[ROMA] — There are fancier places to stay in Rome, but one of my favorites is the Albergo del Senato, directly across from my favorite building in the world, The Pantheon. It is small, Old School, but delightful. You can’t beat the location, smack in the heart of everything good. And right around the corner from the best gelato in Rome, Giolitti.

If you can’t get a guarantee from the hotel for a Pantheon view or don’t want to by extra, then there are other hotels I’d choose. (I once had a broom closet of a room once that wasn’t and it looked out onto a blind alley.)  But if you can secure a room that overlooks the Pantheon, there is no place better to stay in Rome.

If you can secure a room that overlooks the Pantheon, there is no better view in Rome.

Certainly, there are some very nice hotels in Roma, but few can compare to the I-woke-up-like-this view from your bed at the Albergo del Senato. 

I mean, The Pantheon, smack on the lips when you wake up… even with Morning Breath. My favorite building in the world. Contrary to most hotels, the lower floors actually have a better view, I believe this is 4th floor, corner. You get right up close to read A G R I P P A

You want to stay in one of the upper rooms that have floor to length windows, request that, otherwise you might get just a square window. Surprisingly, the penthouse floor views aren’t as great and eye-smacking as the 2nd thru 4th floor. (I’ve checked them all out.)

There’s an awesome rooftop bar that overlooks the Pantheon and a rare view of the rooftops of Rome. Nobody knows it’s up there, so if you’re not staying at the hotel, at least sneak up to the hotel bar on the roof and enjoy sunset cocktails… one of my favorite secrets in Rome.

Here’s the Albergo del Senato’s website

Piazza della Rotonda is Right Outside Your Front Door

— Last Visited June 2004, May 2006 — 

Here’s a link to another post I made about the Borghese Gardens. And if you really want to splash out, here’s a post I made about an amazing hotel with its own private gardens.

Here are Other Places I’d Suggest Staying in Rome.

For upscale, if I wasn’t at the Senator or Hotel de Russie, I would stay at the famous Locarno, everyone cool stays there. “The grand dame of boutique hotels” says The Telegraph. Or just stop in for an apero. Just look at this place (photos from their website):

Or the other Rocco Forte amazing hotel that recently opened, the Hotel de la Ville. And one of my other longtime favorites — and the first fancy boutique hotel I stayed in and changed my life, the Hotel d’Inghilterra. It’s so cute and every room has a personality. Great little bar and one on the roof. Try to get a room with a terrace.

Cool places that have been legends for years are the Hotel Raphael, the Lord Byron, which is right next to Villa Borghese Gardens.

For affordable but cool, check out Citizen M. Or Mama Shelter or the Hoxton, try the Hoxton first.

Here are the top Rome hotels from Conde Nast Traveler. Here’s a list of the best hotels in Rome from The Telegraph. I would always trust any hotel list by Mr & Mrs Smith.