HOTEL SANTA MARIA

Ivy-clad courtyard charmer close to Rome's riches

HIDING IN ROME'S TRASTEVERE DISTRICT, Hotel Santa Maria is a tucked-away gem. Surrounded by tall houses packed hugger-mugger within a labyrinth of uneven cobbled, medieval streets, this former 16th century convent still has the feel of being cloistered away.

We pressed the bell on an anonymous-looking door which snapped open to spill us unexpectedly into a pretty pebbled square filled with light. At the heart is the eponymous courtyard, sprinkled with pretty orange trees and an abundance of flowers. Parasoled tables provide shade but there are pockets where you can sun-soak too. An artisan’s workshop is now the dining room, and we flitted happily in and out with bottles from their well-stocked cellar.

Simple but sweet-as-pie bedrooms and spacious mansard-roofed duplexes open onto Hotel Santa Maria's sunny courtyard. Comfortable, quiet and painted in Mediterranean colours, they share oak furniture, terracotta tiled floors and floral motifs.

Higgledy-piggledy streets

A refectory table groans with breakfast goodies – enjoy your fruit, cheeses and cornetti in the courtyard in summer – and there are plenty of places to dine out locally at night. Come evening, the streets around here fill with the tables of good-value osterias; for dessert we called into one of the icecream parlours for our nightly shot of gelato.

Get lost in the area’s higgledy-piggledy streets, before crossing the river to Isola Tiberina and the old Jewish quarter. Here’s a place in an area with some buzz that feels utterly tranquil.


Hotel Santa Maria was reviewed for Room for Romance by Mike North
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Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.

Dining in
Only breakfast is served but what a breakfast: look forward to goodies such as freshly-baked croissants, scrambled eggs, ham, cheese, seasonal fruit and home-baked cakes. Enjoy the fine Roman weather by eating out in the garden.

The fun starts after dinner in Rome, and you’ll find plenty of late-night clubs and bars in the Testaccio district, where the beat goes on till late in Via di Monte.




See & Do
With its old winding streets and ancient markets, Trastevere has retained much of its pre 19th century character. Talk a walk through this historic part of town to know exactly what old Rome is about. The Vatican is about 20 minutes away and you certainly shouldn’t miss it. Take a boat ride along the Tiber to reach the Sistine chapel, with its  wondrous Renaissance ceilings. Join a guided tour of the Coliseum and hear what it meant to be a gladiator, or simply sit at the top of the Spanish Steps with an icecream. The hotel provides free bicycles for those happy to brave the streets with a slight wobble.

Spa
You can book a Shiatsu massage in your room – perfect for soothing away any bruises inflicted by bustling tourists.

Diary Dates
Easter week
The Vatican draws crowds from around the world to see the Pope’s address. The candlelit Easter procession is another highlight of holy week.

June to September
Estate Romana is Rome’s summer festival, with concerts, outdoor cinema and a variety of gigs.

GETTING THERE

Location
Vicolo del Piede, Travestere 00153 Rome

Parking
There is parking close by for EUR 15 a day

Trains
Trastevere station – 500m

Taxis
EUR 35 from the airport

Airport
Rome Fiumicino – 32km, or Rome Ciampino – 15km

ESSENTIAL INFO

Rates guide
EUR 175 - 310

Open/closed
Open all year

Check-in
3pm

Check-out
Noon

Minimum night stay?
No

Breakfast
Served until 10.30 am

Room service
No

Children
No restrictions

Pets
No

Air conditioning
Yes

Languages
Italian, English

Wedding license?
No

Your contact
Stefano Donghi – owner