ahotelinitaly.com blog

A Rome hotel is a wonderful thing we aver … but perhaps not for the sights and reasons you expect. Do we really need to sell Rome to visitors? Several million of us visit the Eternal City each year, massively dwarfing the four million souls who actually live there. In the millennium year of 2000, visitors to Rome actually hit a terrifying 26 million! However, most of us tick the usual boxes – Vatican, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and the rest. And see them you must, but if you’re looking for something a little different, check out our trio of hidden Rome gems.

• A Rome hotel is a wonderful thing because of the little church of San Francesco a Ripa, in the boho Trastevere district. What could such a tiny church hold? No less than one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s final works, the ‘Ecstasy of the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni’. A stroll-stopping triumph by this master of the Baroque. Check out Trastevere hotels close to the church.
• The Leaning Tower of Rome, yes we did get that right, sits close to the meeting of Via XXIV Maggio and Via IV Novembre (and what is it about Italian street namers and dates?). A close neighbour to Trajan’s Forum, this is the gently crumbling and tumbling Tower of the Militia. Great views of downtown Rome from the top. Find a Rome hotel on or around Via XXIV Maggio and Via IV Novembre.
• The Church of San Gregorio Nazianzeno, on Vicolo Valdina, just off the Via di Campo Marzio. A ‘vico’ is an alleyway and you will need to have your eyes peeled to spot it. An ancient church and part of an older convent, dating back to the eighth century AD. The little nave has fragments of Byzantine paintings which date back to the earliest days of the church, and pieces of frescoes from down the centuries. The floors, meanwhile, date back to an older Roman structure, from the first and second centuries AD. Look out for a Rome hotel close to Via di Campo Marzio.

Check out our complete listings to find your perfect Rome hotel, wherever it is you want to stay in the Eternal City. And get off that well beaten path!