Alas, Italy is no longer the country of dirt-cheap pensione, with shared bathrooms and swaybacked beds. Most hotels have private bathrooms in the rooms now (if not, my reviews state this), regulations and standardization have become much stricter, and prices have soared.
Hotels are now rated by regional boards on a system of one to five stars. Prices aren't directly tied to the star system, but for the most part, the more stars a hotel has, the more expensive it'll be -- but a four-star in a small town may be cheaper than a two-star in Venice. The number of stars awarded a hotel is based strictly on the amenities offered and not how clean, comfortable, or friendly a place is or whether it's a good value for the money overall.
A few of the four- and five-star hotels have their own private garages, but most city inns have an agreement with a local garage. In many small towns, a garage is unnecessary because public parking, both free and pay, is widely available and never too far from your hotel. Parking costs and procedures are indicated under each hotel, and the rates quoted are per day (overnight).
The high season throughout most of Italy runs from Easter to early September or October -- peaking June through August -- and from December 24 to January 6. You can almost always bargain for a cheaper rate if you're traveling in the shoulder season (early spring and late fall) or winter off season (not including Christmas). You can also often get a discount for stays of more than 3 days. Always ask.
Supposedly, Italian hotels must quote the price for breakfast separately from the room and can't force it on you if you don't want it. However, most hotels include breakfast automatically in the room rate hoping you won't notice, and many also argue that breakfast is required at their hotel. I've tried to include the separate per-person breakfast price for each hotel. With very few exceptions, Italian hotel breakfasts tend to consist of a roll or cornetto (croissant) and coffee, occasionally with juice and fresh fruit as well. It's rarely worth the 3€ to 15€ ($3.90-$20) charged for it, since you can get the same breakfast -- and freshly made instead of packaged -- for around 2€ ($2.60) at the bar down the block. Ask for your room quote with a prezzo senza colazione (pretz-zoh sen-zah coal-lat-zee-oh-nay), or price without breakfast.
House-Swapping -- House-swapping is becoming a more popular and viable means of travel; you stay in their place, they stay in yours, and you both get a more authentic and personal view of a destination, the opposite of the escapist retreat many hotels offer. Try HomeLink International (http://homelink.org), the largest and oldest home-swapping organization, founded in 1952, with more than 11,000 listings worldwide ($75 yearly membership). HomeExchange.org ($49.95 for 6,000 listings) and InterVac.com ($68.88 for over 10,000 listings) are also reliable. Craigslist.org also has an extensive list of housing swap options in Italy, as many Italians are eager to find a cheap vacation alternative in American cities.
