The 16 Best Hotels in Rome, From Rooftop Palaces to Budget Gems

Our top picks at a glance

• Best overall: Hotel Raphaël – Piazza Navona, €€€€
• Best splurge with a view: Hassler Roma – top of the Spanish Steps, €€€€
• Best for couples: Hotel de Russie – Piazza del Popolo, €€€€
• Best value with a rooftop: Hotel Artemide – Via Nazionale, €€€
• Best mid-range for first-timers: Hotel Damaso – Campo de' Fiori, €€
• Best near the Colosseum: Nerva Boutique Hotel – Monti, €€€
• Best for families: Parco dei Principi – Villa Borghese, €€€€
• Best near the Vatican: Vatican Style Luxury Rooms – Borgo, €€
• Best budget: Hotel Smeraldo – Campo de' Fiori, €

How we chose the best hotels in Rome

Every hotel here scores 8.5 or more on Booking.com from at least 300 guest reviews. Two famous luxury hotels sit below the review count, and we say so in their entries: the Hassler (144 reviews) and Hotel de Russie (102). Most of their guests book direct.

Every hotel sits inside the area we file it under. We checked the street address, not the label other lists give it.

The order is our order of preference for a first visit. Location counts most, then the score, then what you get for the money.

We don't quote nightly rates. Rome prices swing hard by date, so we use tiers: € budget, €€ mid-range, €€€ upscale, €€€€ luxury. Check the live rate for your dates through each link.

The 16 hotels compared

1. Hotel Raphaël – Piazza Navona

A five-star hotel one street from Piazza Navona, with a roof terrace that looks from St Peter's dome to the Pantheon.

Luxury · €€€€ · 9.4 on Booking (620 reviews) · 1 street from Piazza Navona

Best for: a first visit where you want to walk to almost everything · Skip it if: you'd rather spend luxury money on a big room or a pool

This is our top pick in Rome because the location does half the work: from Largo Febo you can walk to the Pantheon, Campo de' Fiori and the Tiber without a taxi, and be back at the hotel in minutes when your feet give out. Some rooms were designed by the architect Richard Meier, and every bathroom has marble and Bulgari toiletries.

Breakfast is continental and dinner is at the Mater Terre restaurant, but the roof terrace is where you'll want to be at sunset, because it gives you the whole skyline of old Rome rather than one monument.

The catch is value: you pay five-star Rome rates for a mid-size hotel in a historic building, so don't expect resort facilities. Booking lists a fitness center but no pool or spa.

Tip: book a table on the roof terrace for your first evening, then walk the two minutes to Piazza Navona after dark, when the day crowds have gone.

→ Check rates at Hotel Raphaël

2. Hassler Roma – Spanish Steps

The grand hotel at the top of the Spanish Steps, with the Imàgo restaurant on the sixth floor looking across Rome's rooftops.

Luxury · €€€€ · 9.7 on Booking (144 reviews) · at the top of the Spanish Steps

Best for: an anniversary or a once-in-a-lifetime splurge · Skip it if: you're counting every euro, or you want to be close to Trastevere

Few hotels in Europe have an address like Piazza Trinità dei Monti, where you step out of the door and Rome falls away below you down the Spanish Steps. The Hassler is a partner of The Leading Hotels of the World, and it feels it: classic rooms, three places to eat (Imàgo, the Salone Eva and the Palm Court), and a free sauna, Turkish bath and gym with views over the city.

Family rooms are available, which is rarer than you'd think at this level.

The honest caveat is the evidence. Only 144 guests have reviewed it on Booking.com, below our 300-review bar, because most guests at this price book direct. The score is the highest on this list, but it rests on a small sample. It stays as a stated exception because four of the six top-ranking hotel lists we compared include it.

Tip: ask for a room facing the Spanish Steps when you book, and reserve Imàgo before you fly.

→ Check rates at Hassler Roma

3. Hotel de Russie – Piazza del Popolo

A palace hotel on Via del Babuino, 50 meters from Piazza del Popolo, built around gardens you'd never guess were there from the street.

Luxury · €€€€ · 9.0 on Booking (102 reviews) · 50 m from Piazza del Popolo

Best for: couples who want calm after a day of sightseeing · Skip it if: you need a hotel with hundreds of recent reviews to trust it

The gardens are the reason to book this Rome classic, and Le Jardin de Russie serves Roman dishes with international touches, outside when the weather allows, and the bar does lunches and evening cocktails. Rooms mix classic and contemporary styles and look over the grounds or the city.

The spa has a sauna, a Turkish bath and a salt-water hydro-massage pool, which matters after a day on cobblestones.

Like the Hassler, the Booking sample is small: 102 reviews. We keep it as a stated exception because five of the six top-ranking lists we compared include it, more than any other hotel. Via del Corso and the Spanish Steps are both a short walk, but you'll want a taxi for the Colosseum.

Tip: ask for a garden-view room; that's the side that feels furthest from the city.

→ Check rates at Hotel de Russie

4. Maalot Roma – Trevi Fountain

A five-star hotel on Via delle Muratte, steps from the Trevi Fountain, with the most reviews of any luxury hotel on this list.

Luxury · €€€€ · 9.7 on Booking (1,003 reviews) · steps from the Trevi Fountain

Best for: luxury with a big, consistent review record · Skip it if: crowds outside the door will wear you down

Maalot is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and a 9.7 from more than a thousand guests is rare at any price in Rome. Its Mediterranean restaurant serves lunch, dinner, high tea and cocktails, and the kitchen caters for halal, kosher, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets. There's a fitness room, bike hire and a 24-hour front desk.

You can reach the Pantheon, Piazza Venezia and the Roman Forum on foot.

The catch is the neighbour, because the Trevi Fountain is one of the busiest spots in Rome from morning to late evening, and your street is part of that flow.

Tip: see the fountain at 7 a.m., before breakfast, when it's far quieter than at midday.

→ Check rates at Maalot Roma

5. Hotel Artemide – Via Nazionale

A 19th-century building on Via Nazionale with a rooftop restaurant, a spa and a free minibar in every room.

Upscale · €€€ · 9.2 on Booking (1,681 reviews) · on Via Nazionale, near Repubblica

Best for: upscale comfort without luxury prices · Skip it if: you want a quiet lane in the old centre

Artemide shows up in Google's own hotel summaries as a value pick, and the numbers back it up: 9.2 from almost 1,700 reviews. The minibar is free, the Artemis Spa has a sauna, a hot tub and a Turkish bath you can book by the session. The Ambrosia Rooftop Restaurant & Bar has panoramic views over the city.

Breakfast is a large buffet, and the lounge bar is a good place to sit out the afternoon heat.

The catch is the street: Via Nazionale is a wide, busy Rome artery between Termini and Piazza Venezia, not a postcard lane. The upside is transport: Repubblica metro and the buses down to Piazza Venezia are close.

Tip: have your first drink on the Ambrosia rooftop; it's the cheapest way to get a big view in Rome.

→ Check rates at Hotel Artemide

6. Singer Palace – Via del Corso

A five-minute walk from the Pantheon, on Via del Corso, with a rooftop restaurant and an à la carte breakfast made to order.

Luxury · €€€€ · 9.5 on Booking (322 reviews) · 5 min walk to the Pantheon

Best for: couples who care about breakfast and a roof terrace · Skip it if: you dislike shopping-street bustle

Breakfast is served à la carte, not from a buffet, and it's homemade from fresh produce, while lunch and dinner on the rooftop restaurant lean to Italian dishes and seafood. Rooms have an elegant décor; some have a seating area.

The Trevi Fountain is about 350 meters away.

The catch is the address. Via del Corso is Rome's main shopping street, busy all day, and stepping out means stepping into the stream.

Tip: book the rooftop for dinner on a weeknight; weekends fill first.

→ Check rates at Singer Palace

7. Hotel Damaso – Campo de' Fiori

A three-star hotel in a 19th-century building, 150 meters from Piazza Navona, with a panoramic terrace and a lounge bar.

Mid-range · €€ · 9.4 on Booking (1,738 reviews) · 150 m from Piazza Navona

Best for: first-timers who want the best location for the money · Skip it if: you need four-star room sizes

Damaso sits on Piazza della Cancelleria, two minutes on foot from Campo de' Fiori. A 9.4 from more than 1,700 guests is about as strong as mid-range gets in central Rome. Bathrooms are marble, with bathrobes and slippers. The buffet breakfast covers sweet and savory, and the kitchen can work around dietary needs.

It's the hotel we'd send a friend to on a first trip who didn't want to overspend.

The catch is the category: this is a three-star, so think comfortable and well run rather than grand.

Tip: take your evening drink up to the terrace, then walk to Navona for the night view.

→ Check rates at Hotel Damaso

8. Nerva Boutique Hotel – Monti

A 21-room boutique hotel on Via Tor de' Conti in Monti, between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia.

Upscale · €€€ · 9.4 on Booking (479 reviews) · between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia

Best for: a base for ancient Rome with a neighborhood feel · Skip it if: you book late; 21 rooms go fast

Nerva is small and personal: homemade breakfast, careful interior design and a staff that runs 21 rooms rather than 200. Monti is one of Rome's best neighborhoods for eating out, with wine bars and trattorias up the hill behind the hotel.

You can walk to the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.

The catch is the size: with 21 rooms, the best dates disappear early, especially in Rome's busy spring and autumn.

Tip: book Colosseum tickets the moment your hotel is confirmed; see our Colosseum tickets guide.

→ Check rates at Nerva Boutique Hotel

9. Chapter Roma – Regola

A design hotel in a 19th-century building, a five-minute walk from Campo de' Fiori and less than five minutes from the bridge to Trastevere.

Upscale · €€€ · 9.0 on Booking (892 reviews) · 5 min walk to Campo de' Fiori

Best for: younger couples and friends who want food and nightlife on the doorstep · Skip it if: you go to bed at ten

Chapter sits on the edge of the Jewish Ghetto and the Regola district, so you can cross the river to Trastevere for dinner and walk back. Rooms have smart TVs and minibars, there's a terrace, and the hotel runs its own restaurants and bar. Breakfast is a continental buffet with Italian pastries.

The Pantheon and Piazza Navona are about 900 meters away.

The catch is the scene, since this is a lively hotel in one of Rome's liveliest areas, and that's the point. Light sleepers should ask for a room away from the street.

Tip: walk five minutes to the Ghetto for carciofi alla giudia, the fried artichokes it's known for.

→ Check rates at Chapter Roma

10. Hotel Santa Maria – Trastevere

A converted 16th-century convent in Trastevere where every room opens onto a courtyard garden of orange trees.

Mid-range · €€ · 9.6 on Booking (634 reviews) · in Trastevere, near the Tiber

Best for: a quiet base in Rome's liveliest dinner district · Skip it if: you want to be on the metro

Small things make this one: terracotta floors, wooden furniture, and breakfast or an evening drink in the courtyard under the orange trees. A 9.6 is the highest score of any mid-range hotel on this list. Family rooms are available.

The courtyard keeps it calm, which is the hardest thing to find in Trastevere.

The catch is transport, because Trastevere has no metro stop, so the Vatican and the Colosseum mean a tram, a bus, a taxi or a long walk.

Tip: cross the Ponte Sisto at night for the walk to Campo de' Fiori; it's one of the best short walks in the city.

→ Check rates at Hotel Santa Maria

11. Parco dei Principi – Villa Borghese

A five-star hotel by Gio Ponti next to Villa Borghese park, with two pools, a free spa and views over the gardens to St Peter's dome.

Luxury · €€€€ · 8.9 on Booking (563 reviews) · next to Villa Borghese park

Best for: families and anyone who wants a pool in Rome · Skip it if: you want to walk out the door into the old centre

Pools are rare in central Rome, and this hotel has two of them. It's the answer to "rome hotels with a pool" that doesn't mean a ring-road resort. Most rooms look over the Villa Borghese gardens and the dome of St Peter's. The spa is free for guests, and the Pauline Borghese restaurant overlooks the summer pool and garden. Family rooms and private parking are available.

The park is on the doorstep for running, cycling or the Borghese Gallery.

The catch is distance, because you're outside Rome's historic centre, in the Parioli side of Villa Borghese, so most sightseeing starts with a taxi or bus.

Tip: plan a pool afternoon between morning and evening sightseeing; it's the reason you booked here.

→ Check rates at Parco dei Principi

12. Vatican Style Luxury Rooms – Borgo

A guest house on Via del Mascherino, 150 meters from St Peter's Square.

Mid-range · €€ · 9.2 on Booking (678 reviews) · 150 m from St Peter's Square

Best for: an early start at the Vatican · Skip it if: you want a hotel bar and restaurant

You can be in the queue for St Peter's before most visitors leave their hotels. Rooms are air-conditioned with bathrobes, slippers and a kettle, and there's a concierge and room service. Ottaviano metro, on line A, is about eight minutes away.

It's a calm, residential part of the city once the tour groups leave.

The catch is the format, since this is a guest house with no restaurant, bar or lounge. Evenings mean heading out, and the old centre is across the river.

Tip: book the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel for the first slot of the day, then see St Peter's Basilica straight after.

→ Check rates at Vatican Style Luxury Rooms

13. Hotel Lancelot – Celio

A family-friendly hotel on Via Capo d'Africa, about 350 meters from the Colosseum, with a terrace and a garden.

Mid-range · €€ · 9.1 on Booking (736 reviews) · about 350 m from the Colosseum

Best for: families who want space near ancient Rome · Skip it if: your plans center on Navona and Trastevere

Each room is decorated differently, and some have extra-long beds. Family rooms, private parking, an on-site restaurant and a garden make this one of the easier hotels in Rome to bring children to. The terrace has views of the surrounding monuments, and the bar is open 24 hours.

Celio is a quiet, green hill right behind the Colosseum, and one of the calmer corners of central Rome.

The catch is the other side of town. The Colosseum is next door, but Piazza Navona and Trastevere are a long walk, so evenings there usually mean a bus or taxi.

Tip: ask for a room facing the garden for the quietest nights.

→ Check rates at Hotel Lancelot

14. Hotel Smeraldo – Campo de' Fiori

A budget hotel about 200 meters from Campo de' Fiori with a roof terrace and cocktail bar over the old centre.

Budget · € · 9.2 on Booking (2,632 reviews) · about 200 m from Campo de' Fiori

Best for: the best central location on a budget · Skip it if: you like a late breakfast

Smeraldo is our budget pick because it puts you in the same lanes as hotels that cost far more. More than 2,600 guests give it 9.2. Rooms are air-conditioned, some have a balcony, and the roof terrace hosts a cocktail bar. There's a 24-hour reception and luggage storage for late flights.

The Pantheon and Piazza Navona are both a short walk.

The catch is small but real: the buffet breakfast ends at 10:00. Late risers will be eating out.

Tip: ask for a balcony room when you book, and drop your bags at reception if you land early.

→ Check rates at Hotel Smeraldo

15. Hotel Domus Praetoria – Termini

A two-star hotel on Via Milazzo, about 250 meters from Termini station, with one of the best scores of any budget hotel in Rome.

Budget · € · 9.3 on Booking (1,676 reviews) · about 250 m from Termini station

Best for: early trains, late flights and tight budgets · Skip it if: you want atmosphere

Termini is where the airport train arrives, where trains leave for Florence and Naples, and where both metro lines cross. Domus Praetoria puts you a short walk from all of it. Rooms are air-conditioned with a kettle and a flat-screen TV. A 9.3 from almost 1,700 guests says the basics are done well.

The Colosseum is about 2 km away.

The catch: this is a two-star with no listed breakfast or bar, in a busy station district. Take normal big-city care around Termini at night.

Tip: arriving at Fiumicino? The Leonardo Express runs non-stop to Termini in 32 minutes; see our Rome airport guide.

→ Check rates at Hotel Domus Praetoria

16. The RomeHello – Repubblica

A hostel on Via Torino, a three-minute walk from Repubblica metro, where every room has its own bathroom.

Budget · € · 9.4 on Booking (6,886 reviews) · 3 min walk to Repubblica metro

Best for: solo travelers and friends on the lowest budget · Skip it if: you want hotel-level quiet and privacy

The RomeHello has the most reviews of anything on this Rome list, almost 6,900, and still scores 9.4. Every room has a private bathroom, air conditioning and a desk. There's a buffet breakfast, a restaurant, a bar and a garden. The Trevi Fountain is about 1 km away.

Staff speak English, Spanish, French and Italian.

The catch is that it's a hostel, so expect a social, younger crowd in the shared spaces, and book a private room if that isn't you.

Tip: use the location: Repubblica metro is on line A, two stops from the Spanish Steps.

→ Check rates at The RomeHello

Which area should you stay in?

For a first visit, stay in the Centro Storico, between the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori, so you can walk almost everywhere.

• Centro Storico: the classic base; busiest and priciest.
• Spanish Steps and Trevi: luxury hotels and shopping streets.
• Monti: food, wine bars and the Forum on foot.
• Trastevere: dinners and nightlife; no metro.
• Prati and Borgo: quieter, next to the Vatican.
• Termini: budget and trains; less charm.

Our where to stay in Rome guide compares each area in detail, with the downsides.

How much does a hotel in Rome cost, and when should you book?

It depends on the season more than the hotel, because spring and autumn are the busiest and most expensive times, and the best-rated small hotels sell out first. Book two to three months ahead for April to June and September to October. Winter, outside Christmas and New Year, is when you'll find the lowest rates.

Rome also charges a city tourist tax per person, per night, paid at the hotel. The amount depends on the hotel's category, so check the current rate with your hotel; it isn't included in most online prices. Our guide to the best time to visit Rome covers the seasons.

Hotel or apartment in Rome?

A hotel, for most first visits to Rome, because you get a reception for luggage and late arrivals, breakfast, and someone to call when the air conditioning fails in July. An apartment makes sense for families or stays of a week or more, when a kitchen and a washing machine pay for themselves. If you go that way, check it's legally registered and that it has a lift if you have heavy bags.

Our final pick

For a first trip, book Hotel Raphaël if the budget allows and Hotel Smeraldo if it doesn't. Both put you in the lanes around Piazza Navona and Campo de' Fiori, which is where Rome is best on foot.

Then plan the days: our Rome travel guide covers the basics, things to do in Rome ranks the sights, the Rome itinerary puts them in order, and our picks for the best restaurants in Rome sort out dinner. When you've seen the city, there are day trips from Rome and fast trains on to Florence and Naples.

Plan your trip

Planning a guided visit? Our Rome tours guide compares guided visits of the Colosseum and the Vatican.