Hotel Santa Maria

Press Reviews

Fodor's, January 2008
"A Trastevere treasure, this may be one of Rome's newer hotels but has a pedigree going back four centuries. In parts ivy-covered, mansard-roofed, and rosy-brick-red, this erstwhile Renaissance-era convent has been transformed by Paolo and Valentina Vetere into a true charmer. Surrounded by towering tenements, the complex is centered around a monastic porticoed courtyard, oh-so-prettily set with orange trees -- a lovely place for breakfast. The guest rooms are sweet and simple: a mix of brick walls, "cotto" tile floors, modern oak furniture, and stylishly floral bedspreds and curtains. Best of all, the location is buonissimo -- just a few blocks from the Tiber and its isola."

Travel+Leisure
"It has perhaps the most enviable physical visage of all Roman hotels—a wood and masonry former cloister—where rooms are arranged around an orange grove in the absolute heart of Trastevere. The buildings are low-slung (one or two stories in a neighborhood where most are five) and lend the property a charming country feel; in the 18 guest rooms, floral textiles and simple oak furniture echo the rustic theme. But it’s the ground-level outdoor space—a private, pebbled piazza with tables and chairs just for guests—that makes the Santa Maria such a treasure. Enjoy an aperitivo buffet provided every evening, plus the bar’s full range of cocktails and wines. Cheerful staff can help organize tours and other logistics, and bikes are available for guests free of charge. There’s no Internet access in rooms, but there’s a terminal in the breakfast room where guests can go online at no extra cost."

Karen Brown's Guides
"Trastevere, literally translated as “across the Tiber”, is the most authentically Roman neighborhood of the city’s historic center. Tourists flock here to stroll down the narrow cobblestone streets, visit artisans’ shops, dine in one of the many excellent sidewalk trattorias, or just watch the daily life of locals. What pleasure to have discovered the new Hotel Santa Maria, the first accommodation to speak of in the area, which has proved to be a true winner. Native Romans Paolo and Valentina had the ingenious idea of transforming a plot of open land between the jumble of ancient apartment buildings into a unique one-storey hotel with rooms looking out to two courtyards with orange trees. The couple welcomes travelers as private houseguests, serving a buffet breakfast with freshly baked cakes either out in the courtyard or in the inviting breakfast room/wine bar. Before going out for dinner in one of many nearby favorite restaurants, guests enjoy a glass of wine with nibbles from a local bakery. Bedrooms, each with its own entrance to the outside, are hand painted, with a splash of color on matching bedspreads and curtains, and enjoy amenities such as air conditioning, mini-bar, TV and internet. Bikes are available for guests to use."

Conde Nast Traveler (US)
"Once a seventeenth-century cloister, the Hotel Santa Maria retains an air of quiet in Trastevere. The bungalowesque rooms, which were renovated in 2000, surround a gravel courtyard with orange trees and are all on one level, with the exception of a few that have small lofts. No. 12 is more spacious than the others."

Eyewitness Travel
"An oasis of calm in an area relatively untouched by the onslaught of time, Santa Maria has rooms around a charming courtyard filled with citrus trees, all on the ground floor with tables and chairs outside, creating a relaxed ambience. A wine bar serves snacks and drinks. One room is adapted for the disabled."

Guest Reviews

Reviews are only from people who have stayed there and booked through i-escape.

• “We really like the courtyard with the orange trees, the service was great, the breakfast was pretty good and having things like free (and fast) Wifi is always nice. The area is brilliant, would definitely stay there again.
  
  The walls were quite thin between our room (1) and one next to us and we could hear a lot of door slamming (but maybe we just had very heavy handed neighbours).
  
  The Piazza di Santa Maria in Travestere is a beautiful little square (and the people watching there definitely rivals that of Piazza Navona). The cafe directly opposite the church was lovely, with much better service and food than establishments in those spots usually have. I'd recommend grabbing a couple of Peroni's and sitting on the fountain steps late afternoon for an hour or so - we got into some great conversations with the locals (bohos and hobos :) And the restaurant on the corner of the road that leads from the square and the Vicolo delle Piede is 24 hour, decent food and good value.”
  Jo, United Kingdom (31.07.11)

• “Terrific value. Excellent service.”
  William, United States (30.05.11)

• “Our family of 5, with 3 young boys, had the most delightful time at Hotel Santa Maria. We arrived late at night and not only was the accommodation exactly what we needed, they welcomed us by name. The location is a great mix of quiet streets yet being fully accessible to all the sites and especially some fantastic, and reasonably priced, restaurants. The staff couldn't have been more attentive and helpful. We will be recommending this hotel to anyone who will listen. Thanks for a great 4 days in a wonderful city.”
  Jennifer, United Kingdom (02.05.11)

• “I enjoyed staying in Santa Maria; the location is perfect, rooms very comfortable and it's lovely to have breakfast in the courtyard with orange trees. I was only slightly annoyed with the lack of timely communication from the reception regarding early check in (I asked twice if that would be a problem; no answer - only to find out upon arrival that it will be a problem and we'll have to wait for 4 hours for the room to be ready. And then nobody bothered to tell us once it was ready.) Apart from that, everything else was fine. It is a very nice idea to have bicycles available for guests free of charge. I would stay there again and recommend it to other people.”
  Sanja, United Kingdom (01.09.10)

• “Difficult to get to it by car (had to do some illegal turns otherwise not possible) since it is really in the middle of the happening area of Rome's nightlife.”
  Patrick, Singapore (24.07.09)