Rome Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Architect Tommaso Ziffer and Olga Polizzi reimagined this 18th-century palazzo atop the Spanish Steps with handprinted Piranesi-inspired wallpaper and a geometric courtyard designed by George Carter. Fulvio Pierangelini's fine-dining restaurant anchors the culinary program alongside courtyard bistro Mosaico, while the rooftop Cielo Bar captures 360-degree views from the Vatican to the historic center. The Irene Forte Spa uses Sicilian-sourced organic treatments, complemented by Turkish bath and sauna.

Rome's former school of architecture now houses 27 rooms and suites dressed in Michele Bönan's signature style: handcrafted four-poster rosewood beds, striped marble bathrooms, and ancient sculpture reproductions alongside contemporary art. J.K. Café draws fashionable Romans to its jewel-toned lounge, while the discreet location off Via del Corso keeps guests minutes from the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain yet cocooned from the crowds.

César Ritz launched this palatial landmark in 1894 with a sixteen-course dinner by Auguste Escoffier, setting a standard for Roman luxury that endures 130 years later. Pierre-Yves Rochon's 2018 refresh preserves Murano chandeliers, hand-painted frescoes and an 1874 wrought-iron lift while introducing contemporary art from Continua Gallery and a Bottega Veneta suite. Lumen Bar performs a theatrical sabrage at seven each evening; the 300-square-meter Royal Suite houses heads of state.

A 17th-century palace reimagined through the lens of 1920s art deco, Palazzo Ripetta showcases beautifully restored curved moldings and inlaid panels alongside an enviable contemporary art collection—works by Andy Warhol, Alberto Burri, and Arnaldo Pomodoro animate the corridors, while a third-century Roman sarcophagus serves as a fountain in the courtyard. San Baylon draws weekend crowds for its Roman-style brunch buffet, and the rooftop terrace Etere pours cocktails against city panoramas.

Since 1889, this Dorchester Collection property in the Via Veneto neighborhood—the backdrop to Fellini's La Dolce Vita—has defined Roman elegance through Bruno Moinard's art deco interiors with high ceilings and custom furnishings. La Terrazza delivers Michelin-starred dining from a rooftop perch, while the Eden Spa's three treatment rooms feature private steam baths and Valmont products. La Libreria conceals a bar behind mirrored bookshelves, steps from Villa Borghese.

Heinz Beck's three-starred table, perched below Monte Mario since 1994, commands sweeping views across Rome's rooftops and surrounding hills. His Mediterranean-inflected cuisine balances bold imagination with disciplined restraint—sustainable seafood, light technique, Italian terroir. Marco Reitano's encyclopedic cellar and attentive service add polish. After a recent redesign in Travertine and crimson tones, the terrace remains the capital's most cinematic dining stage for special-occasion gastronomy.

Domenico Stile's two-Michelin-starred Enoteca La Torre occupies a stucco-adorned dining room within Villa Laetitia's Art Nouveau residence, its tall windows framing an exclusive garden just off the Tiber. The Campania-born chef layers Mediterranean flavours into complex yet precise compositions, delivering imaginative creative cuisine anchored by clean, decisive tastes. An extensive Italian-focused wine list and the room's Belle Époque grandeur complete the gastronomic occasion.