Aside from the hotly anticipated Rome-set sequel to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator bursting onto the big screen this month, these recent hotel openings and seasonal restaurant offerings are keeping this ancient city with the times.
Palazzo Talìa
Luca Guadagnino’s first hotel, Palazzo Talìa, is as much a visual feast as you’d expect from the director of Call Me By Your Name and Challengers. The 16th-century palazzo has been sensitively (and spectacularly) restored by the Federici family over three years, with Studio Luca Guadagnino bringing the interiors into a colourful and contemporary new light. Classical marble, mouth-blown mirrors and handcrafted maiolica tiles sit alongside bespoke furniture, with a monumental floral carpet welcoming guests into the grand entrance — leading to an eye-catching spiral staircase and fresco-adorned Magna Hall by 18th-century painter Gaspare Serenari. Panelled with peach wood and spilling onto a greenery-filled patio, the top-floor Terrace Suite overlooks the hotel’s inner courtyard below. Wellness is inspired by Roman bathhouses, and dining is rooted in the culinary traditions of Rome-Veneto and Campania.
Hotel d’Inghilterra
A ‘Poet’s Corner’ palazzo dating back to the 16th-century, Hotel d’Inghilterra has recently completed an extensive renovation (which began in 2023), preserving architectural features and restoring fabrics and furniture throughout all 80 rooms and upper-floor suites while making some exciting additions. The hotel, which is mere moments from the Spanish Steps, drew inspiration from archived photos and records of the building to maintain the integrity of the restorations. On the ground floor, locals’ favourite Cafè Romano has gained an additional room (and still has its outdoor tables along Via Borgognona), perfect for your morning coffee or afternoon aperitivo. A brand-new spa and rooftop terrace are also in the works, set to open next spring for enhanced unwinding, wining and dining in dolce vita style.
Hotel Vilòn
Extending al fresco dining into the autumn, Hotel Vilòn just launched Il Nido (‘the nest’), an intimate dining experience overlooking the private gardens of Palazzo Borghese. Tucked between Rome’s ancient rooftops, the terrace is set up with just one table for couples and small gatherings to take in the Eternal City skyline. Creative Mediterranean dishes by Executive Chef, Gabriele Muro, appear as if by magic throughout the evening, from homemade pasta and risotto to a special strawberries-and-champagne dessert. Depending on which bedroom you book, you may even have your own view of the celebrated Borghese ‘secret gardens’ too.
Maalot Roma
Housed within the former residence of opera maestro Gaetano Donizetti, Maalot Roma’s winter garden-inspired Don Pasquale restaurant is celebrating the changing of the seasons with a new menu by Chef Domenico Boschi. Settle into the silk sofas beneath the twinkling glass skylight and sample reimagined Roman classics, including a catch-of-the-day tartare (presented as a sandwich), and tortelli filled with 36-month Parmesan cheese, alongside roasted porcini, mushroom broth and dill. Residents of the hotel’s Terrace Suite can dine in blissful seclusion, then retreat into the bespoke Italian-made bedroom and pearly Calagatta Arabescato marble bathroom.
Explore Rome
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