Head-to-head · Rome
A very traditional grand hotel, or a hip boutique hotel that is its opposite. One is at the top of the Spanish Steps; the other is in Monti among real Roman trattorias. Here is how I would choose.
Visited both · October 2026
A very nice, very traditional hotel right at the top of the Spanish Steps, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof. You can’t get much more iconic.
My Hassler review →
So cute. A boutique hotel from the team behind Le Fantaisie in Paris, with super cool patterns, a rooftop restaurant and a spa couples can have to themselves.
My Casa Monti review →
| Hassler | Casa Monti | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Right at the top of the Spanish Steps | Via Panisperna, in Monti |
| The feel | Very traditional grand hotel | Hip boutique hotel |
| The neighborhood | The Steps, crowded from morning to night | Authentic Roman trattorias all around |
| Rooms | Canopy beds, damask walls, crystal lamps | Super cool patterns, and curtains that hide the TV |
| Dining | Michelin-starred on the roof, plus a courtyard restaurant | A rooftop restaurant and a lively one downstairs |
| Spa | A new wellness and gym area opens in 2027 | A spa couples can book just for the two of them |
| Ask me about | The right room; I’ll request it | Setting up the private spa before you arrive |
| Best for | Classic, traditional luxury at the heart of the action | Younger couples and honeymooners |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who knows these hotels personally and personalizes your stay: I request the right room at the Hassler, book the Casa Monti spa just for the two of you before you arrive, and arrange your transfers and drivers. Same rate as booking direct.
The Hassler is a very traditional hotel, and that’s the appeal. You get the top of the Spanish Steps and a Michelin-starred dinner on the roof.
Casa Monti is the hotel I send people to when the Hassler feels too traditional. It is hip, young and fun, and on a Sunday the trattorias around it are full of Romans having lunch.
If grand-hotel style is part of the dream, pick the Hassler. If you are a younger couple who wants something fun and a real neighborhood, pick Casa Monti.
The Hassler is right above the Spanish Steps, about as central as Rome gets. It also means a busy area: you step out the door and you are in the crowds at the Steps.
Casa Monti is in Monti, and the neighborhood is the real thing. There are authentic Roman trattorias all around, and when I visited on a Sunday, real Romans were having lunch at them.
The Hassler’s rooms are very traditional, with canopy beds and damask walls, and some bathrooms look over the rooftops to St. Peter’s.
Casa Monti is from the same company as Le Fantaisie in Paris, and it shows: super cool patterns, pattern on pattern, and curtains that hide the TV.
The dining is a highlight at the Hassler: a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof with the rooftops of Rome laid out below you, and a beautiful restaurant in the courtyard.
Casa Monti has a beautiful rooftop restaurant and a lively restaurant downstairs, and the trattorias outside the door.
At Casa Monti, couples can book the spa just for the two of them. I arrange it before you arrive.
The Hassler’s large new wellness and gym area opens in 2027. Until then, if a spa matters, I point people to the Bulgari or the Corinthia.
They suit opposite travelers. The Hassler is for classic, traditional luxury at the top of the Spanish Steps. Casa Monti is for younger couples who want something hip, young and fun.
For younger honeymooners, Casa Monti, and book the private spa. The Hassler suits travelers who love classic luxury; for a classic Rome stay as a couple, my top pick is the Eden.
Casa Monti, which couples can book privately. The Hassler’s new wellness and gym area opens in 2027.
The Hassler has a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof. Casa Monti has two restaurants of its own and real Roman trattorias all around.
For quiet, warm, classic luxury above the Steps, the Eden, my top pick in Rome. For a palazzo by the Pantheon with real-Rome energy, La Minerva.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and what to set up before you arrive.
Hassler review → Casa Monti review → Hotel de Russie or Casa Monti → Hassler or Hotel de la Ville → My Rome guide →