Hotel Manfredi by Jamie Dunford Wood

If you can afford or don’t appreciate the trendy space age look of the Hotel Art, go next door and take the old fashioned elevator to the 3rd floor and discover an 18 room hideaway, recently renovated and run with friendly enthusiasm, rare for Rome. There are two minor drawbacks - the décor is somewhat OTT, with plastered corridors and heavy red and yellow fabrics in the rooms; and only three of them have tubs. But for price, attitude and position, the Manfredi comes recommended. The rooms are generally light, and it’s on a wonderfully quiet street, hard by the Spanish Steps. The Hotel Forte downstairs has a similar layout but is not quite so much fun.