We booked one night at the Hotel Prati since we needed accommodations just for Christmas Eve. For those of you who hope to attend the Christmas Eve service at St. Peter's or the next day's Pope blessing, a close hotel location is essential since it is next to impossible to find transportation once the service is out at midnight. Hotel Prati is literally 5 blocks from the Vatican.
So, we booked our room (triple) and it was perfect at a very reasonable cost. The room was very clean, small but efficient, the beds were comfortable (sheets/duvet), TV included BBC news channel (only English channel), and the bathroom equipped with all essentials. Free WIFI and breakfast was included in the room rate.
The staff were so kind to make calls on our behalf while we were at the hotel trying to locate our missing luggage with the responsible airlines. They called taxis on Christmas Day for us and even offered to hold our luggage in their lobby closets for free after check-out. They were exceptionally friendly which was appreciated.
So, in summary, plan your next Christmas vacation in Rome and plan to stay at this hotel. Request your Papal Service tickets in advance (they are free and do not expect to find any tickets on Christmas Eve) and enjoy the inspiring Christmas Eve service and then you can easily walk to your hotel to have a good night's sleep to hear the Pope's speech/blessing the next morning.
Hotel Prati was the best idea we had for the entire trip.
- Prati Hotel Rome
