Head-to-head · Rome
Neighbors above the Spanish Steps, a short walk apart. One is my top pick in Rome; the other is a colorful Rocco Forte palazzo with a great rooftop bar. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at the Eden · Visited the de la Ville · October 2026
A short walk from the de la Ville, on a calm residential street, with anticipatory service and a restaurant upstairs looking across the domes. My top overall pick in Rome.
My Hotel Eden review →
A Rocco Forte palazzo on Via Sistina with colorful, very Roman interiors and Cielo, a rooftop bar and restaurant with views all over the city.
My Hotel de la Ville review →
| Hotel Eden | Hotel de la Ville | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | A quiet residential street just above the Spanish Steps | Via Sistina, right at the top of the Spanish Steps |
| The feel | Romantic classic (Dorchester Collection) | An 18th-century palazzo with colorful interiors by Tommaso Ziffer (Rocco Forte) |
| Outside the door | Calm | Crowded from morning to night |
| Rooms | Bright, modern and traditional at once, with rooftop views | 104 rooms and suites, some with terraces and city views |
| The rooftop | The restaurant upstairs, with the view across the domes | Cielo, a bar and restaurant across the top two floors |
| More to eat and drink | A concierge who sorts your dinner reservations | Mosaico on the courtyard and the Julep cocktail bar |
| My take | One of my top three stays in all of Italy | Nice, but I prefer its sister, the de Russie |
| Best for | Couples, anniversaries, quiet in the middle of Rome | The Spanish Steps on the doorstep and sunset drinks on a rooftop |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who has been to both and personalizes your stay: I request the right room, compare the de la Ville with its sister the de Russie for you, and arrange your transfers from Fiumicino or Termini. Same rate as booking direct.
Hotel Eden and the Hotel de la Ville are a short walk apart above the Spanish Steps, and they feel very different once you step outside.
The Hotel de la Ville is right at the top of the Steps, which are crowded from morning to night. Its highlight is Cielo, the rooftop bar and restaurant across the top two floors. Honestly, I do not have a ton to say beyond that, and between the two Rocco Forte hotels I prefer the de Russie.
Hotel Eden is on a calm residential street, with anticipatory service, bright rooms and its own restaurant upstairs. It is my top overall pick in Rome, and the one I would book here.
The Hotel de la Ville is an 18th-century palazzo with colorful, very Roman interiors by Tommaso Ziffer: yellow walls hung with engravings, plaster reliefs and black and white floors.
Hotel Eden is modern and traditional at once, from the gilded lobby lounge to rooms that are bright and beautifully decorated.
Cielo at the Hotel de la Ville spreads across the top two floors, with views all over the city. It is the hotel’s highlight, and the place for sunset drinks.
The restaurant upstairs at Hotel Eden had fantastic service, and the view across the domes is the one I send couples to on their first evening in Rome.
The Hotel de la Ville has 104 rooms and suites, some with terraces and city views, and marble bathrooms with freestanding tubs.
At Hotel Eden, the rooms have incredible views over the rooftops, and the top suites are spacious and can be connected for families or two couples traveling together.
The difference you feel every day is the street. The Hotel de la Ville opens onto the crowds at the top of the Steps; Hotel Eden is a short walk away on a calm residential street.
If you like the idea of a Rocco Forte hotel near the Steps, look at the Hotel de Russie too. Its large courtyard, renovated rooms and spa with an indoor pool made it the stronger stay for me.
Hotel Eden, my top overall pick in Rome. The Hotel de la Ville is nice, with a great rooftop, but I preferred its sister, the de Russie.
The Hotel de la Ville, right at the top of them on Via Sistina. Hotel Eden is a short walk away on a calm residential street.
Cielo, the rooftop bar at the Hotel de la Ville, with views all over the city. At Hotel Eden, dinner upstairs with the view across the domes is my first-evening pick for couples.
Hotel Eden. The top of the Spanish Steps, where the de la Ville sits, is crowded from morning to night.
The de Russie. They are sister Rocco Forte hotels a few minutes apart, and its courtyard, renovated rooms and indoor pool made it the stronger stay over the de la Ville.
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 → Hotel de la Ville review → Hotel Eden or the Hassler → La Minerva or Hotel de la Ville → My Rome guide →