9 Hotels for Roman Holidays

Unexpected treat: The three owners (Fabio, Matteo and Deborah) double as well-informed concierges.

Nearby attraction: The Trevi Fountain is about 15 minutes away by foot.

• Daphne Trevi and Daphne Veneto (Via degli Avignonesi 20 and Via di san Basilo 55, 011-39-06-4782-3529, www.daphne-rome.com). $100 to $182.

This American-style bed-and-breakfast with 14 rooms is in two buildings a three-minute walk from each other. Built in 1800 and renovated in 2000, they are a perfect mix of Old World and new. The guest rooms are furnished with the most comfortable beds I found in Rome, complete with fluffy comforters. The breakfast, served buffet-style, is a generous mix of cereals, juices, breads and fruit. Cell phones are offered to guests and air-conditioning is available; TVs are not.

Best For: Travelers who prefer a home-like ambiance to big hotels.

Unexpected treat: In a city of incessant puffers, cigarettes are banned on the property.

Nearby attraction: The Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps are about a 10-minute walk away.

$150 to $200

• Hotel Mozart (Via dei Greci 23B, 011-39-06-3600-1915, www.hotelmozart.com). Rooms, including a copious buffet breakfast, are $190, but the hotel offers 10 percent off reservations booked two months or more in advance and up to 40 percent off rooms available at the last minute.

Almost hidden on a side street near the Spanish Steps, this hotel is a peaceful place in a happening location. The 56 rooms are compact and a bit dated (some toilets flush with pull strings), and the lobby is tiny. But the property has a classic Old European atmosphere, and the staff has the kind of professional graciousness more commonly found on the other side of the Atlantic.

Best for: Travelers looking for the style of early Sophia Loren or Marcello Mastroianni.