After my husband and I decided to take spend two nights in Rome before our 13 day cruise throughout Italy, I spent literally a few months on and off researching the perfect hotel to stay in for one day in front of the cruise and one day after.
I asked friends, checked the internet, read reviews for so many places, etc and then said, "I'm so confused..I will just go through Priceline and ask for a four star hotel in central Rome. How bad can it be????" Anyway, I plugged in the details with a very reasonable bid and was granted the Mecentate Palace HOtel.
I was thrilled because this was one of the ones that I had marked as a favorite (with about 20 others) so I thought it was a great move. From there I read all there was about it, checked it's location, etc. and was ready.
I have to tell you that this hotel was perfect in everyway. The location in the center of Rome was near restaurants, shops, and numerous gelato stores. The hotel was quaint, really continental and the service and staff was outstanding.
The room had a wonderful oversized queen bed and our view was of the basilica across the street which was lit beautifully at night.
Food on the rooftop terrace was very good, even though the menu did not have many choices.
Questions asked to the front desk agents, who also serve as the concierge, were answered with much concern for you r understanding and enjoyment. The rooftop breakfast was very good again, with a wonderful view of the city.
Would I stay there again? You bet!!! It's defintiely worth a visit.

My mother and I won a trip to Rome from The 1928 Jewelry Company. We had been told by many people that had visited Europe that the hotels weren't like the ones at home. The company was making our hotel reservations and we worked together on picking the hotel... The Mecenate Palace was a great decision. It felt just like home. The front desk staff spoke perfect English ( communication was a concern for me). They were kind, helpful and professional. Carlos, Roberto, Pasquale and Alberto were terrific (i hope i have those names right) ... but everyone on the staff was polite and professional. The hotel offers transportation to and from the airport (110 euros rt) Very convenient. The rooms were clean with crisp white linens and towels.. bring your own washcloth if that's what you are accustomed to. The bathroom was nice and spacious. We had a double bedded room... that means there are 2 twin beds pushed together... keep that in mind if you don't plan on sharing the same bed with your travel partner. The hotel offers breakfast ... it was a great mix of items. Light but filling. We ate dinner in the hotel's rooftop restaurant... a little costly for chicken w/green salad and steak w/spinach... 44 euros... 78 USD when I checked my AMEX. But the food was good and we were on vacation. There's a great gelato shop a few doors down and a nice restaurant on the corner. The Santa Maria Maggiore is across the street and absolutely beaufiful. The train/bus station is a short walk. There are shops conveniently located within the hotels view if you need common items... snacks, water, personal items, calling cards, etc. I enjoyed opening my window and looking out on the street as the day got started. The hotel just had a nice feel to it. I would recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Rome.

We went to this hotel for 3 nights for our Honeymoon and we had a great time. We booked the stay through Expedia so we didn't have any of the trouble that some of the other people have had with different rates etc. Our room was in the newer annexe where you have to come out of the hotel and go down the street a little. It was super clean and very quiet away from the road although we had initially hoped to stay in the main part of the hotel as it looked as though it had more character I think the annex beds sound alot more comfortable and the rooms are alot quieter. The breakfast in the roof top terrace was a big highlight the views are great. We didn't eat any meals in the restaurant as there are so many great places to choose from in Rome. We found the location to be good not far to walk to the major sights and less than a 10 min walk from the train station. The pick up and drop of sightseeing bus stops just beside the hotel if you want to use it and there is a tourist information booth just beside the hotel. The staff at breakfast were friendly enough.We really enjoyed our stay here and would recommend it to others.

Pros:

- Great location for train station (10 minutes walk), metro stops (5 mins) & sights (colosseum, forum within 20 mins). Tasty ice cream bar next door, and many restaurants in the vicinity.
- Helpful, friendly staff: no problems in asking them to contact our next hotel for a reservation confirmation. Excellent English.
- We had a clean, spacious room, including whirlpool bath & PAYG internet.
- Rooftop terrace breakfast very enjoyable (although you need to stand and peer over the balcony to truly appreciate the view). Supplement for cooked breakfast.

Cons:

- Our room could have done with a bit more soundproofing. Not bad, but corridor noise very audible.
- We were given a room in a seperate block 30 secs walk down the street from the hotel. No real problem (there was an attendant located in our block in case we needed assistance), but it meant we had no view. It could have been irritating if it was raining as we went to breakfast.

Overall, a really enjoyable experience: thoroughly recommended, especially for the location.