Destination guide · Italy
Rome,
hotel by hotel
Nine of the city’s best hotels, from stays and site visits in October 2026. Who each one is for, which neighborhood to choose, and where to start La Dolce Vita.
Destination guide · Italy
Nine of the city’s best hotels, from stays and site visits in October 2026. Who each one is for, which neighborhood to choose, and where to start La Dolce Vita.
The first Rome decision isn’t which hotel. It’s whether you want to come home to calm.
Rome’s classic addresses cluster around the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, and step outside most of them and you are in the crowds. A few, like the Eden and the new Corinthia, put you in the middle of everything on a quiet street.
I stayed at the Eden and La Minerva and visited the rest in person in October 2026. Here is where I would send my own clients, and why.
My favorite first, then the rest, each matched to the traveler it suits.
Romantic classic (Dorchester Collection)
One of my top three stays in all of Italy. The service was anticipatory and warm, the rooms were bright, the restaurant upstairs was fantastic and the concierge was super helpful with dinner reservations. It sits on a quiet residential street just above the Spanish Steps, so you are close to everything and still come home to calm.
Keith’s notes
It costs slightly less than its rivals. Usually a little below the Hassler, the de Russie and the Bulgari, for a stay I’d rank above them.
Uphill from the Steps. A gentle rise from the centro, so wear the right shoes home from dinner.
The verdict
My top overall pick in Rome, and one of my top three stays in all of Italy.
Grand new opening (Corinthia)
Wow. I was blown away by this hotel, and I think it is truly a game changer for Rome. It is across the street from parliament, so the area is incredibly safe, and quiet while still being in the middle of everything. The renovation is a showstopper, the spa and public spaces are beautiful, and the rooms are large and tastefully appointed.
Keith’s notes
Space is the story. Space is hard to come by in central Rome, and that alone puts the Corinthia in the conversation with the city’s classics.
The verdict
A showstopper renovation, a beautiful spa and large rooms. Truly a game changer for Rome.
Modern and lively (Bulgari Hotels & Resorts)
Spectacular. The base rooms are what other hotels would call deluxe rooms or even junior suites. It is very modern, with lots of marble and incredible mosaics in the bathrooms, and lively, almost like an EDITION but much more sophisticated, right next to the Mausoleum of Augustus.
Keith’s notes
It’s on the lively side. If you want quiet and calm, the Eden is the one I’d pick.
The biggest gym I saw in Rome. Plus more places to eat and drink than I could count, including the rooftop bar.
The verdict
Spectacular, with base rooms the size of junior suites elsewhere and the biggest gym in Rome.
Garden retreat (Rocco Forte)
I loved this hotel. The beautiful, large courtyard is the star of the property, and it feels like an escape from the city around it. The renovated rooms have the cutest ceilings, each one lemon or orange themed, and there is a nice spa with an indoor pool, rare in the centro storico.
Keith’s notes
I prefer it to its sister. The de Russie and the de la Ville are both Rocco Forte. For me the de Russie is the stronger stay.
The street out front is busy. Step outside and you’re in the crowds between Popolo and the Steps.
The verdict
A beautiful courtyard, playful renovated rooms and a spa with an indoor pool. I loved it.
Palazzo by the Pantheon (Orient Express)
The shared spaces were the highlight: the restaurant upstairs, the bar downstairs, the lobby, and above all the warmth of the people who work there. I felt like I could be myself here. The views are more authentic Rome than pristine Rome, and that is part of its charm.
Keith’s notes
Who it suits best. Younger travelers and couples who want energy. Older travelers, or anyone after more polish and calm, usually feel more at home at the Eden.
Riding La Dolce Vita? Journeys start in Rome, so I put clients at La Minerva first.
The verdict
The warmest shared spaces and the friendliest team I found in Rome.
Hip boutique hotel
So cute. A really great boutique hotel in the center of Rome, from the team behind Le Fantaisie in Paris. Super cool patterns, a beautiful rooftop restaurant, a lively restaurant downstairs, and authentic trattorias all around. When I visited on a Sunday, real Romans were having lunch at them.
Traditional grand hotel
A very nice, very traditional luxury hotel right at the top of the Spanish Steps, and that is the appeal. The dining is a highlight, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof and a beautiful restaurant in the courtyard.
Keith’s notes
It’s a busy area. The Steps draw crowds from morning to night. For quiet, the Eden is a few minutes away.
Wellness is coming in 2027. Until the new wellness and gym area opens, look at the Bulgari or the Corinthia if a spa matters.
The verdict
Traditional luxury above the Spanish Steps, with Michelin-starred dining on the roof.
Colorful Roman palazzo (Rocco Forte)
A nice Rocco Forte hotel at the top of the Spanish Steps, in an 18th-century palazzo with colorful, very Roman interiors. The highlight is Cielo, the rooftop bar and restaurant across the top two floors, with views all over the city.
Keith’s notes
I prefer the de Russie. Same family, a few minutes away, and its courtyard, renovated rooms and indoor pool made it the stronger stay for me.
The verdict
Nice, with a great rooftop. But between the two Rocco Forte hotels, I prefer the de Russie.
Belle Époque grande dame (St. Regis)
Rome’s original grand hotel, opened by César Ritz in 1894 and restored with chandeliers and frescoes. A saber goes through a champagne bottle every evening at aperitivo hour, which tells you what kind of hotel it is: theatrical on purpose.
Keith’s notes
The neighborhood is grand. Monumental Rome rather than winding-lane Rome. A short taxi covers the difference.
The verdict
When the trip is a celebration, book the spectacle.
La Dolce Vita Orient Express journeys start in Rome, so I put clients at La Minerva first, then onto the train and up to Venice.
Not riding the train? Florence is an easy fast train away, and the Amalfi Coast is a drive south. I arrange both.
For me, Hotel Eden. It was one of my top three stays in all of Italy: anticipatory, warm service, bright rooms, a fantastic restaurant upstairs, and a quiet residential street just above the Spanish Steps. It is usually priced slightly below the Hassler, the de Russie and the Bulgari.
Orient Express La Minerva by the Pantheon, for the warmest shared spaces and the friendliest team I met in Rome, or Casa Monti, a hip boutique hotel in Monti surrounded by real Roman trattorias.
The Hotel de Russie has a spa with an indoor pool. The Bulgari has the biggest gym I saw in Rome, the new Corinthia has a beautiful spa, and Casa Monti has a spa couples can book privately. The Hassler’s new wellness and gym area opens in 2027.
Hotel Eden, on a quiet residential street above the Spanish Steps, or the Corinthia, across from parliament. At the Hassler, the de la Ville, the de Russie and the Bulgari you step out into busy, crowded streets.
The de Russie. They are sister Rocco Forte hotels a few minutes apart, and the de Russie’s large courtyard, renovated rooms and spa with an indoor pool made it the stronger stay for me.
“Rome in May, then Florence” is a complete answer. I will take it from there.
