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CHOOSING A HOTEL:

Avoid hotels not in the city center.  Unfortunately this
includes such well-recognized American brand names as
Sheraton, Holiday Inn, and Hilton.  (All nice hotels, by the
way.)  The reason:  too far from the core.  They typically
.do. run courtesy buses a few times a day to the city.  The
infrequent operations, though, constrain your sightseeing.  As
well, they often have no bus returning to the hotel at an hour
convenient for a late night of dining.  You want to be in the
middle of the city, near the action.  This also makes it
convenient to stop by the hotel for a nap when the sightseeing
and 'marble foot' catch up with you!

You'll not find facilities exactly equivalent to what you
might expect from your U.S. travel experiences, for the same
price.  I've found no equivalent to a $50 double at a Comfort
Inn.  You can find a 2-star in Rome for about twice as much,
but don't expect to find an equivalent room.  There are two
factors at play:

First, the European tradition is different.  Rooms are usually
smaller, less brightly lighted, and perhaps somewhat less well
furnished.  (Many exceptions, especially if you like authentic
antiques.)  In cities you may find more noise.  Air
conditioning is not common, even in Rome, except at more
expensive hotels.

Second, the dollar is soft against most currencies.  Some look
at the lira-to-dollar rate and see a bargain.  What I see is a
rate that's down from the 2000:1 of the late '70s, and a
country that seen annual inflation rates in the past of 15-20%.

In their favor, you can expect more in the way of service and
attentiveness (presuming you're not the embodiment of the Ugly
American.)  European hotels use less space, recycle more, and
use less energy.  Who is to say whether European or American
hotels are 'better'.  They're different, and must be judged on
different scales.

4-star hotels are the closest approximation in my mind to what
we might call a 'moderate' or 'above average' hotel (what most
American businessmen would be accustomed to).  But, to be
redundant, you'll not find the accommodations or price
equivalent.  Most Americans would find the rooms closer to a
Red Roof Inn (better service, though), and the price closer to
a Hilton or Hyatt.  Even paying $400 per night at a 5-star
hotel, you may, in some cases, find yourself thinking the
price is too high by at least $100, though you'll undoubtedly
enjoy better service.

Net, you may have to adjust your sights when travelling in
Europe.  You'll have to pay somewhat more than expected and
accept the fact that the accommodations won't be exactly
equivalent to what you would get for that money in the U.S..

The majority of Americans will adjust to European hotels well,
cherish the differences and look forward to returning to their
favorite.

Below the $150-200 level you'll be trading off one or more
things:

1) location - you may not find yourself located near many of
the attractions or restaurants you want to visit.  That may
not be a major problem, though transport in Rome can be a bit
more of a problem than elsewhere in Europe, especially at
night.  On the other hand, the 'heart' of the city is
reasonably small.

2) size and closets - already small in even grand hotels by
American standards, you may find that your 4'x4' room goes up
and down quite often!

3) elevators - you may find that nothing in the hotel goes up
and down - 6 floor pensiones with no elevators are not rare.

4) no breakfast - not a major problem since most neighborhoods
have a convenient 'bar' where you can get a good roll and
great coffee fairly inexpensively.

5) neighborhood -the city is not rife with crime (despite some
reports, (I still feel safer there than NYC), but there are
some areas where I would not feel comfortable after dark.

OUR HOTELS:
(we've stayed in (almost) all)

(All phones and faxes preceded from the U.S. by 011-39-6)

Hassler, Trinita dei Monti, 6 $300-375 phone  [phone], fax
678-0001. Arguably the best.  Romantic overlook of Spanish
Steps.  Also a most expensive roof garden restaurant.

Le Grand Hotel et de Roma, via vittorio Orlando, 3 $275-350
phone 4709, fax [phone] Also arguably the best.
Excellent. Location fairly good, but not great.

Excelsior, via Veneto, 125 $275-350 phone 4708 tlx 610232 fax
4756205 -  800  number for this and Grand 221 2340 (both part
of CIGA chain, best in Italy, and Grand the flagship). Used to
be the best; still  in top 3 or 4.  Headquarters of The
Gestapo during war. Great location on via Veneto.

Jolly Hotel Via Veneto, Corso d'Italia, 1 $250 phone 8495 fax
862445.  New (perhaps 1988 - but new for Rome) decent location
at the edge of the large park at the end of the Via Veneto.
Smallish (typical for Europe, especially modern) rooms.

Hotel de La Ville, via Sistina, 69, $220-280.  Phone 6733 tlx
620836 fax [phone].  Despite address, right next door to
Hassler.  Good location and view.  Haven't stayed at.

Pullman Boston, via Lombardia, 47, $200+.  Phone 473951. Fine
location near via Veneto.  Stayed at several years ago; quite
adequate to very nice then.  Seriously renovated in last few
years.  Suspect excellent value.

La Residenza, via Emilia, 22 about $155 (Lit. 248,000) for
peak of 1995.  Phone 460789, fax 485721.  {Not to be confused
with the Hotel Residence}.  Favorite (but only 27 rooms or so
- bookings very difficult).  Very pleasant, small hotel.  Nice
staff.  Old villa.  Redecorated  rooms renovated about
1986-7.  Smallish (European size) rooms.  Good location two
blocks from  main  part of via  Veneto.  We love it.  Can
rarely get in due to its relative popularity and the short
lead time on most of our trips.  Price includes breakfast
(fairly unusual in Rome), and the breakfast is an 'American
breakfast buffet', (includes eggs and bacon) rare indeed in
Italy.  One of better buys in Europe, and probably best in
Rome.  If you want to give it a whirl, reserve EARLY.

Pensione Scalinata di Spagna.  Price near $200 in 1995.  Very
popular, and nice if you can take the price for a (top-rate,
admittedly) pension. On top of Spanish Steps (which is what
name means), across from the Hassler.  Lovely rooftop
breakfast area with view across rooftops to St. Peter's
a mile away.  Used to be $15 in the late '60s.

Pensione Sicilia, via Sicilia.  Right around the corner from
the Excelsior.  Phone [phone].  Great location.  Decent value.
In 1977 it was $22 for 2 persons, with breakfast.  A little
bit of roughing it, though fun if you're in to budget things.
Price for a double with breakfast, tax and service included -
about $100 - $125 in January 1995 . Clean.  (Haven't stayed in
for several years, but friend stayed there in 1989 and found
it as I described, and found the staff to be exceptionally
accommodating.)

Pensione Suisse, via Gregoriana, 54.  Phone [phone], fax
678-1258.  Compact and tidy, cheerful rooms.  An excellent
value performer.  Double with bath about $85.

Visconti Palace Hotel.  Located away from the center of
sights, though.  Fairly modern hotel, with small though
efficient rooms.  Priced at about $100-120 for a twin with
bath.

OTHER HOTELS

Correspondents have recommended inexpensive hotels in the
Campo de' Fiori area, well located for sightseeing:

"My favorite place in Rome is the della Lunetta.  It's nothing
fancy, but it's usually clean, the price is right for central
Rome ($70-80 per night), and the location is terrific.  Phone
is 686-1080.  Piazza del Paradiso, 68."

"My favorite is Hotel Campo de' Fiori, a real budget charmer,
via del Biscione, 6.  Rooms are small but have firm beds and
full baths in half the rooms.  Many rooms renovated in late
'80s.  The 'honeymoon suite' on the top floor is not one,
truly, but the room is larger than others and has a roof deck
with a view.  (There is no elevator, and it's six flights
up!)  Rates are around 160,000 for double with bath. Phone:
687-5929 or 687-4886, or fax: [phone]."

"Try the budget Hotel Smeraldo at vicolo dei Chiodaroli, 9.
Rates are L.55,000 to 170,000 for singles to quads.  It's
simple and clean.  Call 687-5929 or fax [phone]."

Many convents provide inexpensive, safe, accommodations.  One
correspondent praises Suore Francescane (Franciscan Sisters),
Via Nicolo V 35, 00165 Roma, phone [phone].  It's located
behind the back (west) wall of the Vatican, a 10 minute walk
from St Peter's Square.  If you make reservations in advance
(recommended) you can include a check in U.S. dollars
(e.g.$50) to avoid their having to write back asking for a
deposit.  (They use the Vatican bank so dollars work fine).  A
single ran Lit.40,000 in November '94.  Doubles and family
rooms available.  Rooms have a sink, but the bath is down the
hall.  Sister Helen Agnes, from Hawaii, runs the operation and
can often provide tickets for various Vatican ceremonies
including the weekly Papal audiences.

EATING

Italian food for most Americans  means heavy tomato sauces,
and an excess of garlic, oregano and red pepper.  This style
is largely based on a (somewhat faulty) recollection of
southern Italian (e.g. Naples, Sicily) cooking.  Many
objective observers believe the 'haute cuisine' of France
evolved from Italian instruction.  In any event, you're in for
a treat at every lunch and dinner in Rome.

Rome is centrally located in Italy, and its cooking reflects
northern and southern influences.  As well, there are a number
of restaurants specializing in the foods of a particular
region.  Take the opportunity to gain as wide a variety of
experiences as possible.

If you wish a before dinner drink, it's just as well to order
your dinner wine.  Alternatives might include Campari
(Camparisoda) or Cynar.  Campari tastes somewhat like cherry
flavored cough syrup (better!), and Cynar is made from
artichokes - and despite the thought that might raise, is
excellent.  You may prefer them with ice, in which case add
'con ghiaccio' (gee-atch-yo) to your order.  Europeans rarely
drink hard liquor, particularly before dinner, and you'll
likly be disappointed if you order a Manhattan, for example.
If you order a 'martini', you'll likely be served straight
vermouth (which is quite tasty).

Antipastos are quite unlike what you see in the U.S..  Often
restaurants have a table or cart from which to make your choice
- either a single item, or a variety.  We especially enjoy
Frittata (an omelet with many ingredients, but quite beyond an
ordinary omelet), Prosciutto con Melone (or Ficchi (figs) in
season) and Insalata Caprese.  Carciofi (artichoke) alla
Romana is quite popular in the city.

The 'primo piatto' is a chance for experimentation, between
pastas and 'soups'.  'Soup' comes in three varieties: Brodo:
broth, usually with a light touch of pasta, beans or rice;
minestre: an extremely hearty dish, not quite as thick as
stew; zuppa, falling in between the two.  We usually take a
light soup as an opener if we're going to have a meat course.
Try Stracciatella ('egg drop soup') or Tortellini in Brodo.

The veal scallop dishes are special; try Vitello al Limone or
Saltimboca alla Romana (Jump-in-the-Mouth, similar to Veal
Cordon Bleu, but far better).  You'll enjoy Boconcini (di
Vitello), bite-sized veal morsels, often served with peas, or
fresh mushrooms in season.  Many restaurants (especially with
a northern focus) feature chops and steaks (all .very.
expensive).  Bistecca alla Fiorentina is about as big a
grilled (often over a wood fire) steak (roughly a Porterhouse
or T-Bone Sirloin) as you're likely to find outside of Texas.
Veal and pork chops are succulent.  Osso Bucco (veal shanks)
is a special delight.  Rognoni or Fegatto kidneys or liver
(veal preferred)) are prepared with a special touch.

Salads (normally eaten after the main course) are
outstanding.  Insalata Verde is a green salad, never with
lettuce or tomato, but including many greens, some of which we
consider weeds.  Insalata Mista contains a more varied
selection.  Tomatoes in salad are not common; if you find an
Insalata Pomodoro to order, tomatoes are likely to be the only
ingredient.  Deep-fried zucchini are a common Italian
vegetable dish, and always excellent.

Pasta choices are so many they'll make even the most supremely
decisive person pause for thought before ordering.  You
can't go wrong.  You'll not find spaghetti and meatballs
anywhere - it's not Italian!  Carbonara, Amatriciana and
Arabiata are all favorite 'sauces' you'll rarely find in the
U.S., served with many different pastas.  Tortellini in cream
sauce makes a quite filling dish, as does Fettuccine al
Alfredo (whether or not taken at any of the three 'original'
Alfredos).  'Bolognese' is as close as you'll get to an
American 'Spaghetti with Meat Sauce'; it's made with a tasty
ragu, not hamburger, and, in Bologna, never served with
spaghetti - usually tagliatelle.

Two dishes you'll often find on the menu, but which, if not,
they'll often happily prepare: Mozzarella and Tomato Salad
(Insalata Caprese), and Bruschetta.  Mozzarella, made from
'Buffalo' milk (a progenitor of our cattle) is made fresh
twice daily (for lunch and for dinner) and is completely
unlike the vulcanized rubber blobs used for U.S. pizza.  The
dish is dressed with oil, vinegar, and basil.  Bruschetta is a
toasted slice of peasant bread, covered with olive oil, rubbed
lightly with garlic, and covered with chopped fresh tomatoes.
Peasant food, but regal.

For dessert try Macedonia (fruit salad, but fresh, not
canned), healthy and delightful, or Crema Caramella (egg
custard with caramel) (flan in Spain) for your sweet tooth.

In many areas (e.g. Piazza del Popolo or via Veneto) you can
follow dinner with a Capuccino at a nearby (tiny) table on the
sidewalk and enjoy the passing people parade.

RESTAURANTS

Our .most. favorite restaurant has been Girarrosto Toscano
(Tuscan spit) via Campania, 29.  (Around the northeast corner
of the top of the via Veneto.)  Fairly expensive.  Expect to
pay as much as $75 per person.  Unless you tell them to stop,
they'll start by serving an outstanding antipasto selection.
Frequented by celebrities (e.g. Pavarotti.)  Excellent steaks
and veal chops grilled over an open fire.  Give up food for
two days to afford this.

Al Moro, near the Trevi Fountain.  Specialty is Spaghetti al
Moro - excellent.  Somewhat pricey, it opens late for lunch at
1:00pm.

Giovanni, on via Marche behind the Excelsior hotel.  Quite
good food.  Warm, friendly owner.  Good service.  Moderate
prices (actually almost inexpensive for the area.)

Ristorante Abruzzi, via Vaccaro, 1 (at end of Piazza Santi
Apostoli).  A best buy.  Located about mid-way between the
Trevi Fountain and Trajan's Column.  Small restaurant.  Run by
same family for all of the 30+ years I've been going there.
Quite inexpensive.  Cannelloni Abbruzi the specialty, but
everything well-prepared.  (Get there early for the specialty;
they run out early!)

Piccolo Mondo, via Aurora, 39, near via Veneto, and across the
corner from the Hotel Boston.  Well-known.  A quite varied
menu.  If you stay latish of an evening and are gregarious,
you'll likely enjoy an impromptu guitar songfest.

Giggi Fazzi, via Lucullo, 22, near American Embassy.  A
favorite of Julie's.  Just okay by me.

La Rampa, just behind American Express in Piazza Mignonelli at
the foot of Trinita dei Monti (Spanish Steps).  Convenient if
shopping Gucci and the via Condotti area.  One of .the. best
antipasto tables in Italy.

Ambasciata d'Abruzzo, via Pietro Tacchini (Peter Turkey
street!) in the Parioli district.  Haven't been for years, but
still recommended by acquaintances.  Fixed price meal that'll
add 5 pounds. Too much to eat.  Good quality.  Specialties,
wines, liqueurs, from the Abruzzi region.  Fun.  Rustic.

Peppone, via Emilia just south of via Lombardia.  Had to ask
Julie for name.  I usually just ask her if she wants to go to
her 'favorite restaurant.'

Casina Valadier, in the Pincio overlooking Rome.  Nice place
for lunch or lemonade on a summer day.

Copyright 1995  E. J. Gehrlein  ([e-mail])

FROM 'THE FRUG'

Additions from Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet.  I've  not
been  to any, but they match other recommendations and seem
reliable:

Da  Franco. A seafood house. Fixed price. "Just great and
inexpensive for what you get."  Via dei Falisci and Via degli
Equi.

Edmondo, an old Roman-style house specializing in
innards.(!!)  Not expensive,  filled with locals.
Circonvallazione Clodia, 90.  Tell Edmondo that Jeff Smith sent
you.

Da Pancrazio, on the site of the assassination of Julius
Caesar.  Campo de' Fiori (flower market.)  Very nice, a little
formal, good food, somewhat expensive.

La Carbonara, Campo de' Fiori market square.  "...one of the
best antipasti tables I have ever seen."  Moderate in price,
by Roman standards.  Have the Pasta alla Carbonara.  (Spaghetti
(or Penne) with Italian bacon, egg and  grated cheese.)

Romolo, with good food and price a little more than
moderate.  Via di Porta Settimiana, 8.

Piperno, very famous restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto.  Ask
directions and bring lots of money.  "The food is just
terrific."

Da Giggetto al Portico d'Ottavia.  (Also the address.)
Moderate in price (and well regarded for years.)

Vecchia Roma, near the Jewish Ghetto at Piazza Campitelli,
18.  One of the "best restaurants you will find in Rome."
Expensive, but worth it.

Cesarina.  Via Piemonte, 109.  Medium expensive.

Er Moccoletto near the American Embassy.  Wonderful food and a
charming atmosphere.  Great antipasti table.  "Fairly
expensive, but worth the price." Via Lucania, 35.

Buon Viaggio e Ciao.