Budget accommodation in Rome

June 19, 2005 10:45 AM

I'll be attending a conference in Rome, Italy in mid-September and am trying to find an affordable place to stay.

My expenses will be covered by my thesis advisor's research grant, but the less money I cost him on this trip, the more likely it is I'll be able to attend future conferences and workshops.

I am okay with staying in a hostel, as long as it is clean and there is somewhere to lock up my valuables (e.g. lockers in the rooms) but I would really *prefer* a private room. Right now my two main options seem to be the cheapest conference-endorsed hotel, The Stella (65 Euro per night) or the youth hostel (18 Euro per night). I'm leaning towards the hostel, unless I can find something cheaper than 65 Euro per night.

Here is a map with the conference site marked (the star with a box around it). While somewhere close to this area would be nice, I'm open to staying anywhere accessible by the metro.

posted by sanitycheck to Travel & Transportation around Rome, Italy (9 answers total)

I've had good luck with eurocheapo.com and lastminute.com.
posted by judith at 11:19 AM on June 19, 2005

In 2003 I stayed at a really nice little B&B "Regina 157," which is at Viale Regina Margherita, 157. Here is their Web site, though I am having trouble getting it to load right now. I seem to recall it being something like 60-70 Euros per night, which I guess is at the upper end of your range. But it seems like it would be fairly close to your conference, and it has nice high ceilings and is fairly spacious. I really liked the balcony in our room, the ancient elevator, and the giant Roman keys.

After waiting some time for the thing to load, it looks like there's a room for 55 Euros avaiable (but probably smaller than the one we had).
posted by lackutrol at 12:14 PM on June 19, 2005

When I was in Rome last year, I stayed at the Hotel Papa Germano - which was a decent enough budget place. In general, places near the train station tend to be cheaper. I really recommend browsing a copy of a Let's Go guide book that covers Rome. They usually do a really good job of finding quality cheap places.
posted by Staggering Jack at 12:25 PM on June 19, 2005

go here http://bookhostels.com/, and after you click search, select the relevant categories on the left panel (guesthouse, etc.) a lot of hostels will have private rooms for ~30 euros.
posted by ori at 12:30 PM on June 19, 2005

For some reason, the website is working better now. Looks like the place is about 10 blocks from your conference.
posted by lackutrol at 12:43 PM on June 19, 2005

It might be worth checking with University residences. If term hasn't started yet (and I'm not sure if term starts in September or October), residence rooms are generally let at very reasonable rates. And, as a bonus, these rooms are lockable and--generally--in secured buildings. There are a handful of universities in Rome that might be able to assist.
posted by lumiere at 12:44 PM on June 19, 2005

I can't seem to find the conference location on the map?! So I can't be of more help...

The area around the central station has a bunch of kinda shady hostels around it. I stayed in one for a night when I was stuck and waiting for a train to the airport... I can't remember the name, but the area is crawling with 'em. Mine was 40 EUR for a aircon-room with private bath. Most are 25 or 25 EUR for a private room with fan (lockable door) but shared bath. It's easy to get around from the central station.
posted by zpousman at 3:17 PM on June 19, 2005

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that it looks like the Hotel Papa Germano is very close to your conference and would probably be no more than a 10-15 minute walk. Have a great trip.
posted by Staggering Jack at 3:19 PM on June 19, 2005

Best answer: I had excellent luck with BBitalia.it, where I found a room directly across the river from Vatican City for about 40 euro per night. The people renting it out were a real kick, too. It's a bit of a crapshoot (and the website can be frustrating), but it may be worth a look.

Other than that, you may wish to try The Beehive, a very nice hostel which is just a few blocks away from Termini, and/or Cross-Pollinate, a network of reasonably priced B&Bs/budget hotels that's affiliated with the Beehive. Many of the accomodations they link to in Rome are in the neighborhood of your conference, and most of those were under 50 euro per night. (I think.)
posted by Vervain at 12:21 AM on June 20, 2005