Rome Rome Travel Guide: Best Hotels, Restaurants & Experiences

Perched atop the Spanish Steps, this 18th-century palazzo channels Grand Tour elegance through architect Tommaso Ziffer's vision and Olga Polizzi's refined interiors. The rooftop Cielo Bar delivers 360-degree panoramas stretching to St. Peter's Basilica, while George Carter's geometric courtyard garden provides an intimate urban retreat. Fulvio Pierangelini oversees the fine-dining kitchen, and the Irene Forte Spa draws on organic Sicilian botanicals for its treatments.

Rome's former school of architecture now houses this 27-room boutique where Michele Bönan's interiors pair ancient marble sculpture reproductions with contemporary art against ornate moldings and gilded accents. Handcrafted rosewood four-poster beds and bathrooms in striped gray-and-white Italian marble define the rooms, while the JKMaster suite adds a marble fireplace and book-lined walls. Downstairs, JK Café draws stylish Romans to its jewel-toned lounge steps from the Spanish Steps.

César Ritz's grand Roman palazzo still operates its original 1874 wrought-iron elevator, a fitting symbol for a hotel where heritage functions rather than fossilizes. The private wing with its dedicated lift accommodates visiting dignitaries seeking total seclusion, while the Bottega Veneta suite offers fashion-forward guests sleek Italian design. Evening brings the theatrical sabrage ritual at Lumen Bar, piano notes drifting through gilded halls where butlers remain perpetually on call.

A third-century Roman sarcophagus murmurs as a fountain in the courtyard of this former 17th-century convent, now a family-owned hotel two streets from Piazza del Popolo. Arnaldo Pomodoro's marble sphere anchors the hall, while works by Warhol and Burri line the corridors. Art deco details—curved moldings, inlaid panels—frame 78 rooms. The rooftop Etere bar pours serious wines; San Baylon's weekend brunch draws a devoted Roman crowd.

A cornerstone of Roman hospitality since 1889, Hotel Eden commands the Via Veneto neighborhood that inspired Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Designers Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille—the team behind the Plaza Athénée Paris—crafted interiors balancing art deco grandeur with contemporary ease. La Terrazza delivers Michelin-starred dining against sweeping city panoramas, while the Eden Spa offers private steam baths and Valmont treatments. A discreet gem: La Libreria's secret bar, concealed behind mirrored bookshelves.

From its terrace perched on Monte Mario, the entire Eternal City unfolds in panoramic silence—a backdrop befitting Heinz Beck's three-Michelin-starred kitchen, where he has refined Italian-Mediterranean cuisine since 1994. The recently redesigned dining room honors Rome through Travertine marble and warm red tones, while sommelier Marco Reitano navigates a spectacular cellar with effortless mastery. Beck's commitment to sustainable, light cooking delivers precision without heaviness.

Within Villa Laetitia's Art Nouveau splendour, Chef Domenico Stile holds two Michelin stars for creative Mediterranean cooking shaped by his Campanian roots. The columned dining room, dressed in ornate stucco, opens onto a secluded garden steps from the Tiber—a Parisian echo in Rome. His dishes are technically intricate yet remarkably clean, supported by an Italian-focused wine programme spanning two dedicated sections.

Chef Riccardo Di Giacinto's one-starred table occupies the basement of The H'All Tailor Suite, where two sleek dining rooms give way to outdoor seating when weather permits. His Roman repertoire arrives cleverly subverted: carbonara distilled to its essence, cappelletti suspended in concentrated dry broth, tiramisù reimagined with salt cod and potato alongside the classic sweet version. Playful technique meets regional soul.

A former carriage workshop on a lively Trastevere lane, Glass Hostaria retains its original soaring ceilings while housing chef Cristina Bowerman's one-Michelin-starred kitchen. Her tasting menus—including a thoughtful vegetarian sequence—draw on Roman tradition yet veer decisively toward invention. An extensive wine list and curated spirits selection complete the refined, design-forward setting suited to guests seeking creative Italian cuisine with substance.