I am going to Rome Dec. 11-17 to meet up with my boyfriend, who is studying in Italy. We were there this summer for a weekend, but without advance reservations ended up overpaying for a dingy hostel which ran out of hot water. I'd like to stay someplace a bit nicer and less noisy, but we're both grad. students on a budget. I know hotel prices drop considerably during fall and early December, so I was wondering if it would be cheaper to try and book a simple hotel room, using a $$ off code from Orbitz or Expedia, or rent an apartment for a few nights, which would provide the convenience of having a refrigerator and the ability to not eat out every meal. I found some nice looking places on rentalinrome.com or even on Craigslist. Has anybody had experience with apartment rental, or advice on hotels?