Saskia O’Donoghue

Living la dolce vita rarely comes cheap. There are Vespas to hire, ancient ruins to gawp at, Negronis to sip in Rome’s best bars and plates of truffle-topped pasta calling your name. But prioritising a cheap hotel in Rome doesn’t have to mean exiling yourself to a soulless suburb. And, guess what? Some of the city’s best stays are surprisingly budget-friendly. Think art nouveau villas turned B&Bs in elegant Parioli, tech-smart crash pads near the Pantheon and even former palaces a stone’s throw from Piazza Navona. Here are the best cheap hotels in Rome right now. 🛏 Check out the best Airbnbs in Rome How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world – new openings, old classics and everything in between – to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best places to stay in Rome

A city that has seen travellers pass through for millennia, you could say Rome has mastered its sense of hospitality over the ages. Italians are passionate people eager to break bread with you at the table, welcome you into their home and help you discover the wonders of their country. So it’s no surprise that the Eternal City is filled with hotels that transmit their warm spirit and elevate it with friendly service, style and classic Italian flair. If you’re looking for a place to stay, look no further. With handpicked the best hotels in Rome flaunting local charm, excellent amenities and ideal locations for exploring the city. Whether you opt for a quirky boutique hotel in the heart of Monti, a historic palazzo near the Trevi Fountain or a palatial resort with views of the Vatican, this list has you covered. Here are our favourite hotels in Rome, reviewed by our experts.  📍 Discover our ultimate guide to the best places to stay in Rome How we curate our hotel lists Our team of writers and travel experts review hotels all over the world – new openings, old classics and everything in between – to bring you fresh, honest recommendations, all year round. We have reviewed many of the hotels featured below, but we may not have stayed at every single one. Any we haven’t stayed in have been selected by experts based on their amenities, features, pricing and more. By the way, this article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more inf

Any city break can soon bust a budget – and that’s absolutely the case in Rome. Some savvy travellers will be looking to cut corners when it comes to a place to lay their weary head after a day of exploring the Eternal City. Enter: Generator Hostels, which currently have 16 properties across Europe (including London, Barcelona and Amsterdam), and tend to dominate the ‘budget stays’ market. That’s thanks, in part, to offering private rooms at affordable rates in areas which provide a convenient base for exploring the city. The private rooms here don’t are no luxury affair, but are available at competitive prices and provide decent value in an expensive city.  While there are cheaper guesthouse options available in Generator’s rough-around-the-edges Esquilino neighbourhood, what sets this place apart is the friendly staff, who man a reception desk 24-hours a day, the excellent rooftop bar and the friendly, community vibe. Expect meet-and-greets, game nights and karaoke parties – ideal for solo travellers who want to get out there, make friends, and probably do at least a bit of partying.  Why stay at Generator Roma? Let’s be clear: Generator Roma is not a glamorous destination, but if you’re looking for an affordable, no-frills option with good transport links, it ticks the right boxes. Opting for a private room means you’ll get relative seclusion while being able to meet fellow travellers. You will probably feel old, as the place is packed with backpacking teenagers, but I did

Some hotels are plain posh. Some are able to edge into the five star bracket due to their facilities mega-offering. The five star spots that truly stand out are those where excellent service is the priority – and that’s the case at Portrait Roma.  Part of the Ferragamo family’s Lugarno Collection, this property has just 14 rooms and relatively few amenities, but still manages to stand out from the crowd. In a city where luxury is often synonymous with grandeur, Portrait Roma offers a refreshingly intimate experience in Rome, embodying the timeless elegance that its founder, Salvatore Ferragamo, built his legacy upon. I entered and staff refused to let me touch my bags. Instead they sat me down in the comfortable reception lounge, brought me a chilled sparkling water and offered a selection of macarons.  Why stay at Portrait Roma? Like the Lugarno Collection’s other hotels, its interiors were created by Florentine designer Michele Bonan, and the result is a classic-yet-modern affair with subtle nods to Ferragamo’s history. Think framed sketches from the company’s archives in the hallways, Ferragamo’s quotes in the lift, and horsebit designs on the insides of each room’s curtains – inspired by the brand’s loafers.  Located on the achingly glamorous Via Bocca di Leone, Portrait Roma offers guests a real home-away-from-home experience right in the city centre (you’re literally minutes from the Spanish Steps) – an ideal base for sightseeing, shopping and all the rest of it.   What

Look around you as you enter Bulgari Roma, and you’ll spot a once-sumptuous tomb of the Emperor Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire. It’s the perfect introduction to this hotel – although its history is significantly more recent. In fact, the newest hotel in the Bulgari group has been open for just over two years and occupies an enormous 1930s rationalist building. Impossibly elegant interiors were designed by top Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel. Oh, and the entire place smells fabulous – one of Bulgari’s signature moves.  Located in the quiet-but-luxurious Campo Marzio neighbourhood (which is particularly well-known for its big-brand shopping – the brand’s Via Condotti store is nearby), you’re in a prime spot for sightseeing, close to the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. Luxury is at its core (this is a Bulgari hotel, after all), but at its new-ish location in the Eternal City, there’s a real attempt to blend the best aspects of ancient and modern Rome in its design.  Why stay at Bulgari Hotel Roma? Since the high fashion house was founded by Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari in 1884, its name has been synonymous with the height of luxury. The company branched out into hotels in 2004, with its first venture in Milan. Today, it has nine properties – in Beijing, London, Paris, Bali, Shanghai, Tokyo and Dubai – and now Rome. While there’s no shortage of five-star hotel options in Rome, Bulgari Roma stands out, with a sleek, con