Rome : Sleep
Hitherto dominated by stuffy baroque palaces, heavy with gilt, brocade and chandeliers, accommodation in Rome has improved dramatically of late, in both range and quality. A new breed of hotels is emerging, run by younger, well- travelled hoteliers and catering to a fashionable clientele rather than the Grand Tour stalwarts lost in some 19th-century fantasy of chintz and high tea.High-octane luxury is back in a big way, partly thanks to the Boscolo hotel empire’s recent additions: the Exedra, and the design-conscious Aleph, both near the Via Veneto. These two are sybaritic temples with heavenly spas.
However, traditional taste needn’t mean pompous and staid. The Hotel Eden reeks of sophistication and traditional glamour, and the filmstar magnet Hotel de Russie offers impeccable service while remaining terminally chic.
At the other extreme, minimalist hotel styling – Ripa (below), Radisson SAS – has worked to varying degrees of success in Rome (perhaps because it jars so violently with fantasies of the romantic Eternal City), and the stripped-down Schrager aesthetic feels more than a little fatigued these days.
Enter the more personal and lusciously decorated boutique hotels, which provide an antidote to the big chain monoliths, and the spread of chic and unpretentious B&B guesthouses. Daphne Inn and Le Clarisse offer a warm, personal and affordable service without comprising on style.
If you do want the full experience, however (complete with the reassuringly mammoth price tag), it’s best to check into somewhere like the Hassler (below), where every caprice will be catered for around the clock.
Take note that there are two particularly fabulous three-star hotels in this collection, which we think deserve a special mention for their services to style – the Locarno and Hotel Adriano.
Hotel rooftop bars are also some of the most chic places in the city to get a drink (try Zest bar at the Radisson SAS, 7th Heaven at the Aleph), with a burgeoning cocktail scene invigorating the fashion set. There is nothing lovelier than gazing out onto Rome’s skyline during that gorgeous, golden hour at sundown.
There are still some wonderful secrets, too. On a hot day, drift up to the top of the Radisson SAS, pull up a sunbed by the glittering pool and get stuck into some cocktails. Not many people know it’s open to non-residents.
Prices given are the rack rates for a double room in low season to a suite in high season; for better rates visit www.hg2.com.
