Six Senses Rome
In fall 2022, Six Senses Rome debuts as the brand’s first Italian property at the UNESCO-listed Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini. The 18th-century palace within the heart of the centro storico in Piazza San Marcello is an ideally situated base on Via del Corso from which to explore baroque marvels such as Galleria Doria Pamphilj and the Trevi Fountain—or the archeological site of aqueducts and tunnels under it—on foot. The hotel, which underwent renovations on its original central staircase and facade, features 95 high-ceilinged rooms and suites with interiors by award-winning, Milan-based Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola. From the Roman bath adjoining the spa to the rooftop terrace’s organic garden for the property’s own epicurean feasts, the space was designed as an ode to classical history.
W Rome
Located in two 19th-century palazzos about a half a mile from the Spanish Steps, the W Rome, which opened its doors in December 2021, is perhaps the city’s trendiest hotel. Take the lobby, for instance, and its playful dialogue between a mural by Salvadoran Italian artist Constanza Alvarez de Castro of a quintessential Roman landscape and the room’s geometric-patterned flooring mirrored in the reflective welcome desks. Designer Meyer Davis Studio merged the palaces’ rich Italian heritage with bold, metallic fixtures and a clash of colorful sofas that lend an art deco feel to its public spaces, 147 rooms, and 15 suites. Lunch on homemade pasta at the property’s Giano restaurant, led by Michelin-starred chef Ciccio Sultano. In the evenings, Giardino Clandestino is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail and a Sicilian street food–style aperitivo. Later, dive into the Otto Rooftop Bar’s plunge pool or join the party at the W Lounge, which has live music, DJ sets, and a cool cocktail menu, thanks to mixologist Emanuele Broccatelli.
Rocco Forte Hotel de la Ville
Back when the likes of Mark Twain and Lord Byron were wayfaring around Italy as part of their Grand Tour of Europe, a certain 18th-century Roman palazzo near Villa Borghese stood out for upper-class travelers. That palace joined the recently renovated Hotel de Russie—home to the romantic Le Jardin de Russie—to become a Rocco Forte hotel in May 2019 after a two-and-a-half-year face-lift. Architect Tommaso Ziffer and in-house design director Olga Polizzi drew inspiration for the property’s modern baroque design from vedute (view) paintings and etchings that grand tourists bought to flaunt their worldliness. Sophisticated mementos reminiscent of the period decorate the hotel’s 89 rooms and 15 suites.
Soho House Rome
If Soho House Rome feels a world away from the city’s tourist attractions, that’s because it is. Soho’s first Italian property hit the scene in October 2021 near Sapienza, Rome’s oldest and Europe’s largest university, in the forward-thinking San Lorenzo neighborhood. Modeled on the Pastificio Cerere Foundation building, the 10-story members club is unapologetically modern. It features 49 bedrooms, with hand-painted ceramic lamps from the 1970s remodeled by Italian designer Bitossi exclusively for the Soho House, and 20 long-stay studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. The shining star is its 10th-floor rooftop, which has restaurant Cecconi’s Terrazza, pool, bar, and panoramic views of urban life that Colosseum day-trippers tend to overlook. That’s to say nothing of the extensive contemporary Italian art collection hanging in common areas, many bearing subtle religious undertones, by local artists such as Silvia Giambrone, Elisa Montessori, and Gianni Politi.
Rosewood Rome
Opening in 2023, Rosewood Rome will be a prominent fixture among the high-end boutiques of Via Veneto. This new development is made of three 20th-century buildings originally designed by acclaimed Italian architect Marcello Piacentini for the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro. The block-long property will be transformed with interiors by the Melbourne-based BAR Studio, which won awards for designing the brand’s Phuket, Hong Kong, Phnom Phen, and Beijing outposts. In true Italian style, the property’s mix of contemporary and traditional aesthetics will allude to il dolce far niente or “the sweetness of doing nothing.” Plans include 157 accommodations, 44 of which are suites, a restaurant, lobby cafe, and rooftop bar.
Hotel Maalot
Around the corner from the Trevi Fountain, the Maalot debuted in October 2021 with 30 rooms, designed by RPM Proget’s Roberto Antobenedetto, housed within what was once a 19th-century villa belonging to leading Italian opera composer, Gaetano Donizetti. The hotel’s gourmet restaurant, Don Pasquale, pays homage to the virtuoso’s most unforgettable comic opera and steals the show in more ways than one: an enormous gold-leafed chandelier held up by a glass ceiling; brightly colored velvet sofas topped with zebra-print pillows; and a gallery wall studded with tongue-in-chic works from Argentinian artist Stanley Gonczanski “Almost Classic” collection are unforgettable. The gastronomic haven’s intimate atmosphere merges into an adjacent, sophisticated cocktail bar, which features an extensive rum collection.
Escape to Ponza with Hotel Eden
Rome’s Hotel Eden is introducing a new partnership with Access Italy to afford guests the ultimate yacht tour of Ponza, a hidden oasis off the coast of Lazio in the Tyrrhenian Sea. A 50-minute helicopter ride will transport guests from Rome to the island, where they will enjoy a five-hour guided yacht tour of fishing towns and stunning beach coves. Breakfast, onboard champagne lunch, and three-course meal at the hotel’s Il Giardino Ristorante are included. From $9,965
