Rome: Hotel Guides

Erica Firpo

Travel journalist

From Baroque finery to hipster holes-in-the-wall, Rome’s hotels fill the full spectrum of styles. Choose from serene hillside retreats, in-the-thick-of-it boutique budget hotels, sprawling child-orientated playgrounds and a whole lot more

Best for… Spa: Gran Meliá Villa Agrippina

Gran Meli Villa Agrippina

Urban escape is what really sets apart the Gran Meliá from the rest of Rome’s hotels. Built into the Janiculum hillside, on the grounds of a villa belonging to Emperor Nero’s mother, Villa Agrippina was a city oasis from its start. The sprawling compound has 116 rooms and deluxe suites styled in a pleasant complement of contemporary and Baroque design, but you’ll find the real pampering in the SPA My Blend by Clarins. The white-on-white light-filled spa has all the treatments and facilities you could hope for, including sauna, Turkish bath and fitness area, as well as sensorial showers and an outdoor Vitality pool, heated to at 32 degrees for a dip in any month. Chances are, though, you’ll find yourself relaxing poolside in the lavish two-acre grounds.

Via del Gianicolo, 3, 00165

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Best for… Romance: The Inn at Spanish Steps

The Inn at Spanish Steps

As the name suggests, this romantic boutique hotel is right by the famous Spanish Steps, hidden away behind a discreetly signed doorway on the ritzy Via Condotti. Being so central means you’re well placed for easy exploration – within walking distance of the Inn you can take a stroll through the beautiful gardens of the Villa Borghese, toss coins in the Trevi fountain or cosy up on the red velvet banquettes of Antico Caffe Greco, historic haunt of poets, artists and composers. Rooms and suites come in a variety of shapes, sizes and décor styles; if you want to ramp up the romance factor, go for one of the two honeymoon suites, each with its own private roof terrace.

Via Condotti 85, 00185

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Best for… Food: Hassler Roma

Hassler Roma

As befits one of Rome’s finest hotels, everything about Hassler Roma feels high-end and exclusive, from the refined elegance of the rooms and suites to the superb location at the top of the Spanish Steps and the signature spa treatment that incorporates three kinds of gold. Naturally enough, then, the food is rather special, too. Enjoy classic Roman favourites in the all-day dining Hassler Bistrot; sip cocktails in the hidden-away Hassler Bar; and settle in for romantic sunset drinks on the 7th-floor terrace, reserved for hotel guests. Or, for the full fine-dining experience, head to the sixth-floor restaurant, Imago, to enjoy the chef’s creative take on contemporary Italian cuisine with a side order of panoramic views.

Piazza Trinità dei Monti, 6, 00187

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Best for… Family: Rome Cavalieri

Roma Cavalieri

Known for its 50-year history as the getaway for celebrities thanks to its out-of-centre hillside location, the Cavalieri is also the perfect escape for families. The 365-room hotel greets smaller guests with personal check-in and amenities, while offering a year-round kid-curated line up of services, itineraries, events and babysitting. The real fun is exploring the hotel grounds – gardens, a 25,000 sq metre in and outdoor spa complex with three pools (one of which has an inflatable slide), and tennis courts. During the summer months, the IT Club – League of Young Cavaliers – hosts daily, on-site cultural and sporting activities, and revs kids up via a Vespa Video experience, Ferrari F1 simulator racetrack and Nutella Chocolate Bar. The hotel restaurants have children’s menus, but the best is the pool bar which has milkshakes, hamburgers, homemade ice cream and pizzas. However, grown-up children may find more fun at La Pergola, Rome’s only three Michelin star restaurant – book in advance.

Via Alberto Cadlolo, 101, 00136

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Best for… Business: Baglioni Hotel Regina

Baglioni Hotel Regina

The tree-lined boulevard of Via Veneto makes a prestigious base for any business trip. Famed epicentre of la dolce vita in the 1950s and ‘60s, it’s still lined with upscale boutiques, restaurants and hotels – among them, Baglioni Hotel Regina, around five minutes’ walk from Barberini Metro station. Bedrooms are furnished in classic Art Deco style and come with high-speed WiFi but upgrading to a suite brings a host of extra benefits from butler service and clothes ironing to complimentary transfer to or from the airport. Three on-site meeting rooms accommodate groups of 12-80 people, while Caffe Baglioni (a riot of rich Baroque architecture) and Brunello Bar & Restaurant (contemporary décor and gourmet Italian cuisine) can be booked out for larger events.

Via Vittorio Veneto 72, 00187

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Best for… Design: Hotel Vilon

Hotel Vilon

When it opened, in 2018, Hotel Vilon instantly became one of Rome’s coolest places to stay. The historic building and central location help – close to the River Tiber, in a 16th-century former schoolhouse on the grounds of the Palazzo Borghese – but it’s the sleek interiors and artistic aesthetic that really sell it to design-conscious travellers. The grand internal proportions, all high ceilings and elegant arched windows, provide a handsome backdrop for cool mid-century furniture, eye-catching light fixtures and bold pops of contemporary colour. Each of the 18 bedrooms has its own look – dark woods and geometric lines in one room, dusky pinks and floral wallpaper in another – but all come with decadent marble bathrooms, plush fabrics and giant botanical prints on the walls

Via dell’Arancio 69, 00186

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Best for…Conscious: NH Collection Roma Palazzo Cinquecento

NH Collection Roma Palazzo Cinquecento

A central location by Rome’s main transport hub is one of the key attractions of this five-star metropolitan hotel. Other draws include the cool, white, contemporary bedrooms, the restaurant and bar, onsite fitness centre, business-friendly meeting rooms and fabulous views from the rooftop terrace. It even has its own ancient ruins: a section of the Servian Wall, dating back to the 6th century BC, stands in the hotel garden. More concerned with 21st-century eco credentials? In recent years the palazzo’s parent company, NH Hotel Group, has made great strides towards becoming a more sustainable operation, reducing energy and water consumption, introducing eco-friendly meetings and supporting several worthy initiatives such as donating rooms for seriously ill children and their families and collecting old corks for recycling into building materials.

Piazza dei Cinquecento 90, 00185

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Best for… Views: Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese

Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese

Arriving at Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese, it’s clear that the location is great – round the corner from the Via Veneto and close to key landmarks such as the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. The character of the building is evident, too – an historic 19th-century palazzo given a thoroughly modern makeover in 2019. What’s not so immediately obvious is the fact that this is a hotel with a view but head up to the rooftop restaurant and bar, Settimo, and all is revealed. Here, over inventive cocktails and dishes of fine modern Roman food, you can soak up the fabulous vista over the city and play identify the landmark, from the extensive greenery of next door Villa Borghese to the distant dome of St Peter’s Basicilica.

Via Lombardia 47, 00187

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