Head-to-head · Rome
Two very different ways to do Rome as a couple. One is a polished classic above the Spanish Steps; the other is a playful boutique hotel in Monti with a spa you can have to yourselves. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at the Eden · Visited Casa Monti · October 2026
Warm, anticipatory service, bright rooms with views over the rooftops, and a quiet street above the Spanish Steps. My top overall pick in Rome, and couples especially love it.
My Hotel Eden review →
So cute. Super cool patterns, a rooftop restaurant, authentic trattorias all around and a spa you can book just for the two of you.
My Casa Monti review →
| Hotel Eden | Casa Monti | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | A quiet residential street just above the Spanish Steps | Via Panisperna, in Monti |
| The feel | Romantic classic (Dorchester Collection) | Hip boutique, from the team behind Le Fantaisie in Paris |
| The neighborhood | Calm, close to everything | Authentic trattorias all around, full of Romans at Sunday lunch |
| Rooms | Bright, modern and traditional at once, marble bathrooms | Super cool patterns, and curtains that hide the TV |
| Dining | The restaurant upstairs, with the view across the domes | A beautiful rooftop restaurant and a lively one downstairs |
| For the two of you | Dinner upstairs on your first evening | A spa you can privatize; I arrange it before you arrive |
| Service | Anticipatory, warm and personal | Super kind and welcoming |
| Best for | Couples, anniversaries, almost everyone | Younger couples and honeymooners who want something hip and fun |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who has been to both and personalizes your stay: I book the private spa at Casa Monti before you land, request the right room at the Eden, and arrange your transfers from Fiumicino or Termini. Same rate as booking direct.
Hotel Eden is a classic done beautifully: anticipatory service, bright rooms that are modern and traditional at once, and a quiet street above the Spanish Steps. It suits almost everyone, and couples especially.
Casa Monti is the alternative to classic luxury. It is a boutique hotel from the team behind Le Fantaisie in Paris, full of super cool patterns, in a neighborhood where real Romans were having Sunday lunch at the trattorias when I visited.
If you want a grand hotel that gets everything right, pick the Eden. If a grand hotel sounds too traditional and you are younger, especially on a honeymoon, pick Casa Monti.
Casa Monti is pattern on pattern: bird prints, harlequin diamonds, zigzag armchairs, and curtains that hide the TV. You can tell it is from the team behind Le Fantaisie in Paris.
Hotel Eden is classic in the best way. The rooms are beautifully decorated, modern and traditional at once, bright, with white marble bathrooms and incredible views over the rooftops.
Around Casa Monti there are authentic Roman trattorias, and on the Sunday I visited, real Romans were having lunch at them. Inside, there is a beautiful rooftop restaurant and a lively restaurant downstairs.
Hotel Eden sits on a calm residential street above the Spanish Steps. The restaurant upstairs was fantastic, and the concierge was super helpful with dinner reservations around the city.
The spa at Casa Monti can be privatized, so you can book it just for the two of you. Ask me and I will arrange it before you arrive.
At Hotel Eden, the romance is the view. The restaurant upstairs looks across the domes, and it is the table I send couples to on their first evening in Rome.
Service at Hotel Eden was anticipatory and warm, a step ahead the whole time. The fastest coffee I have ever had delivered was here.
The staff at Casa Monti were super kind and welcoming.
For most travelers, Hotel Eden, my top overall pick in Rome. Casa Monti is my pick for anyone who wants something other than classic luxury.
For younger honeymooners who want something hip and fun, Casa Monti, with its private spa. For couples who want a polished classic, Hotel Eden.
Casa Monti has a spa that couples can book privately. I arrange it before you arrive.
It depends on the trip. Casa Monti is in Monti, with real trattorias all around. Hotel Eden is on a quiet street above the Spanish Steps, close to everything.
It is a really great boutique hotel in the center of Rome, and a great option for anyone who wants something other than the classic luxury hotels like the Eden. Think hip, young and fun at Casa Monti.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Hotel Eden review → Casa Monti review → Hotel Eden or La Minerva → La Minerva or Casa Monti → My Rome guide →