastic spot with tons of positives.
Hotel Recommendations
The Campo Marzio area has more luxurious, 5 star and expensive hotels than anywhere else we can find in Rome. Below are the highest rated hotels, apartments and guest houses we can find within each price category that we’d consider booking ourselves.
Cheap:
Maison Evelina Albergo Delle Regioni Mario De’ Fiori 37
Mid range:
TB Place Roma Babuino 79 Palazzo Goldoni
Luxury:
Neighborhoods Map
Click or touch the map below to activate, zoom in and out, and scroll around. If you’d like to see a bigger version, click the “view larger map” icon in the top right, and if you’d like to see any specific hotel or neighborhood, click the arrow and square icon in the top left.
Map key:
- Green – Cheap hotels
- Red – Mid range hotels
- Blue – Luxury hotels
Rome has so many more hotels you can choose between, but the hotels we included in this guide were the highest rated accommodations we could find within each price category. We hope they help you get off to a good start with your hotel hunt!
Our Top Tips
Here’s a few quick tips we learned about booking accommodation in Rome that could save you a small fortune:
Avoid weekends – Hotel prices are significantly lower on weekdays compared to weekends in Rome. We recommend booking your stay anytime between Sunday night to Friday morning.
Beat the rush – Book as far in advance as you possibly can to get the best rates. Last minute deals don’t work like they used to, and especially not in a place as popular as Rome.
Stay longer – Typically the more nights you stay, the cheaper the average nightly rate becomes. We’ve noticed this is especially true if you book midweek stays.
Seasonality – Hotels here are way cheaper in the off season and shoulder seasons versus summer, especially July and August when tourism peaks. May and October are excellent times to visit Rome.
Events – Be mindful of any events taking place around the time you visit. During our May trip to Rome, we saw an event called the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride out of our hotel window on Via del Corso and Roma won the Europa Conference League which sparked wild (and loud!) celebrations through the night.
And finally, we travel for a living so take a look at our guide on how to stop overpaying for hotels and book yourself a cheaper trip to Rome.
Next Steps
We hope our guide on where to stay in Rome has given you a better idea about which neighborhood to book a hotel, but please let us know if you have any questions in the comments box a little further below.
Are you all set with your Rome itinerary? We think 4 days is the perfect amount of time for a first trip, but 3 days works too at a quicker pace. If you haven’t figured out exactly what to do yet, here’s our guide on the experiences you can’t miss in Rome. And finally, if you’re planning to visit more places on the same trip, we recommend reading our Italy travel guide for more helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.