Head-to-head · Rome
Two very different takes on the center of Rome. One is relaxed and full of personality by the Pantheon; the other is a very traditional grand hotel at the top of the Spanish Steps. Here is how I would choose.
Stayed at La Minerva · Visited the Hassler · October 2026
The warmest team I met in Rome, shared spaces with a real buzz, and a neighborhood by the Pantheon where Romans actually live.
My La Minerva review →
Very traditional and about as central as Rome gets, right at the top of the Spanish Steps, with Michelin-starred dining on the roof.
My Hassler review →
| La Minerva | Hassler | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Piazza della Minerva, by the Pantheon | Right at the top of the Spanish Steps |
| The feel | Relaxed and warm: a place to be yourself | Very traditional grand hotel |
| Outside the door | A real Roman neighborhood | The Steps, crowded from morning to night |
| Upstairs | A rooftop restaurant over the domes of the centro storico | A Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof |
| Downstairs | A bar and lobby with a real buzz | A beautiful courtyard restaurant, calmer than the streets |
| The view | Lived-in Rome more than postcard Rome | Over the rooftops to St. Peter’s from some bathrooms |
| Wellness | Signature Suite bookings can include a massage for two | A new wellness and gym area opens in 2027 |
| Best for | Younger travelers and social couples | Lovers of classic luxury who want the heart of the action |
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, set up La Minerva’s Signature Suite extras, and arrange the transfers to the train or the airport. Same rate as booking direct.
La Minerva is the hotel where I felt I could be myself. I shared a great laugh with the woman who checked me in, and the restaurant upstairs, the bar downstairs and the lobby all had a real buzz.
The Hassler is a very traditional luxury hotel right at the top of the Spanish Steps, and that is the appeal. The Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof is a highlight, and the courtyard restaurant is a calmer place to eat than the streets outside.
If you are younger and want a real Roman neighborhood, pick La Minerva. If you love classic grand hotels and want to be at the heart of the action, pick the Hassler.
At the Hassler, you are right above the Spanish Steps, and some of the bathrooms look over the rooftops to St. Peter’s. You cannot get much more central.
The views around La Minerva are more authentic Rome than pristine Rome: neighborhood rooftops and lived-in streets. It is a hotel in a real part of the city, and I appreciated that compared with a lot of its competitors.
Both hotels save the best for the top floor. The Hassler has a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof, with the rooftops of Rome laid out below you.
La Minerva’s rooftop restaurant is where I would spend the evening, looking over the domes of the centro storico, before heading down to the bar.
The Hassler is classic luxury for travelers who want Rome’s grand-hotel style: canopy beds, damask walls and crystal lamps.
La Minerva is an Orient Express palazzo by the Pantheon, and its personality lives in the shared spaces and the people. The best slippers of my whole trip were here. I kept them.
The Steps draw crowds to the Hassler from morning to night. If you want quiet, the Eden is a few minutes away on a calm residential street.
La Minerva puts you by the Pantheon, in the city as Romans actually live it. La Dolce Vita journeys start in Rome, so it is where I put clients before the train.
It depends on what you want from Rome. La Minerva for warmth, personality and a real neighborhood. The Hassler for very traditional luxury right at the top of the Spanish Steps.
La Minerva, for the warmest shared spaces and the friendliest team I met in Rome.
The Hassler has the Michelin star, on the roof, plus a beautiful courtyard restaurant. La Minerva’s rooftop restaurant is where I would spend a relaxed evening.
Not yet. The Hassler’s new wellness and gym area opens in 2027. Until then, look at the Bulgari or the Corinthia if a spa matters.
La Minerva. La Dolce Vita journeys start in Rome, and I put clients there first.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
La Minerva review → Hassler review → Hotel Eden or the Hassler → La Minerva or Hotel de Russie → My Rome guide →