Hotel Residenza San Calisto

Opened in 2007 as a hotel, Residenza Santa Maria is housed in a restored 18th-century building with ironwork doors, brick archways, wood-beam ceilings, and hand-painted frescoes. Tucked away in the authentically Roman Trastevere neighborhood, the hotel has a simple "country house" feel, as though it's not in the center of a busy city. Guests enter to an attractive lobby with rustic charm. The room features a leather sofa, a mirror, landscape and still-life artwork, and plants and flowers brightening the space. An adjacent sitting area has a parquet floor, red sofa and chairs, and shelves of books. The building's former courtyard has been converted into another sitting room, so there there are plenty of places for guests to relax with a book should the mood strike. The basement breakfast room, a restored ancient Roman cistern, is done in cream and beige tones with splashes of red, and features Roman artifacts found during the hotel's restoration. The hotel draws tourists -- couples and families -- who like the rustic ambience, reasonable rates, and the locals-only feel of Trastevere.

Residenza Santa Maria is on a narrow cobblestone street in the lively and charming Trastevere neighborhood, which is far less touristy than most areas of central Rome. The area is filled with bars, restaurants, and street artists, though staying here sacrifices proximity to the city's major sights. The Belli light rail and bus station are a five-minute walk from the hotel, and for those who don't mind walking, many major tourist destinations are within a half-hour on foot. The heart of Trastevere, Piazza di Santa Maria, is a one-minute walk from the hotel and is home to the 12th-century Basilica di Santa Maria. Piazza di Santa Cecilia and the Basilica di Santa Cecilia are a 10-minute walk. It's an eight-minute walk to the area with the Renaissance-era Villa Farnesina, Baroque Palazzo Corsini, the Orto Botanico gardens, and Gianicolo Hill with superb views of the city. Guests can walk 10 minutes across the Ponte Sisto bridge and Tiber River to reach the Centro Storico and Campo de' Fiori market. Piazza Navona and the Pantheon are 15 minutes away on foot. The Roman Forum and Colosseum are both within 20 minutes by bus, and it's a 10-minute drive or 30-minute bus to reach Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel. Termini Station is a 15-minute taxi ride from the hotel and Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is 25 minutes away by car.

The six all non-smoking rooms at Residenza Santa Maria are housed in a four-floor building with no elevator. The atmosphere is cozy, charming, and rustic, with wood furniture and wood-beam ceilings alongside colorful artwork and floral print bedspreads and curtains. There are pops of red and yellow as well as antiqued walls with hand-painted ivy borders near the ceilings. Rooms are available in Double, Triple, and Standard Suite categories, and are all clean and quiet, though the narrow street outside means not all rooms get good natural light. All rooms come with air-conditioning, safes, electric kettles for coffee or tea, minibars, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with satellite channels. The Wi-Fi signal is strong in public spaces but occasionally weak in some rooms. A few rooms have small patios with wrought-iron chairs, tables, trellises, and plants. Bathrooms are clean and well lighted, with a good amount of space on granite counters. All have rainfall showerheads and bidets plus sharp antique-style fixtures, but some do not have bathtubs. Pets are allowed in certain rooms, with fees and restrictions, and guests should contact the hotel directly.

As a very small residence hotel, Residenza Santa Maria has few facilities on-site. It hosts a free breakfast buffet each morning. The ample spread features scrambled or boiled eggs, ham, salami, cheese, fresh bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries, fresh croissants, yogurt, fruit, juice, and made-to-order coffee and cappuccino. The Residenza also offers laundry service, limited room service, and a lobby computer with free Internet; while the front desk is not manned 24/7, staff is available to be contacted around the clock. The Residenza'a sister property, the Hotel Santa Maria, hosts an evening reception in its cafe-bar and garden with free snacks. Free bicycle rentals are also available at the Hotel Santa Maria. Twenty-four-hour secure parking is available nearby for a fee. Wi-Fi is free throughout, but works best in the hotel's common areas.