Guesthouse Arco de’ Tolomei is one of those little gems you find every now and then. It’s a quirky little B&B on the 3rd floor of an old house on a cobbled street, a couple of hundred meters from the Tiber in the less touristy part of Trastevere. It’s a half hour walk north along the right bank to the Vatican City, and the centre of Rome is just over the bridges at Tiber Island. Rome is an easy city to walk around, and the location is both convenient and quiet.
Our room was on the upper floor, and we had a terrace overlooking the wisteria that drapes the rear of the building – sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon. The room itself was pleasantly furnished with some tasteful bric-a-brac, it had air conditioning, and the bed was comfortable. Breakfast is taken at a communal table, and the choice was a typical continental breakfast though we can recommend the home-made conserves, and particularly the polenta cake.
The owners, Marco and Gianna, are an absolute delight, and could not be more welcoming or more helpful. Marco knows all the local restaurants, who owns them, who used to own them, whether the food has benefited from the change in ownership, and what the best dishes are. He will help you plan your trips into the centre of Rome, and helped us to visit places slightly off the standard routes that were just wonderful.
When we next go to Rome, our choice of accommodation is already made.