Villa della Fonte

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The five-room Villa della Fonte is a family-run, splurgeworthy jewel located just around the corner from the super-central Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. What its 18th-century structure lacks (namely, an elevator), it makes up for in pure charm. Old black-and-white photos of chubby-cheeked kids line the walls, and a wealth of travel guides (in English) are at the guests' disposal.

Rooms are bright and welcoming, with polished cotto floors, walnut furnishings and bedcovers that change with the seasons (yellow in the summer; forest green in the winter). Bright, modern bathrooms come equipped with toiletries and fuzzy cotton slippers. While all rooms face the street, Room Four and Room Five boast views of the piazza, and, thus, are always the first to go.

Simona and her mother, Marisa, keep guests happy and well-fed. In addition to the complimentary Italian-style breakfast, mama Marisa will gladly run to the grocery store and bring back "Anything they want!" for the cost of the food plus a minuscule service fee. Bacon and eggs, here we come! Weather permitting, breakfast is served on a terrace, which runs the length of the hotel. The orange blossoms, bougainvillea, and ivy trellises are hard to resist.

» Annie Shapero

Note: This hotel was visited by a EuroCheapo editor. This review is based on cleanliness, location, price and overall quality. EuroCheapo did not charge this hotel to be listed.