Hotel Navona is the much, much, MUCH better location. The Hotel Navons neighborhood is more central, more convenient, and more charming. Pretty much walkable to most of what you'll be seeing as a tourist.

Hotel Lancelot is not even in the historic center (which comprises the area WEST of Via del Corso all the way to the river).

Agree 100% with bardo1. Hotel Navona's location wins hands down and also appears to get good reviews.

Thank you both for taking the time and share your knowledge! Happy to announce that I have finalized my reservation with hotel Navona.

I think Hotel Navona is a fine choice, but for future readers who might pull up this thread, the statement that the other hotel "is not even in the historic center (which comprises the area WEST of Via del Corso all the way to the river)" is a pretty startling statement. The area comprising the Colosseum, the Forum, the house of Nero, the original seat of the Vatican (St John in Laterano), the via Appia, the baths of Caracalla is PRECISELY the historic center of Rome. In fact, steps from the named hotel (Lancelot) is the Basilica of San Clemente, where it is possible to go downstairs, under the main floor of the church, and walk the original neighborhoods of ancient Rome -- the schools, near the wells, inside homes, etc.

If you zoom back on a google map, and if you know where the 7 hills of Rome are located, you will see that this area is also the geographic center of Rome and even today pinpoints the geographic center of Rome as defined by the ring road, which roughly follows Rome's old walls.

I didn't see previous threads, so I don't know where the original poster wants to go on their trip to Rome, so saying that the choice of the Navona is "pretty much walkable to most of what you'll be seeing as a tourist" may very well be true. It may seem like a quibble to many, but there is a difference between something being at the center of touristic Rome and something being at the center of historic Rome -- (although many tourists would be much more interested to stay in the historic center, and closer to the metro lines that will take them to the entrace of the Vatican museums).

Like I said, Hotel Navona is a fine choice and some people do find it charms them more than other neighborhoods, while some prefer areas closer to Monti for Roman charm, and still others Trastevere. But there is a constant mistatement on Fodor's that the piazza Navona is "central" and that any area other than the piazza Navona is somehow lacking for tourism. Really depends on what one INDIVIDUALLY wants to do in Rome, and for many people, the piazza Navona isn't convenient or "central" at all.

(I realize I am fighting a losing battle with this when it comes to changing minds among hardened Fodorites, but people planning trips often search back threads and it is better they get a wider picture of what Rome is than the truncated one-kind-of-tourist view on Fodor's).

We stayed at the Hotel Lancelot and would not hesitate to stay there again. There is a lovely rooftop terrace for everyone and also a communal dinner gathering. And yes, very walkable to many sights. And I thought the neighborhood was just enough away from tourist ground zero to make it very comfortable. The one thing that disappointed me a bit was the neighborhood restaurants - except for Pizzeria Lucie, the others didn't "sing" to me. But it wasn't hard to go a bit further afield. I agree that the poster who slammed the location is doing a disservice to this very agreeable hotel.

Thank you again for the additional replies. I agree with you goldenautumn about the location. If this trip is only involving me - I would have chosen Via Capo d'Africa neighborhood for it's ancient atmosphere. But since I am travelling with my husband who is partially disabled I have decided to stay near the Spanish Steps, Trevi, and restaurants. Eventhough he'll be using a wheelchair while sightseeing I still want him to be closed to where most of the sights are near each other.

UPDATE: I canceled my reservation with Hotel Navona after finding out they do not have a lift. Luckily I've found another hotel in the same area [Hotel San Carlo at Via Delle Carrozzo.

Welcome to the club goldenautumn.

I joined the battle in '97 on Usenet (rec.travel.europe).

If you didn't stay in the Campo di Flori, Pantheon, Piazza Navona area it was like you miss everything because everything was walkable from there!
But oddly Trastevere was usually fine also.

That Usenet group is pretty much dead now but there was and still is a poster there with 30+ trips to Rome.

He's never taken a bus or the Metro and has never posted anything about museums, historical sites, daytrips, etc.

He's posted only about 2 hotels and a few nearby restaurants.

But if anyone in the last 16yrs asked about a hotel outside this version of the "historic Center" they would get the same standard response "It's too far away from the "historic center" where you can walk to *everything*."

Ground Zero for the ancient historic center is the Roman Forum.

I stayed at the Hotel Romano right across the street from the Roman Forum and walked everywhere except the Vatican.

The view from my room was of a Medieval Tower directly across the street, panning to the left, the Forum of Augustus, Forum of Julius Caesar, Vitterio Emanuelle Monument, Capitoline Hill, Curia, the structures in and around the Roman Forum Sq. and at 90deg the Temple of Julius Caesar and that corner of the Palatine Hill.
Which was pretty cool while watching HBO's Rome in my hotel room.

But odds are if you asked about that hotel you can guess what some of the replies will be.