Head-to-head · Rome
Next-door neighbors at the top of the Spanish Steps, with the same crowds outside. The difference is style, the rooftop, and whether you want a spa this year. Here is how I would choose.
Visited both · October 2026
A very nice, very traditional luxury hotel right at the top of the Steps, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof and a beautiful one in the courtyard.
My Hassler review →
A Rocco Forte in an 18th-century palazzo with colorful, very Roman interiors, Cielo on the roof for sunset drinks, and a Sicilian-inspired spa.
My Hotel de la Ville review →
| Hassler | Hotel de la Ville | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Right at the top of the Spanish Steps | Via Sistina, at the top of the Spanish Steps, next door |
| Outside the door | The Steps, crowded from morning to night | The same crowds |
| The feel | Very traditional grand hotel | Colorful Roman palazzo by Tommaso Ziffer (Rocco Forte) |
| Rooms | Very traditional, with canopy beds and damask walls | 104 rooms and suites, some with terraces and city views |
| On the roof | A Michelin-starred restaurant | Cielo, a bar and restaurant across the top two floors |
| Downstairs | A beautiful courtyard restaurant | Mosaico on the courtyard, and the Julep cocktail bar |
| Spa | A new wellness and gym area opens in 2027 | A Sicilian-inspired spa |
| Best for | Classic, traditional luxury at the heart of the action | The Steps on the doorstep and sunset drinks on a rooftop |
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 either one, tell you when the Hassler’s new wellness area opens, and arrange your transfers from Fiumicino or Termini. Same rate as booking direct.
The Hassler is very traditional, and that’s the appeal. The dining is the highlight, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof.
Hotel de la Ville is next door, with colorful, very Roman interiors and Cielo, a rooftop bar and restaurant with views all over the city. It also has a spa now, while the Hassler’s opens in 2027.
If you love grand-hotel style and a serious dinner, pick the Hassler. If you want a more colorful palazzo, a rooftop bar for sunset and a spa this trip, pick the de la Ville. And if you are deciding between the Rocco Forte hotels, I prefer the de la Ville’s sister, the de Russie.
The Hassler has a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof, with the rooftops of Rome laid out below you.
At Hotel de la Ville, the highlight is Cielo, the rooftop bar and restaurant across the top two floors, with views across Rome’s skyline. Come for sunset drinks.
Hotel de la Ville is an 18th-century palazzo with interiors by Tommaso Ziffer: yellow walls, engravings, plaster reliefs and black and white floors. There are 104 rooms and suites, some with terraces and city views.
The Hassler is classic luxury for travelers who want Rome’s grand-hotel style: canopy beds, damask walls and crystal lamps, and bathrooms that open to the trees.
Hotel de la Ville has a Sicilian-inspired spa.
The Hassler is building a large new wellness and gym area that opens in 2027. Until then, if a spa and gym matter a lot, I point people to the Bulgari or the Corinthia.
At both, you step out the door into the crowds at the top of the Steps, from morning to night. That is the trade for an address you can’t beat for being central.
If quiet matters more than the Steps, the Eden is a few minutes away on a calm residential street. At the Hassler, the courtyard restaurant is a calmer place to eat than the streets outside.
It depends on your style. The Hassler for very traditional luxury and Michelin-starred dining on the roof. Hotel de la Ville for colorful Roman interiors, the Cielo rooftop bar and a spa you can use now.
Yes. Both are at the top of the Spanish Steps, and the Hassler is right next door to Hotel de la Ville.
For dinner, the Hassler’s Michelin-starred restaurant. For sunset drinks, Cielo at Hotel de la Ville, across the top two floors with views all over the city.
Hotel de la Ville, with a Sicilian-inspired spa. The Hassler’s new wellness and gym area opens in 2027.
For me, yes: Hotel de Russie, the de la Ville’s sister a few minutes away. Its large courtyard, renovated rooms and spa with an indoor pool made it the stronger stay.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Hassler review → Hotel de la Ville review → Hotel de Russie or Hotel de la Ville → Hotel Eden or Hassler → My Rome guide →