The best hotels in Rome
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Rome may be an ancient city, but its hotel scene is as up-to-date as befits the capital of Italy. The city's options span an eclectic mix of design, glamour, and all-out Italian inspiration: A high-minded hostel that’s halfway to being a hotel, the opportunity to bed down in a former monastery, a couple of private penthouse residences with discreet, as-you-please service, and plenty of blow-out luxury abodes, from art-filled villas to sleek new brand-names. To help you get started, we've rounded up the best hotels in Rome, whether you're seeking the best view of the Eternal City or a high-end hostel. Here are our favourite places to stay, to bookmark for your next trip.
What are the best affordable hotels in Rome?
Some of our favourite affordable stays tend to be boutique boltholes and guesthouses, like Passepartout, a modern guesthouse located steps from Piazza Navona. The Hoxton Rome is another great option, found at the base of the elegant Parioli neighbourhood, with enough distance from the crowded city centre but still within close proximity to the city’s most coveted sights. See our pick of the best affordable hotels in Rome for more options.
How we choose the best hotels in Rome
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has visited that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider properties across price points that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination, keeping design, location, service, and sustainability credentials top of mind.
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Bulgari HotelhotelBulgari Hotel Roma, Via Condotti
Featured on our 2024 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Bulgari opened its flagship store on Via Condotti back in 1905, and has finally unveiled a crown jewel flagship hotel in its hometown. Every inch of this instantly venerable institution, a stone’s throw from Augustus’s mausoleum, is adorned with museum-worthy pieces: handcrafted mosaics from Friuli, handblown lamps from Venice’s Murano and Gio Ponti Ginori icons from the 1930s. It all comes with next-level modern comforts: custom mattresses and bedding with a pillow menu; bathtubs fit for a Roman emperor under mosaics in the design of a Bulgari brooch; Dyson hairdryers; and a 21st-century lighting system that’s gratifyingly easy to use. There’s a Niko Romito restaurant (he helms a place in Casadonna with three Michelin stars, and oversees most Bulgari restaurants); a spa with a columned Roman-bath-styled pool; jet-lag-cancelling massages; and a terrace bar with hundreds of plants and views across the Eternal City. A partnership with the Torlonia Foundation facilitates the rotation of priceless statues in the lobby, which sit alongside the brand’s exquisite jewellery. The starting rate is fearfully expensive – well-heeled guests aren’t just paying for the exquisite digs, but sightseeing in vintage Fiat 500s, personal shoppers and a fleet of chauffeured cars. Ondine Cohane
Price: Rooms from about £1,370
Jerome GallandhotelCasa Monti, Monti
Monti is one of the city's oldest and most historically rich districts, with roots tracing back to ancient Rome. Over the centuries, the neighbourhood has transformed from a vibrant yet rough working-class quarter into a trendy, bohemian enclave. Casa Monti has found its place along Via Palisperna, where a 17th century listed building was formerly a private noble residence and later served as a police station, set within the charming aura of Monti. Emulating the essence of an artist’s residence combined with subtle references to an ancient Roman home, the talented Laura Gonzalez introduces a profusion of colours, creative influences and noble materials in each space. There are three distinct colour themes that recur throughout the rooms, presented in the form of wallpaper and textured upholstered beds, complete with lacquered wooden boiserie, playful cornices and a mix and match of terrazzo, travertine tile and carpet floors. Breakfast, lunch and dinner take place in the ground-floor restaurant where, each morning, a delightful spread of food is laid out on the curved marble counter. You can choose to sit indoors, in the quiet internal courtyard or in the small terrace outback. Before sitting down for supper, take a trip to the sixth floor rooftop bar. Not only is the design a painstaking example of Laura Gonzalez’s creativity, but sipping on a cocktail while overlooking the terracotta rooftops of Rome at sunset is truly remarkable. The standout location is on display at the spa too, where you can lie in a marble jacuzzi overlooking the Roman forum before treating fatigued muscles to the Mountain Pine Mood-Boosting Ritual using Suzanne Kaufmann products. Lucrezia Worthington
Price: Rooms from about £300
Six Senses RomehotelSix Senses Rome, Via del Corso
Six Senses has long been associated with its lush, secluded destinations like the Maldives, Thailand, Bali, Seychelles and Oman’s Zighy Bay, for example. The decision to inaugurate the first urban Six Senses property in Rome was partially driven by the owner’s love of all things Italian and is part of a new drive to bring sanctuaries to bigger cities. Set back from Via del Corso, one of Rome’s main arteries, this former noble palazzo, the 18th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, was also a bank before its present incarnation. Now the lobby, with its oval bar and piazza-like restaurant, has quickly become a gathering point for well-heeled locals looking for a post work aperitivo. Guests include those already loyal to the Six Senses brand and Missoni clad fashionistas who have heard about the hideaway’s sizeable wellness offerings. The hideaway, while private, feels less formal than some of its competitors, but less nightclub in lobby too: curious Romans wander in to work remotely, meet a friend for an espresso, or to leaf through the property’s sizable book collection.
Price: Rooms from about £981
Dario Borruto/Palazzo RipetahotelPalazzo Ripetta, Via di Ripetta
One of the few remaining independent five stars in Rome, Palazzo Ripetta embodies the kind of edgy elegance Italian design is famous for. There are 78 rooms and suites carved out of a former convent, bolstered by a recent renovation by Italian architect and interior designer Fausta Gaetani, who cleverly contrasts the ancient 17th-century digs with wild wallpapers, bold colour schemes and gilded sculptures. Located on Via di Ripetta in the historic centre, the hotel is a stone’s throw from cultural sites like the Ara Pacis, Trevi Fountain, and Pantheon. This is one of the most important buildings in Rome; a 17th-century complex that has gone from convent to design icon, thanks, in part, to leading Italian architect Luigi Moretti, who worked on the building in the 1960s. From the moment you enter the lobby, it’s a big visual treat, with meticulously restored artefacts, like the Arnaldo Pomodoro – just one of a few in the world – and a contemporary art collection (the owner’s own) featuring an original Warhol.
Price: Rooms from about £508
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hotelHotel d'Inghilterra, near the Spanish Steps
Initially opened in 1845 as Hotel d’Angleterre, this place became a classic over the 170 or so years that followed. There are 80 rooms, though something about this Rome hotel makes it feel as if there are fewer. Some (the Balcony Suites) are recently renovated, and all have restored antiques throughout. The bar is one of the best hotel drinking spots in the city (the cheerful staff are very good at what they do and take pleasure in applying novel twists to classic cocktails), and Café Romano is an all-day restaurant serving excellent regional dishes and, inevitably, a certain amount of comfort food for homesick travellers. The hotel couldn’t be more central, and the service is exceptionally warm, enthusiastic and attentive. This is a place to book for its right-there-in-the-thick-of-it convenience and its particular quality – specific but difficult to pin down – of intimacy, courtesy and conviviality. Steve King
Price: Rooms from about £633
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Nikolas KoenighotelThe Rome EDITION, near the Spanish Steps
The lighthearted hotel brand, designed by Ian Schrager and owned by Marriott, has finally arrived in Rome, literal steps from the Spanish Steps no less. Rooms are classic Edition (simple but uber comfortable) with Italian flair. Custom beds made with Canaletto walnut, Agape bathroom fixtures, and Carrara marble basins are only some of the Made in Italy touches. All rooms also have a Charlotte Perriand “Indochine” chair and scrumptious Le Labo toiletries. Beyond the rooms you'll find a Jasmin-clad outdoor café and restaurant, a rooftop pool and bar as well as several intimate speakeasy-style bars. Sometimes hotel restaurants can almost be an afterthought but not so at Anima, helmed by self-taught chef Paola Colucci, where I had one of my best meals in Rome in recent memory. Don’t miss her vitello tonnato and spaghetti with datterini tomatoes (not all pomodori are created equal!). Despite its chic style and beautiful local crowd, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the location on a quiet block not far from the Via Veneto creates an intimate, quiet hideaway that’s a safe distance from the tourist hordes. Ondine Cohane
Price: Rooms from about £512
citizenM Rome Isola TiberinahotelcitizenM Roma Isola Tiberina Hotel
It’s always refreshing to find smart, affordable hotels in Rome. The city's new citizenM strikes a balance with pleasingly styled rooms (clean lines, modern furniture), and while they’re not huge, the designers have made the most of the space, with King-sized beds fitted wall to wall, big HD TVs beside expansive windows, and rain showers in the bathrooms. The lobby’s got a colourful art collection, and the canteenM bar is open 24/7. The 162 rooms are smartly furnished with all the essentials and a bit more – we’d call it minimalist-attractive. Rooms are cosy and compact, and the designers have made best use of the space; beds, for example, are enormous with comfortable mattresses and super soft linens. Floor space is sacrificed, but the widescreen TV and super-fast Wi-Fi more than makeup for it. Bathrooms feature powerful rain showers. Everything in the rooms, from the blinds to the lights to the air-conditioning temperature, can be controlled via in-room iPads or the citizenM App.
Price: Rooms from about £216
Mattia AquilahotelPalazzo Vilòn, near Via dei Condotti
It’s no secret that the splendours of Rome are very splendid indeed. Entire streets and squares, monuments, historic buildings, and places of worship – all splendid and available to anyone who cares to look. But naturally, the city also has a great many very splendid and very private places, which, in the ordinary run of things, unless you’re exceptionally well-connected, you’re unlikely ever to set eyes on. Palazzo Vilòn was – until recently – one of these. A great beauty, for those lucky enough to see it. Most of the Palazzo Borghese still belongs to the Borghese family. But there are a few sections of it that don’t. An annexe to the eastern wing was acquired by the Shedir Collection, a hotel group, and opened in 2019 as Hotel Vilòn. Palazzo Vilòn occupies about 1,000 square metres of floorspace (and heaven only knows how many thousands of cubic metres’ worth of airspace), spread over three storeys. There are just three bedrooms – but what bedrooms they are. There’s one on the first floor that’s practically an apartment-within-the-apartment; a second in the former chapel on the raised ground floor; and a third overlooking the inner courtyard of the Palazzo Borghese, full of citrus trees and statuary. A private butler is on hand around the clock to take care of whatever is required – with the assistance of the entire Hotel Vilòn team. Steve King
Price: Rooms from about £685
W RomehotelW Rome, Ludovisi
Featured on our 2023 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Prepare for a W like you’ve never seen before, located in the heart of Ludovisi – a posh, quiet neighbourhood abutting the Villa Borghese and just an arancino’s throw to the Spanish Steps. The brand’s first outpost in Italy captures the exuberant, energetic vibe that W is known for but ditches the dark models-and-bottles aesthetic, opting instead for spaces that look as good by day as they did the night before, while striking the right mix of elevated and playful. Award-winning firm Meyer Davis Studio oversaw the transformation of the property’s two 19th-century palazzi, which now feel thoroughly modern thanks to natural light, pastel palettes, and an alfresco courtyard filled with greenery and fountains.
The rooms – some with views onto the neighbouring Swiss Institute’s lavish gardens – have gorgeous herringbone wood floors, powder-blue walls with pink and navy furniture, and opulent marble bathrooms. But don’t let the hotel’s refined aesthetic fool you – this is still a place to see and be seen. Up on the rooftop, you’ll find a plunge pool (that’s more suited for snapping selfies than swimming laps), as well as Otto, one of Rome’s only rooftop bars. At sunset, it becomes one of the most magical places in the entire Eternal City. Todd Plummer
Price: Rooms from about £346
Courtesy Hotel de Russie/Phot by Janos GrapowhotelHotel de Russie, A Rocco Forte Hotel, near the Spanish steps
From the moment the top-hatted doorman ushers you into the classic-modern space by former Valentino interiors whiz Tommaso Ziffer and Rocco Forte Hotels director of design Olga Polizzi, the sense of being in the foremost place to stay in town is as sharp as the Campari sodas served at the bar. The 120-room hotel just off Piazza del Popolo mixes Art Deco–tinged nods to Rome’s classical past with jazzy homages to Picasso and ballet legend Nijinsky, who stayed here in its previous incarnation. They’re commemorated in signature suites, as is Giuseppe Valadier, the architect behind the palazzo’s terraced garden. This is being restored for the hotel’s 20th anniversary – one of several refreshes that include a health-oriented lightening of the mod-Med menu. The kitchen is overseen by chef Fulvio Pierangelini, who also curates the food at the Stravinskij Bar, which fills with glamorous Romans come aperitivo time.
Price: Rooms from about £1,342
Courtesy Hotel MaalothotelHotel Maalot, Trevi
Hotel Maalot is a five-star hotel that draws a young, upmarket crowd looking for colourful, individually-designed rooms outfitted with modern artwork and flea market finds. The restaurant and lobby area are slightly more soothing, with potted palms and low-slung rattan ceiling fans overlooking silky sofas and tiled tables. The Maalot is a refreshing change of pace from the faded hotels in Rome’s historical Trevi district. The area is a must-see, with its mix of monuments and must-see sights, including the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon, and Piazza Navona.
Price: Rooms from about £463
Christos DrazoshotelJ. K. Place Roma, near the Trevi Fountain
$$J.K. Place is one seriously stylish… well, place. Stride into the lobby and there’s no mistaking you’re in Rome: expect white marble sculptures, bronze lamps, and chunky design bibles on the shelves. It’s elegant and fresh, the kind of place you want to stay forever. Everything’s meticulously designed and totally luxurious here, but what makes J.K. Place so special is that everyone treats you like a star, from the restaurant staff (late for your booking? No problem!) to the receptionist who’ll have your shirt pressed at 1am, because that's when you realised you needed it for the next morning.
Price: Rooms from about £786
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Courtesy Rocco Forte HousehotelRocco Forte House, Piazza di Spagna
The Rocco Forte brand has a reputation for some of the best hospitality in Rome, and that extends to Rocco Forte House. Film stars, musicians and high rollers tend to book into these apartments, drawn to their privacy, location and luxurious rooms. Rocco Forte House is your private hideaway in an 18th century palazzo overlooking Piazza di Spagna. There are just five apartments, with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and dining area – plus a communal rooftop area with the best views in the city. Hungry? Your private chef's on speed dial. Tired? Sink into the bath with bespoke Irene Forte bath products. You’re also smack dab in the centre of it all here, between Piazza di Spagna and Via del Babuino. Via Condotti is home to some of Italy’s best shopping, for those wanting to update their wardrobe.
Price: Rooms from about £2,845
Francisco GuerrerohotelVilla Agrippina, a Gran Melià Hotel, near Vatican City
Rome in summer is glorious, and there’s nowhere better to bed down than at the Gran Meliá Rome, a five-star property on the banks of the Tiber, not far from Vatican City. An olive tree-lined drive takes you past manicured gardens to a vast, pink palazzo, with a soaring, palatial entrance. Inside, polished floorboards and elegant armchairs put you right at ease, while the staff magically whisk your bags to your room. The message is clear: your holiday begins now. Sun seekers will love the pool, while beauty junkies should head to the spa for a satisfyingly firm Swedish massage.
Price: Rooms from about £505
Garry KanhotelThe St. Regis Rome, near Piazza della Repubblica
$$$Marriott invested 40 million euros into renovating this formerly faded property, reimagining it for today with light-filled communal spaces and plenty of glitz. It’s no surprise that well-heeled professionals love the opulence of this grand hotel – not to mention its proximity to Rome’s major sites. First opened in 1894 as "The Grand," the St. Regis was Rome's first true luxury hotel – and it's a mantel the property still holds fast to. Luxury suites feature a myriad of original artwork from the private collections of important contemporary artists, including Luca Pignatelli, Ubaldo Bartolini, and Paolo Fiorentino. Even smaller touches, including Murano glass lamps and original frescos, give each set of rooms their own style and feel.
Price: Rooms from about £905
Gilles TrillardhotelSofitel Rome Villa Borghese, near Villa Borghese
$$Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese is an elegant boutique abode situated in a 19th-century palazzo on the edge of Villa Borghese. It’s regal and grand, with ornate, elegant hallways and classically designed guest rooms. This may be a historic hotel, but it feels brand new, thanks to its recent multi-million-euro makeover. French designer Jean-Philippe Nuel (Molitor, Paris; InterContinental, Marseille) was brought in to re-energise the property, upgrading its 78 rooms and suites, and adding a rooftop restaurant and a fitness centre.
Price: Rooms from about £450
Courtesy DoubleTree by Hilton Rome MontihotelDoubleTree by Hilton Rome Monti, Rome Monti
DoubleTree by Hilton has created a sophisticated Roman space that’s reflective of the city thanks to collaborations with local artists and designers. The brand has managed to keep its 133 rooms feeling local and elegant, with polished wood floors and emerald green sofas. On the roof terrace, soft rattan furnishings sit by potted palms, beneath linen canopies. Staying in Monti has all the perks you’d expect, like its vicinity to major sights such as Teatro dell'Opera (four minutes away on foot) and Trajan’s Market (15 minutes on foot), and Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore (four minutes on foot).
Price: Rooms from about £311
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The Tribune Hotel, a JdV by Hyatt HotelhotelThe Tribune Hotel, a JdV by Hyatt Hotel, near Villa Borghese
This new arrival from Hyatt is shaking up the city’s straightlaced Villa Borghese, with a destination rooftop bar and eye-catching contemporary design. In opening near Via Veneto, they’ve taken inspiration from Rome’s original coffee houses where Rome’s artists, intellectuals and writers gathered to attend literary salons and exchange ideas. From the outside, there’s nothing too exciting about its building. But inside is bursting with energy, bright walls and conversation starters like big, blow up prints of Fellini’s Rome everywhere you look.
Price: Rooms from about £281
Claudio Trasforini/Anantara Palazzo Naiadi RomehotelAnantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel, Piazza della Repubblica
$$Luxury Thai brand Anantara recently took over this property, formerly part of the NH hotel brand – and what a change they’ve made. Given Anantara’s status as a go-to retreat for upmarket travellers looking for local experiences and stories, it’s not surprising that their first Italian property attracts a similar clientele, decked out in comfortable clothes ideal for exploring – think designer brand polo shirts and Tods loafers. Don’t leave without experiencing Anantara’s signature spa treatments, inspired by the ancient Roman Baths. Pro-tip: stop by the rooftop plunge pool, with its Instagram-worthy views over Rome, before the crowds arrive.
Price: Rooms from about £546
Courtesy Hotel de la Ville, A Rocco Forte HotelhotelHotel de la Ville, A Rocco Forte Hotel, near the Spanish Steps
If Rocco Forte’s first foray in the Italian capital, the suave Hotel de Russie, is Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg all dressed up in La Dolce Vita, this peppy cousin is Roman Holiday’s Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck buzzing around town on a Vespa. Located at the top of the Spanish Steps, it’s a head-to-toe overhaul of the InterContinental de la Ville, a once-glamorous address that had become increasingly staid. There’s nothing staid about Tommaso Ziffer’s new interiors: 20 years on from his debonair, Art Deco-tinged work on De Russie, he’s in a playful mood. Nests of convex mirrors, wallpaper studded with digital reproductions of antique prints, deft touches of chinoiserie, coffee tables topped with computer-generated mosaics, colours that range from powder blue to deep plum – it’s the Grand Tour on acid. The decorative verve and brio helps to make up for the fact that not all of the 104 rooms have full-on city views (for those, check into a Panoramic Suite or the swoony top-floor space). But the millennials who are already flocking to this good-looking Roman berth are unlikely to complain. Silk Road-inspired cocktails at the Julep bar and the smart updates of traditional dishes served in the hotel’s chic, streetside Da Sistina restaurant focus the mind on the inner view. De-stress from a long day of culture slogging with a Mediterranean Mudding Ritual in the soothingly penumbral spa. Lee Marshall
Price: Rooms from about £1,357
Antonio Saba/Courtesy Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria ResorthotelRome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Monte Mario
Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria Hotel set on 15 acres with views to St. Peter’s, is both a lavish escape and a perfect city-break address. The lack of neighbourhood action is more than made up for by a world-class art collection and La Pergola Rome, one of the best restaurants in the capital. Arriving at the Cavalieri feels a bit like stepping into Rome’s bygone era, a time of endless manicured gardens, cheery butlers, and azure swimming pools where cocktails can be taken at any time of the day, darling. The swimming pools are as close to outdoor swimming as it gets in Rome, ensconced among hundreds of acres of greenery. It’s perfect for a post-sightseeing paddle and, best of all, the smartly dressed waiters bring you trays of ice-cold cocktails while you sunbathe. Room service gets a makeover at the Rome Cavalieri – there’s the fifteen-course Imperial Breakfast, complete with quail eggs, black truffles, and pineapple carpaccio – or the silver service lobster, which comes with a side order of 500 white roses. Fashion mavericks can even learn how to make their own Italian sandals from a Roman shoemaker – just remember to unleash your inner Italian superstar and add some clunky diamanté bling to your new toe tappers.
Price: Rooms from about £403
Courtesy Portrait RomahotelPortrait Roma, Via dei Condotti
Portrait Roma, from the Ferragamo family, is as pretty as a picture. On one of Rome’s most fashionable streets, Via Bocca di Leone, mahogany doors open to a shiny hallway, complete with big, blown-out black and white snaps of Salvatore Ferragamo himself. Up the stairs, the photographs keep on coming, leading to rooms as chic as the entrance – though it’s the personal touches that make it truly stand out. You can invite your friends up for a private party on the hotel terrace, or take advantage of the complimentary shopping card, which gives guests a 10 percent discount at Rome’s most stylish boutiques – with extra-sweet benefits if you shop at Ferragamo.
Price: Rooms from about £957
Courtesy Fendi Private SuiteshotelFendi Private Suites, near the Spanish Steps
The owners of Fendi Private Suites must have emptied a marble quarry – or five – during its construction because the hotel’s public spaces are absolutely plastered with the stuff. Huge windows and mirrors sit in red marble frames, golden blocks form chunky tables, and the reception desk is five massive pieces sat higgledy-piggledy atop one another. It’s grand and solid, angular and elegant, which is no less than you’d expect after walking in from the imposing architecture of 18th-century Palazzo Fendi outside. Also, breakfast is complimentary, even if you order it to your room. Do this. Do this every day. The menu is amazing, the food is incredible, and everything tastes ten times better when you eat it in bed, while drinking an espresso from the equally complimentary espresso machine.
Price: Rooms from about £839
Beatrice FlorihotelThe Pavilions Rome, The First Musica, Prati
Located on the banks of Tiber, The First Musica stands out from Prati’s grand old palazzos with its modern, cubist design. While the mid-century palazzo was originally designed by esteemed Roman architect Mario Docci, it’s been given a facelift by Studio Marincola, who have brought plenty of light into the concrete building through big, oversized windows. The upscale location of Prati is perfect for people-watching – it's one of Rome's smartest neighbourhoods. The hotel’s clientele are young and deep-pocketed, who work hard and play hard–appreciative of both the big, modernist artworks in the rooms by day, and the DJ sets in the lobby by night.
Price: Rooms from about £400
Serena EllerhotelG-Rough, near Piazza Navona
At this narrow, wood-beamed 16th-century townhouse near Piazza Navona, architect and designer Giorgia Cerulli has had a great deal of fun arranging the owner's mid-century-modern collection of furniture and artworks. The 'rough' part of the 10-room hotel's name refers to the hip, stripped-back interiors: a palimpsest of colour and decorative fragments that serve as a backdrop for, say, a print of stark white Sicilian cliffs by contemporary photographer Massimo Vitali, a Gino Sarfatti Sputnik chandelier from the 1950s, or an iconic Superleggera chair by Giò Ponti.
It's all super-cool, but also surprisingly welcoming (this is Rome, after all, not Milan). The downstairs street-facing bar and breakfast room - which feels like a cross between an urban speakeasy and a rustic village bar - multi-tasks as a social hub, refuelling station and reception desk.
There are two suites on each of the five floors: the pricier Pasquino looks onto a cute cobbled square, the other a rather featureless courtyard. A deal with Roman art historian and opener-of-closed-doors Filippo Cosmelli means the Unconventional Luxury Experiences G-Rough offers its guests are more exclusive than most Roman hotel tours and packages. Lee Marshall
Price: Rooms from about £295
Marco de PeppohotelLa Scelta di Goethe, Via del Corso
Though Goethe never actually stayed here, the German writer did enjoy the good things in life and so would have felt at home in this polished two-suite apartment. It looks and feels like the city pad of a 19th-century Tuscan count, with neo-classical wall copings and antique display cabinets and bookcases exuding old-school class, if not yet the patina of age.
The entrance, on busy Via del Corso, is fairly anonymous, but when the lift opens on the fourth floor you'll find an altogether gentler world presided over by attentive staff who are happy to offer advice at any time of day or night, or simply open another bottle of Champagne (the first is included in the rate).
The really smart thing to do would be to book both rooms and create a two-level, sixth-berth Roman space that might have featured in La Grande Bellezza. But staying in just one of them is not exactly a sacrifice. The Villa Medici has a high-ceiling drawing room, a separate dining room and two elegant bedrooms. The Trintà dei Monti has a book-lined salon with the air of a gentleman's club and a love-nest of a bedroom that leads to a huge split-level private terrace with views of Saint Peter's Basilica (this draw card explains the higher price for this much smaller suite). A waiter serves breakfasts of fresh fruit, good coffee and homemade cakes and pastries, but no other meals are available. Lee Marshall
Price: Rooms from about £122
Courtesy The Fifteen Keys HotelhotelThe Fifteen Keys Hotel, Monti
This immaculate little hotel's retro-classic but thoroughly modern look and keen prices are attracting a smart young crowd. A 10-minute walk north of the Colosseum, the handsome townhouse stands on the quiet upper reaches of Via Urbana in the cobbled Monti area, which is packed with an eclectic mix of cafés and restaurants, vintage boutiques, independent craft shops and elegantly restored houses. There are just 15 spruce bedrooms arranged over four floors, from cosy to capacious in the palest grey, deep blue or soft buttermilk. All are understated, with brass-and-charcoal-black lamps, surrealist artworks by French photographer Alastair Magnaldo and Fifties pieces arranged sparingly on blond parquet floors. Downstairs in the lobby, sun streams through lofty arched windows and in the bar and breakfast room couples feast on homemade pastries with organic marmalade from Puglia. Nicky Swallow
Price: Rooms from about £332
Stefano Scatà/Courtesy Hotel VilònhotelVilòn Roma, off Via del Corso
The quiet, confident arrival of the Vilòn gave Rome a boutique hotel to showcase the city’s sharp sophistication, which too often gets lost among its antiquities – or trumped by that of Paris and Milan. In its Adelaide cocktail bar, where large-scale black and white prints pop against maroon walls and golden curtains surely recall the fabulous living rooms of the smart designers along Via di Monserrato, a Gimlet (or three) is a revelation. That is not to say set designer Paolo Bonfini, who exercises his craft with restraint and exquisitely clear vision here, brushed off Rome’s history when transforming this former nunnery into a vibrant 18-room hideaway down a central side street.
Rather brilliantly, he found ways to make it feel relevant and not forced, which rarely land so easily in Rome. Rococo-style columns are discreet against mid-century-modern furniture, while the city’s famous monuments are referenced in works by contemporary Florentine photographer Massimo Listri. The result is fresh but mature, and self-assured with no ego; the type of place that is not trying to attract hipsters – as so many now are – but rather the finely tuned 40-year-olds they’ll grow up to be. The Vilòn stylishly captures a vital facet of the direction the city is headed in.
Price: Rooms from about £683
Ken BoundhotelHotel Locarno, off Piazza del Popolo
Miss the 60s, want to go back? Hotel Locarno is for you. The receptionist works behind a period cabinet converted into the sort of desk Philip Marlowe would happily put his feet on and Art-Deco ornamentations abound, from the beautiful clocks, to the slightly sinister candlesticks. Movies could be filmed here. Hotel Locarno has bags of charm – something it didn’t need to necessarily bother with given its sterling location near the glorious Piazza del Popolo – and it’s not unreasonably priced. Throw in staff who can’t do enough to help and you’ve got the makings of a lovely stay.
Price: Rooms from about £400
Serena EllerhotelCondominio Monti, Monti
Condominio Monti is made up of two buildings in Monti, one of Rome’s most central neighbourhoods. The exterior is unassuming – there’s even a faded old hotel sign hanging from the building windows – but walk through air-conditioned entrance and things start to get interesting. Local Roman design firm, Studio Tamat, overhauled the two buildings a few years back, keeping the layout of a traditional Roman guesthouse, with all of the rooms arranged along a corridor. They’ve also livened up the lobby with soft green and gold wall paints, marble tables and soft armchairs. There are cute design touches, like the shelf of hand drawn postcards and maps of the local neighbourhood.
Price: Rooms from about £142
Oberto GilihotelPalazzo Dama, near Piazza del Popolo
Palazzo Dama is everything you’d imagine a modern Roman palace to be: chic, polished, and with just the right amount of bling. There’s parquet flooring throughout, chandeliers dripping from the ceiling, and a serious collection of artwork on nearly every wall. No surprise, then, that the property is the former family home of the noble Malaspina family, who threw legendary shindigs for centuries. The Pacifico bar and restaurant are pure 1920s decadence, with chandeliers, potted palms, and velvet bar stools you could spend an evening in. Chef Jaime Pesaque’s Peruvian-inspired menu is spot on, too. The downstairs nightclub, Raspoutine (could this place be any more perfect?!) is utterly decadent, welcoming the who’s who of Rome’s social scene.
Price: Rooms from about £481
Courtesy Villa Spalletti TrivellihotelVilla Spalletti Trivelli, near the Quirinale Presidential Palace
The entrance to Villa Spalletti Trivelli is as grand as you’d expect, this being a villa after all. And what a villa it is, with a sandstone exterior overlooking a garden of trimmed hedges and manicured lawns. Inside, you feel like you’ve stumbled into someone else’s home, rather than a hotel; the bedsheets are soft, the pillows and mattress so comfortable, that you’re basically cradled to sleep. Best of all, the staff is so accommodating (and inconspicuous) that you feel like you can roam around the villa to your heart’s content, and pretend it’s your very own.
Price: Rooms from about £422
Andrea GetulihotelHotel De' Ricci, Regola Rione
Owner Lorenzo Lisi (also the manager of hit seafood restaurant Pierluigi) enlisted a crack team of creative directors for his hotel in Rome. Stylist Daria Reina, fashion illustrator Andrea Ferolla and the gang responsible for nearby concept store Chez Dede have decked the place out to a highly polished shine. There are deep dark-green velvet curtains and sage walls in the bedrooms, lots of mirrored surfaces, vintage Italian furniture, murals of Rome painted by Ferolla, princess-and-the-pea-worthy beds and Frette sheets. The logo, on the dressing gowns, towels, pillows, napkins and glasses, is sage on white too, in a font Wes Anderson would like.
The whole place hums with a kind of moody coolness, and smells floral and delicious thanks to the enormous bottle of Dr Vranjes Rosso Nobile Limone e Mandarino fragrance by the entrance. There’s no official restaurant, but breakfast (organic yogurt, wholemeal croissants, pink grapefruit juice so fresh it makes you wince and knock-your-socks-off Italian coffee) can be taken in the retro-style sitting room or, via room service, on an enormous silver tray placed by the floor-to-ceiling bedroom windows overlooking via della Barchetta. The focus instead is on the Charade bar, where they take aperitivo hour seriously; drinks are served with a flourish alongside an impressive cheese board.
Each room is kitted with its own mini-cellar with eight different wine varieties from Piedmont and Trentino. The location is great, in the artsy neighbourhood of Regola Rione with its crumbling buildings, fledgling galleries and buzzy shops, and central enough so you can walk everywhere. Essential, as getting in a car is futile in Rome. Sylvie Tredegar
Price: Rooms from about £363
Andrea Getuli/Courtesy The First Roma DolcehotelThe First Roma Dolce, Via Del Corso
This is the second hotel in Pavilions Hotels' Rome-centric The First Experience collection. Sister property First Roma Art is all about contemporary art; Dolce, meanwhile, focuses on exactly what its name implies: sweets and pastries. You'll encounter your fair share of confections during your stay, like eclairs, pralines, and mignons, as well as chocolate tastings. In the afternoon, the Salon del Tea hosts English Afternoon Tea with finger sandwiches and Marriage Frères tea.
Price: Rooms from about £748
Giulia Venanzi/Courtesy Hotel Chapter RomahotelHotel Chapter Roma, Sant'Angelo
Here’s a city that does traditional in spades, but until recently hadn’t embraced the sort of street-savvy, communal-spaced hotel that New York and London are familiar with. So Chapter feels like a place that fully understands visitors who have come to expect DJs spinning at cocktail hour and street-art tours at concierge. The brains behind it belong to Marco Cilia. After years working with London’s Blakes and cool-kid hotel slinger Grupo Habita – New York’s Americano and the Robey in Chicago – he returned to his home country to launch the first of what he hopes will be a string of social clubs and places to stay throughout Italy. The Chapter is in the Jewish quarter, an area right across from hip Trastevere that for years has felt under-appreciated given its proximity to some of the city’s star attractions, such as Piazza Farnese, the Forum, and MAAXI gallery. Its interiors are edgy in a way that Italians sometimes feel too conservative to embrace, which may be why Cilia turned to break-out South African designer Tristan Duplessis for the graffiti-scrawled lobby bar, quirky bespoke rugs, and pared-back, bare-brick rooms with mid-century inspired minibars, industrial metals, and punchy olive-green beds. Sandwiched between the centuries-old synagogues and café-society restaurants of the neighbourhood, Chapter feels remarkably at home, even though walking into it from the discreet cobbled sidestreet feels like stepping into one of Rome’s freshest scenes. A thoroughly enjoyable arrival for the co-working generation, with a sense of humor and a can-do attitude.
Price: Rooms from about £220
Courtesy Palazzo ManfredihotelPalazzo Manfredi, near the Colosseum
It feels wrong to call Palazzo Manfredi a hotel; rather, it’s a palatial residence, owned by none other than Count Goffredo Manfredi. The reception area is suitably grand, with ancient maps on the wall and leather Chesterfield armchairs. Silver picture frames and diamond jewelry is on display, too, all available for purchase. Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant Aroma has a seven-course degustation menu – you might have octopus, scallops, or pumpkin and gorgonzola tagliolini with caviar – with matching wines and stupendous views. The location, too, right by the the Colosseum, is utterly glorious.
Price: Rooms from about £300
Niall CluttonhotelHotel Eden, Dorchester Collection, near Borghese Gardens
This place could very well be our own Eden. Part of the Dorchester Collection, it's elegant and calm, with marble floors, a gold-lit ceiling and vases of freshly-picked flowers in every corner. Bathrooms are pure decadence, all white and gold, with a huge bath and Bottega Veneta products so luxurious you’ll feel like royalty all day long. The hotel is set between Rome's Borghese Gardens and upscale Via Veneto.
Price: Rooms from about £1,088
Courtesy The Hoxton RomehotelThe Hoxton Rome, Parioli
The Hoxton Rome is the most stylish new hangout in Rome’s Parioli – an upscale district brimming with good food and art and culture. Since its opening, its restaurant and cocktail bar Cugino has drawn Rome’s coolest local crowd. The mid-century-inspired design is a refreshing change of pace for Rome, at an affordable price. Contemporary galleries MACRO (Museum of Contemporary Art) and MAXXI (National Museum of 21st Century Art) are a short stroll from the hotel.
Price: Rooms from about £191
Giulia VenanzihotelSoho House Rome, San Lorenzo
The Rome outpost of Soho House is energising and modern, set inside a 10-story restored building with an industrial feel. The property is next to La Sapienza university. There’s a strong visual-art theme across the hotel, with a dedicated gallery space and a 42-seat screening room; all guest rooms (49 bedrooms and 20 apartments) offer unparalleled views stretching across the mountains and the Eternal City. Eateries include a ground-floor deli bar and lounge area, plus an exclusive upstairs restaurant. The rooftop cocktail bar, with its lemon trees, striped linen blinds, and plush velvet stools, looks like it’s been lifted straight from Rome’s Dolce Vita era.
Price: Rooms from about £400
Janos Grapow/Corso 281 Luxury SuiteshotelCorso 281, Via del Corso
With many of Rome’s hotels run by conglomerates, Corso 281 stands out for its personalised, one-to-one approach. Owner and former lawyer Natalino Gisonna is at the hotel daily and runs everything directly, from managing all hotel requests to offering a tailored concierge service that effectively involves him recommending the kind of off-the-radar places only locals know about. Gisonna has loved hotels from a young age – hence the career change – and is big on guest relations, so his staff are some of the friendliest imaginable. No request is too much for Gisonna’s team and they’ll happily use their pull around town to make sure you get the best Roman experience possible, whether that means getting exclusive early access into the Vatican, getting you that table at the exclusive Roman restaurant that’s been booked out for months, or even arranging a helicopter day trip to Capri.
Price: Rooms from about £400
hotelMargutta 19, near the Spanish Steps
Arches and patterned floor tiles, flowers stood so perfectly in their vases they must be on the payroll, and a golden light falling just right on the cobbles outside. Nothing is left to chance in Margutta 19. Even dust doesn’t fall where it’s not supposed to. Let’s make no bones about it, Margutta 19 is an expensive hotel, but it works hard to make itself worth the price, and the guests expect nothing less. Deluxe Suites continue the clean lines found elsewhere in the hotel, with a partition wall separating the bed from a sitting room, where there’s a flatscreen television and writing desk. Everything’s a shade of pastel yellow, and sketches lines the walls, but none of that matters because you’ll probably spend most of your time on the little balcony overlooking the hotel's garden.
Price: Rooms from about £400
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Nico BocciahotelSentho Roma, Monti
This independent hotel sits in a restored palazzo in the heart of Rome’s Monti neighbourhood, next to the Basilica of Santa Prudenziana, Rome’s oldest Christian church. The two share a courtyard, bringing a tranquil, almost meditative feel to your stay. The crowd spans everyone from 30-something couples on a weekend away to local residents who have stopped by for an aperitivo in the garden. The rooftop courtyard is the real draw here, a peaceful spot encircled by olive trees and old Roman palazzi. Choose from pastas and pizzas or book onto one of the hotel’s cooking courses, where the chef gives you a one-on-one lesson on how to prepare Roman artichokes, fresh pasta and tiramisu.
Price: Rooms from about £250
Cosmopolita Hotel Rome, Tapestry Collection by HiltonhotelCosmopolita Hotel Rome, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, near Piazza Venezia
With its unassuming, faded façade, you could easily mistake the Cosmopolita for one of the many dated properties dotted around Rome. And you’d be right – the Cosmopolita has been around for years, run by an ever-rotating wheel of hotel chains. But now that Hilton has taken over, the Cosmopolita has never looked better. Step inside and you’ll be pleasantly surprised: for one, the sleek and shiny lobby has had a facelift, all cream stone and marble desks. Via di S. Eufemia is about as central as it gets, right near Piazza Venezia. The crowds a mixture of suited Italians on their way to work, grandmothers doing their market shopping and tourists out for some daily sightseeing.
Price: Rooms from about £315
Courtesy Umiltà 36hotelUmiltà 36, Via dell’Umiltà
This bolthole from the upmarket Shedir Collection portfolio (Hotel Maalot, Vilon Luxury Hotel) has an unbeatable location on Via dell’Umiltà: a short stroll to Trevi fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, and around the corner from the shopping along Via del Corso. The vibe here is arty, cosmopolitan, and refined, from the contemporary art and marble bust in the high-ceilinged Grand Hall, through to the jungle-wallpapered lobby lounge. The bedrooms are stylish and contemporary, with herringbone flooring, eye-catching contemporary artworks on the walls and big, floor-to-ceiling windows that draw the light inside.
Price: Rooms from about £640