I will be there for a week and I'm looking for the best district, for a hotel.

I will be visiting all the usual places but most importantly, I want to stay in a place where I can just walk outside the hotel and find lots to do (without visiting the major tourist attractions). It should have shops, restaurants, etc. The area should be one where it's relatively save to be out and about.

I have looked at travel books and read a lot about places to stay but it's not real clear which area might be best suited for my hotel.

And for this area, if anyone can recommend a good hotel, that they have tried, I'd like to hear about it. It doesn't have to be a 5 star (in fact shouldn't be) but should be nice enough that most would consider it a nice place to stay.

Rome is really spread out, so almost no matter where you stay you'll need to make use of the Rome transportation system to see everything you want to see. On my last trip, I stayed in the neighborhood by the Termini station (on the NE side of the station), and while I didn't have the Pantheon just outside my front door, I did have the major bus stop at the train station. I got everywhere I wanted to go easily & quickly.

Here's something I wrote about sleeping cheap in Rome, which talks about the neighborhood around the train station. You can't walk four feet in any direction without running into a budget hotel or hostel in that area. This is the list of the Rome hostels I stayed in or got tours of, but if you're looking more for a hotel then check out the listings for Rome hotels.

I toured several hotels in that same area around Termini, but haven't had a chance to get all the reviews written up yet! Here's one I have written - for the Hotel Positano - and a couple other places I checked out during my trip (in the same neighborhood):
Hotel Continentale
Hotel Cervia

Thanks,

I'm not concerned about getting to other tourist places. I know I can use public transportation easily enough. My question was with regards to an area where it's safe to walk around, near the hotel, day or evening, and have local sites to see (restaurants, shops, etc). I'd hate to be located in some industrial area, where there is little to see. Sometimes it's just nice to step out the hotel and walk around, without going too far, from the hotel. None of the hotels I have looked at show what the neighborhood is like. Only what the inside of the hotel is like.

Well, if you have a Rome map and you know where the hotel is that you're looking at, you'll be able to tell whether there is stuff nearby to walk to/look at. Italy's cities don't tend to be as centralized as American cities, so even if you're not right in the center you're probably not going to be more than a few blocks (or the equivalent thereof) from a few places to eat, at the very least. Every neighborhood has a corner bar (or seven), and many neighborhoods in touristy cities also have little shops (both for the necessities locals buy and souvenirs) as well.

The neighborhood around Termini, to the NE (where I stayed) isn't terribly pretty, but I felt safe walking around at night (as a woman by myself) and there were plenty of restaurants & cafes within walking distance.

For more charming surroundings, the Trastevere neighborhood is fabulous - but the accommodations over there are either more expensive hotels (I only saw one, in fact) or apartments for short-term rentals. But I think if I were you, I'd look for a hotel that's within walking distance of either the Piazza Navona or the Pantheon (they're not far from one another) for a good combination of charming "old Rome" stuff and plenty of restaurants & shops around. You'll pay more for a hotel in that area, but it sounds like that's less of a concern for you than the location.

I really liked staying in the area around the Forum. I stayed at the Forum hotel. We booked it over the internet, it was a bit pricey though.

When we went out the hotel straight ahead there was the forum. Of course, back in those days (2003) it was open so you could just walk through it. There was a restaurant for breakfast with an open air terrace and you could see into the forum and look at the ruins while you sipped coffee.

If you turned left from the hotel, there was a street with lots of restaurants, stores and gelato. It was just a walk away from the coliseum and from there you have the metro. You could walk the other direction up the hill and find a number of restaurants there too. Basically most of Rome is in walking distance because most of the old cool stuff is concentrated in one area.

I spent 9 days in Rome and really loved it. I predict you will have a great time.

Hi

Here is a Rome Google map that I have made http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy_map.htm . I have stayed at the places that are marked with yellow and you can click on the markers for more info. If you zoom out once you will see a marker for a 1 star hotel that I stayed at a couple of years back. Here is my Rome trip report by the way http://gardkarlsen.com/rome_italy.htm

I also stayed near Termini. Not a beautiful area, but reasonable prices, and transportation at your door step.

And actually if you like walking, which I was more inclined to do when I visited, you can make it to a lot of the sights by foot. Not a short walk mind you!