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Best hotels in Rome: See the Italian capital in style
Rebecca Ford reveals the perfect places to rest your head in the historic city of Rome
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Your support makes all the difference.I never tire of Rome. No matter how many times I visit, there’s always something new to discover – be it a museum, a fresco, a funky bar or a tempting gelateria – and I fall in love with the city every time I return.
The hotel scene is changing, too, and visitors now have far more choice than ever before. From cosy B&Bs to sleek suites and trendy boutique retreats, the choices are endless – and they seem to be giving the traditional establishments some healthy competition.
This isn’t a cheap destination, though – the places that offer the best value tend to get booked up quickly. That’s why, if Rome is on your radar for 2023, we recommend you try and book well in advance or visit out of season – Italy’s capital has a wonderful climate and can be surprisingly balmy, even in December.
Whenever you decide to visit, here’s a selection of hotels in Rome to suit all budgets.
The best hotels in Rome are:
- Best for history: The Inn at the Roman Forum
- Best for those on a budget: Generator Rome
- Best for romance: Boutique Hotel Campo de’Fiori
- Best for foodies: Hassler Roma
- Best for sustainability: Rome Cavalieri
Best hotel for fashionistas: Portrait Roma
Neighbourhood: Piazza di Spagna
More of a collection of chic suites than a traditional hotel, Portrait Roma sits above the Ferragamo store on Via Condotti, the city’s most famous designer shopping street. It makes for a stylish bolthole – the decor all muted neutrals enlivened with pops of colour, sketches of Ferragamo’s covetable shoes on the walls, sleek kitchenettes and all the modern tech you could wish for. Just a short walk from the Spanish Steps, it also has an exclusive rooftop bar and terrace, where you can take breakfast or sip aperitivos.
Best hotel for a personal touch: J.K. Place Roma
Neighbourhood: Piazza di Spagna
It’s the attention to detail that has given this boutique townhouse a loyal following. It mingles luxury style – all onyx, antiques and glamorous marbled bathrooms – with a relaxing home-from-home feel. Rooms have free mini-bars as well as Bose sound systems, dining is unstuffy with an all-day cafe that serves gourmet burgers and club sandwiches, and there’s even a library where you can flick through glossy books on fashion and art.
Best hotel for history: The Inn at the Roman Forum
Neighbourhood: Centro Storico
Traditional wooden beams and rich fabrics give the rooms at this luxury hideaway a cosy feel, while the rooftop terrace offers fine views of some of central Rome’s most famous landmarks. But what really sets this hotel apart is the fact it has a 2,000-year-old cryptoporticus (a stone gallery with engravings) in the cellar. Discovered in the late 19th century, it once stood between a densely populated part of Rome and the Imperial Forum – the remains of which are just a short stroll away.
Best hotel for a peaceful hideaway: Margutta 19
Neighbourhood: Villa Borghese
Having only opened relatively recently, this converted palazzo has already gained a reputation as a classy retreat. Tucked away on Via Margutta – known as the artists’ street, as it was once home to the likes of Stravinsky, Picasso and Fellini – it has a chic, uncluttered style. The restaurant serves Roman classics with a modern twist, rooms are decorated in soothing neutral shades and, unusually for Rome, there’s a secluded garden, which helps you feel tranquil and pleasantly snoozy.
Best hotel for those on a budget: Generator Rome
Neighbourhood: Esquilino
If you’re after cheap but stylish accommodation in Rome, this hip hostel in a converted chain hotel should fit the bill. It has a mix of private rooms with en-suite bathrooms, all decorated in an unfussy contemporary style, as well as some shared dormitories. There’s a cosy bar and lounge, as well as a cafe for fuelling up on espresso. It’s ideal if you’re touring, as the hostel has luggage storage facilities and is about 10 minutes’ walk from Termini railway station.
Best hotel for romance: Boutique Hotel Campo de’Fiori
Neighbourhood: Centro Storico
This ivy-clad hotel is still independently owned and makes a charming love-nest, with its traditional mix of antiques, coffered ceilings and rich red fabrics. It’s centrally located, so you can soak up the lively atmosphere of the nearby market and stroll hand-in-hand to take loved-up selfies by the Trevi fountain. The high point, both literally and figuratively, is the rooftop terrace, which offers panoramic views of the Roman skyline.
Best hotel for foodies: Hassler Roma
Neighbourhood: Piazza di Spagna
At The Hassler, they’ve been looking after celebrities and (well-heeled) civilians for 125 years. This luxury hotel by the Spanish Steps serves up a reliable mix of tradition, opulence and excellent service. Its appeal to foodies lies in Imagò, its Michelin-starred restaurant. Set on the sixth floor, and run by executive chef Andrea Antonini, who gives a new twist to classic Italian dishes, it also offers stunning city views.
Best hotel for atmosphere: Donna Camilla Savelli
Neighbourhood: Trastevere
This former convent has been converted into a comfortable hotel, but still oozes serenity with its own church, garden courtyard and vaulted ceilings. Rooms are chic but simple, and breakfast, which you can eat in the garden, includes a feast of vegan treats. The building was designed by baroque master Borromini and sits in the heart of Trastevere, a wonderful maze of cobbled streets and courtyards just across the Tiber from Rome’s main historic centre.
Best hotel for sophistication: Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie
Neighbourhood: Piazza di Spagna
Designer Olga Polizzi gave this hotel a classy feeling, merging traditional style with Art Deco flourishes. Although it’s close to the Spanish Steps, one of Rome’s tourist honeypots, the hotel feels like an oasis of calm – thanks, in no small part, to its secluded garden. You can dine out there on hot summer nights, or sip a cocktail and people-watch on the private piazza at the Stravinskij Bar. There’s a sleek spa too, with a salt hydropool and a Finnish sauna – well, you can’t neglect la bella figura in Rome, after all.
Best hotel for cosiness: Buonanotte Garibaldi
Neighbourhood: Trastevere
There are just three rooms at this lovely little B&B run by Luisa Longo, who lives and works here. She works with textiles, particularly silks and satins, which she has used to give each room a distinctive bohemian feel. All the rooms are en-suite and you can take breakfast on the little patio, before you set off for a day’s sightseeing.
Best hotel for industrial chic: Chapter Roma
Neighbourhood: Regola
It’s just a few minutes’ walk from the Pantheon, ancient Rome’s temple to all the gods, yet this hotel is a contemporary hideaway with a distinctly earthly vibe. It stands on Via di Santa Maria de’Calderari and the interiors reflect the area’s industrial heritage – but with a luxurious twist. The bedrooms have bare brick walls, designer furniture and Marshall Bluetooth speakers, while the lobby bar is an edgy mix of modern art and metalwork. There’s even a healthy salad and juice bar – handy if you’ve sampled too many pizzas.
Best hotel for historic luxury: Anantara Palazzo Naiadi
Neighbourhood: Quirinale
There’s a sumptuous freshness to the rooms at this five-star hotel – decorated in soft neutral shades, they’re a modern mix of brocades and big mirrors, plumped pillows and marble bathrooms. But it’s the whisper of history that sets it apart. One section of the building was once a granary, built in the 16th century for Pope Clementine. While, down in the basement, you can peep at the remains of the Diocletian Baths, which date back to 298AD. The hotel tops off this historic splendour with a rooftop pool, from which you can enjoy panoramic views of the ancient city.
Best hotel for sustainability: Rome Cavalieri
Neighbourhood: Trionfale
This resort hotel is set in 15 acres of parkland and takes sustainability seriously; it was the first in Rome to gain Green Key certification, monitoring its CO2 emissions, working with associations to support disadvantaged communities and even turning leftover bread into beer to combat food waste. Not that there’s likely to be much left over here – the restaurant, La Pergola headed by chef Heinz Beck, has three Michelin stars.
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