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Hotel San Francesco: Traveler Reviews


Via Jacopa de_ Settesoli, 7, 00153 Rome, Italy
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93% Recommend
4.5 of 5 stars 247 reviews
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An elegant hotel in a quiet corner of Trastevere

Hotel San Francesco

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4 of 5 stars
City99   58 contributions
Manchester, England
Dec 4, 2009 | Trip type: Friends getaway

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the otherwise bustling Trastevere district, a block or so away from the Tiber, this hotel totally lived up to the reports from previous postings on TripAdvisor. There were only a few reminders that the hotel was once a seminary; however you can hear the sound of the bells from the adjacent church (which weren't a problem at night but do help you to get up in the morning) and the view at the back of the hotel looks out over a small cloister. We found the staff to be courteous and friendly.

Parking cost around €25 per night in the garage just down the next street, and there was a small good value supermarket down at the end of another street leading away from the hotel. During our stay we used a variety of public transport-the nearby tram on Viale di Trastevere which takes you to Largo Argentina was most convenient for reaching the Central area, though we also used a bus from just across the Tiber to the Vatican which took 45 minutes. The hotel is pretty far from the Metro however, the nearest stations took at least 25 minutes to reach by foot.

Trastevere was very lively and fun in the evening and was only a brisk 10 minute walk away from the hotel. The immediate vicinity around the hotel felt relatively safe, though after dark was a little on the quiet side.

The lobby was decorated in a grand style, but the room we had was less so. There were some nice features, such as a large bathroom with tub and good quality toiletries, comfortable beds and big fluffy pillows, but the lighting was a little drab, the bedroom was on the small side and the TV was outdated. As other reviewers had noted, the Wifi was temperamental. However, the room was clean and the air conditioning worked well.

We were particularly impressed with the roof terrace, which was a lovely place to sit for a drink or two before bedtime, under a large canvas canopy and looking out over the Aventine Hill. The service up there was charming too. Breakfast was also of a good quality with a nice buffet laid out on the ground floor looking out over the cloister.

Our overall impression of the hotel was positive and the hotel definitely met our expectations.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay October 2009
  • Visit was for Leisure
  • Traveled with With Friends
  • Member since June 30, 2007
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: €187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
Exellent place!

Hotel San Francesco

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5 of 5 stars
Geirogco   2 contributions
Kristiansand
Nov 27, 2009 | Trip type: Couples

Typical italian hotel . Clean rooms and a good breakfast. (a lot of cakes..!)
We could walk to the city, the staff where friendly and they have a beautiful place at the top.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay October 2009
  • Visit was for Leisure
  • Traveled with With Spouse/Partner
  • Member since October 15, 2009
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: €187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
A great find in the heart of Rome

Hotel San Francesco

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5 of 5 stars
Keith_Montgomery   14 contributions
London, England
Nov 7, 2009 | Trip type: Business, Solo travel

I stayed 2 nights at the San Francesco and came away feeling fortunate to have discovered this gem of a hotel. This is the perfect "3-star experience" for those who don't require the luxury of a 5-star hotel, but want something better than bare-bones budget accommodation.

I found the staff to be friendly and helpful, the room clean, the bed comfortable, and the bathroom modern.

The breakfast was an impressive array of breads, pastries, cheeses, meats, yogurt, and cereal. Each carafe of coffee is prepared individual and served alongside steamed milk.

The location can't be beat. I'll definitely be staying at the San Francesco on my next visit to Rome.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay November 2009
  • Visit was for Business
  • Traveled with Solo Traveller
  • Member since April 11, 2006
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: €187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
Good choice (but typical internet hassle)

Hotel San Francesco

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4 of 5 stars
CyrusL   20 contributions
San Diego
Oct 23, 2009 | Trip type: Couples

This is a good hotel in a good quiet location, away from the immediate hustle bustle but still close to the heart of things. If you are healthy, you can easily walk to all the sites in Rome. Even the Vatican and Spanish Steps are not that far away; we never took a bus, a tram, or any other transportation.

Our room was somewhat small but the ceiling was high and the third floor view over the neighboring convent was pleasing, especially at sunset. Arguably the bathroom is nicer than the bedroom -- spacious, with a big shower, a friendly sky colored motif, and a big window for good ventilation. Moreover, the bed was good, not overly firm like most Italian beds. It was also a true queen rather than two singles pushed together which sadly is often the case for so-called matrimonial beds.

The walls were a bit thin, but our neighbors were mostly quiet. Also, even though the area is generally quiet, the convent bells begin ringing at 7 am; it might take a couple of nights to learn to sleep through them.

Breakfast was mediocre relative to other Italian hotels that we stayed in. But you can get a cheap and much better cappuccino and pastry at the nearest bar on Via di San Fransesco a Ripa and see a little of the local culture, especially between about 9 and 9:30 am. There is also an organic store near the bar and a little supermarket on Via Carlo Tavolacci where you can purchase fruit to round out breakfast. When the concierge saw us return with food one morning he seem to nod to himself as in "oh yes, they have figured it out" unlike the Germans hurrying down to breakfast room at the crack of dawn. Via di San Fransesco a Ripa also has a laundry.

Two minor issues. This hotel is stingy with soap. We had to share one little bar between the shower and the sink. After three days we had finally worked up to a nearly new bar in both the shower and on the sink. It felt like a triumph.

Then there is the internet. It's free but as in most Italian hotels it is a hassle. I don't understand why Italian hotels can't just hand out a WEP/WPA key and perhaps change it once a month or week. Instead many of them have subscribed to a tedious system where you receive a ticket with a username and password good for say 24 hours. Both the username and password are eight (or maybe nine) characters and contain a tedious mix of lowercase and numbers, more suitable to a bank or trading account than mere internet access. Moreover, the system automatically logs you out after some period of inactivity, perhaps an hour, and it often seems necessary to reenter the tedious username and password (I was using an iPod touch). And the same username and password can only be use for one device (MAC address) at once meaning you would need to get a separate one if say both you and your partner have communication devices. Moreover, if you switch between WiFi connections (technically SSIDs) to get a better signal, the system sometimes gets confused and will not even let you get to the http://1.1.1.1/info.html page that shows your connection status. One day I got things to work only by changing the MAC address on my device but inasmuch as that required a jailbroken device and technical know-how, it will be beyond most users.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay October 2009
  • Visit was for Leisure
  • Traveled with With Spouse/Partner
  • Member since July 22, 2008
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Management response from Daniele-HSF, DIrettore
(Management representative)
Oct 26, 2009
Dear CyrusL,
because of the 9/11 all italian hotels that offer internet access must record any client that use it.
That's the reason why we give username and pass.
I know it is hassle but we can not get by that.
Kind Regards,

- Hotel San Francesco
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Average price*: €187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
Can't wait to return

Hotel San Francesco

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5 of 5 stars
Charmed094   1 contribution
Charmed094
Oct 23, 2009 | Trip type: Couples

My wife & I stayed at your wonderful hotel a few weeks ago & I wanted to tell you how great the rooms were. Even more wonderful was the service. Two of your concierges, Max & Valentina, were exceptionally helpful. Both were courteous, polite, well mannered, & always smiled when answering questions. Their restaurant recommendations made for some of our best meals in Italia. Please give them our regards & let them know we appreciate their hard work.

  • My ratings for this hotel
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
  • Date of stay October 2009
  • Visit was for Leisure
  • Traveled with With Spouse/Partner
  • Age group 35_49
  • Member since October 23, 2009
  • Would you recommend this hotel to a friend? Yes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Was this review helpful? Yes
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Average price*: €187 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-45-HOTEL from hotels.com
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Hotel San Francesco Also Known As

  • San Francesco Rome
  • San Francesco Hotel
Address: Via Jacopa de_ Settesoli, 7, 00153 Rome, Italy