Mecenate Palace Hotel Rome

I recently stayed at the Mecenate Palace for 6 nights while exploring Rome. I booked via Priceline and ended up paying $170/night which is pretty good for a 4 star hotel downtown Rome. The location is only a few blocks from the Termini Rail station, making travel to and from the airport very convenient. It is also directly across from Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and at sunset I highly recommend soaking in the AMAZING view from the rooftop bar. The hotel itself is pretty old. You have to leave your key at the desk when you leave and pick it up when your return. The desk staff is of varying degrees of friendliness. The person working when I checked in was very helpful and remembered who I was and would get my key without me having to ask. Everyone else looked at me like I was a complete stranger when I would walk in. Although I did not spend a lot of time in the room, it was nice and the bed was very comfortable. The restaurant at the hotel is sort of pricey and I did not eat there. There are some good options in the immediate vicinity which I would recommend (particularly the Old Marconi - fantastic pasta!). There is a bus tour company headquartered within a block as well, if you are interested in taking a tour. It is a hop-on/hop-off arraangement and is honestly worth the price just to get around town for a day. There is also a very quaint Irish Pub called the Fiddler's Elbow that is also right around the corner. Overall I would recommend the hotel if you can get a similar deal. If you have to pay full price, I would probably look for something closer to the Piazza Navona / Campo di Fiori area, but that is personal preference.