Santa Maria Hotel, Rome

This was a lovely little hotel in a great part of Rome - much quieter than across the river, lots of places to eat and shop. Nice room, good breakfast, and extremely helpful staff. We would definitely go back again.

Everything about the hotel: location, staff and facilities was very good. The staff are multi-lingual, polite and knowledgeable of the local area and city as a whole. Tips regarding restaurants and tours [of the Coliseum and Vatican] were followed and found to be first rate. The area in which it is set is very unusual, the roads are ultra-narrow and it is easy to get lost! In fact, we found this aspect of the location to be rather charming, an almost magical aspect of the district of Trastevere. Even if you do get lost in the vicinity of the hotel, don't worry at all. Besides finding more lovely bars and restaurants, you'll find your way to the hotel after a few minutes and at no time will you be in danger, as the streets in the area are always well populated with locals and tourists. A tip for those of who like to take your own music away with you, there are no DVD/CD players in the rooms. So, take your own, either a portable player or a docking station with speakers and your iPod. I found this out beforehand and fortunately we took our iPod and speakers... We took a taxi from the airport [they are capped at 30 by the government], so that cost us 30 plus a 5 tip. However, because we wanted to take no chances [time wise] when we returned to the airport for our flight home, we took up the hotel's offer of their own driver to the airport. This cost 55 but was well worth it. The driver was very pleasant and immaculately well-presented. The car was a high specification Mercedes too, we travelled to the airport in great style, and we felt like VIPs, worth every cent. In summary, when we return to Rome, we will definitely be staying there again. Will and Elaine, Liverpool, UK

Basics first: rooms comfortable, service friendly and helpful, location wonderful in Trastevere across the Tiber from central Rome, convenient walking distance for Roman Forum, and a charming neighbourhood full of piazzas, bars, restaurants and shops. If you want four star this is not for you. If you want clean comfort, quiet, a room with its door onto a courtyard with tables and chairs and staff who provide good advice on where to eat, then try here. The point about this hotel is as much its location as what it is in itself. You can spend a good part of your time just exploring Trastevere and enjoy your visit more than frantically exhausting yourself 'doing Rome'.

Our first thought was: Oh, what a place! And afterwards it was even better. Really the most charming hotel we have stayed in. Very nice rooms with a large and pleasant bathroom, orange threes in the garden, tasteful breakfast. The staff was very helpful and kindly. Transportation from and to the airport was arranged by the hotel very easy. Trastevere is a charming and wonderful neighbourhood, with narrow streets, open squares, pizzerias, restaurants, bars, and the hotel is located in the centre of all this. From the hotel there are walking distances to most all the sites, in 15-30 minutes. We really hope to get back there sometime!

The staff was great - very polite and helpful (plus patient with my lack of italian skills). The grounds are charming - I loved the orange trees and sunny courtyard for afternoon drinks/chatting. The area is great - it is in Travestere, and is within just a few minutes (walking) of tons of restaurants, bars, gelado shops, and busy piazzas. It was also easy to walk to many other parts of town for shopping and sightseeing. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and spacious. I had a great time and will stay at the Santa Maria again.

My 2 friends and I stayed in a suite at the Santa Maria. It was absolutely lovely! Very charming setting with the orange tree courtyard. (Would make a wonderful oasis from the summer heat.) The 2-room suite was perfect for 3 people sharing. The bathroom was large and clean - American-sized shower was a bonus. We loved the happy hour drinks and nibbles and the breakfast spread was wonderful. The staff was very kind and helpful - recommending a great local restaurant for dinner. And the neighborhood is great - fun bars and restaurants at night, nice walk across the river to the duomo area for daily touring of the sites. We were even able to park our car there, which was a great convenience for us. All in all, it was a completely wonderful experience. I'm sure we'll be back and absolutely recommend it as a great stay in Rome!

If you are not so interested in "chick", "fashionable", "hot-spot" or "trendy", but are looking for personal service, athmosphere, ties to Roman history and an oasis in a busy, demanding and absolutely lovely city; this is the place for you.

We just spent a week walking around Rome and Florence and our 2 nights at the Hotel Santa Maria were certainly one of the highlights. The location is in a great neighborhood, convenient to the sites with winding cobblestone streets, funky shops and a mix of restaurants. The graffiti-laden streets, scooters, people and colorful buildings only added to this unique Italian atmosphere. The Hotel is quietly nestled between buildings with a wonderful courtyard, friendly staff, comfortable rooms, fantastic shower, delicious breakfast and free bikes with baskets. Very Italian! We only wish we were still there to enjoy the hotel and neighborhood.

The walk to the hotel through narrow, slightly dirty back alleys was an initial disappointment. The peaceful atmosphere and good,friendly service quickly overcame early misgivings. Rooms were not too big but were clean and well kept. The major sights are easily accessed and eating and drinking options are plentiful nearby. A couple of good bookshops in the area were a pleasant discovery too. At the end of a four day stay our party of two couples left feeling very satisfied.

WE LIKE ALL!! Verry good service,nice rooms,good eating and very romantik atmosphere...