The Eternal City has some stylish new openings, including a glamorous Bulgari hotel in the company’s home city.
(Bloomberg) — Start planning your Roman holiday now. We’ve already got you covered with recommendations for the city’s best pasta and where to go for pastries. Now where to stay: This year, there are more new luxury options than ever the Eternal City keeps its crown as a top-10 tourist destination.
“We have this boom in tourism that is unbelievable,” Carlo Messina, chief executive officer of Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s biggest bank, tells analysts on a call. Italy could post record tourism revenue this year, as visitors from around the globe seek la dolce vita.
Here are six of the most notable newcomers opening their doors in the Italian capital in 2023, including a jewelry brand’s take on Italian glamour. Many of the hotels feature excellent rooftop spots for an Aperol spritz in the sunshine.
Six Senses Rome
Sustainability- and wellness-centric Six Senses opened its urban oasis in the heart of Rome this spring. Already it’s proving a welcome addition to the city’s competitive hospitality landscape. Baths were part of daily life in the ancient city, and in a nod to that tradition, Six Senses re-created a Roman thermal bath complex for relaxation between pools of hot and cold water, plus an ice fountain and heated loungers. (The experience is complimentary for hotel guests.)
Beyond an extensive fitness and detox program that includes e-stim strength training and aerial yoga, there’s also a large rooftop terrace for rounds of cacio e pepe and spritzes. Wine on tap from up-and-coming local producers and carbonara pizza are available at the all-day restaurant.
Rooms have enormous windows, with multiple layers of sound insulation. And a slew of cultural adventures is on offer, such as tours of nearby palazzos led by descendants of Roman nobles. Rooms from €850 ($910)
Bulgari Rome
Opening on June 9
With global outposts from Shanghai to Dubai, the Rome-headquartered Bulgari hotel brand is finally coming home. Located near the Spanish Steps and the Piazza Venezia, it will occupy a 1930s modernist building that faces the mausoleum of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
On the ground floor, Bulgari Dolce will give guests a chance to try “chocolate gem” confections alongside a selection of traditional Italian pastries. The Bulgari Bar, featuring a large black marble counter with Murano crystal cones that reflect the light, is likely to become one of the city’s most stylish spots for a cocktail.
The spa is a temple to well-being, with marble columns rising from the swimming pool and a separate vitality pool made of mosaic tiles inspired by patterns in Rome’s historic Terme de Caracalla baths. So you can buy yourself some new jewels in Rome—or sleep in one. Rooms from €1,900
InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace
Located on the famous, curving boulevard of Via Veneto, the new InterContinental Rome was originally built to host ambassadors and then served as the library of the US Embassy around the corner. The revamped neoclassical landmark now hosts travelers instead of diplomats, with 160 guest rooms and suites. (It’s worth noting that rooms start at piccolo 215 square feet, though the common spaces are properly palatial.)
The ground-floor bar is called Anita’s, after Swedish actress Anita Ekberg, who starred in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, and a rooftop bar offers DJ sets and live music late into the evening. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain and on the same street at Harry’s Bar if you’re looking to relive Ekberg’s adventures. Rooms from €745
Rome Edition
The first Italian hotel from Ian Schrager’s buzzy Edition brand (part of Marriott International) is currently in preview mode, with the full opening set for mid-June.
The centrally located property is close to Villa Borghese, with its extensive gardens and spectacular collection of Bernini sculptures. A Punch Room bar, like the well-loved intimate space at the London Edition, is set to offer craft cocktails, and, after a long day of sightseeing and museum visits, there’s a rooftop pool—not a common perk in Rome.
The signature restaurant Anima is a welcome addition to the city’s already fantastic food scene; it’s run by one of Rome’s top female chefs, Paola Colucci of Pianostrada. Rooms from €640
Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel
This recently renovated hotel from the luxury Thai brand is located in a crescent-shaped 19th-century marble palace, but its roots go back much further. It is built atop the ruins of the fourth-century Diocletian Thermal Baths, whose foundations and mosaics can be viewed through a glass floor on the lower level. Like the Edition, this hotel also has a rooftop pool; take a dip and cool off with a drink on the deck while the sun goes down over the ancient city. Rates for a junior suite start at €1,000.
Romeo Roma
Opening in October
One of the final projects designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, this renovated 16th-century palazzo just off the Piazza del Popolo mixes the prestige of the historical building with her bold, expressive style—a tempting lure for design lovers.
Out of the 74 rooms Five of the suites will feature restored, original frescos; the rest are more minimalist, with wood and mirrored accents. The heart of the hotel will be a 22,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor courtyard built carefully around ancient ruins, though locals will likely flock to the Alain Ducasse restaurant instead. All together, it’s set to be a tranquil escape from the bustling city streets. Room rates to be announced
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