Advertisement

Rome-antic weekends: Eight of the best hotels for couples in Italy’s capital

Ellie Day
Ellie Day - [email protected]
Rome-antic weekends: Eight of the best hotels for couples in Italy’s capital
Residenza Napoleone III

Whether you’re planning a weekend break or honeymoon in the Eternal City, Rome’s a no-brainer for those seeking romance. Here’s our pick of the top eight hotels in Rome for a stay ‘a due’.

Advertisement

1. Hotel Campo de' Fiori

If you’re looking for accommodation right in the middle of the action, Campo de’ Fiori is a natural choice. Situated in the heart of the centro storico, this boutique hotel serves up rooftop panoramic views over the city and access to Rome’s most popular outdoor market on the piazza just steps from the front door.

While the views from the three-tiered roof terrace are impressive, the hotel’s interiors are equally eye-catching. Velvet, silk, gilt mirrors and chandeliers all feature heavily across the common areas and boudoir rooms. Crucially, all rooms are sound-proofed – all the better for blocking out the noise of the streets below, ensuring an uninterrupted stay.

With the choice of Standard or Deluxe rooms you can tailor your visit to your budget. The more premium option – Superior Deluxe – offers up four poster canopy beds, frescoed ceilings, antique artwork – and private terraces for the obligatory sunset-gazing.

Check prices and availability at Hotel Campo de' Fiori here.

A bedroom at Hotel Campo de' Fiori. Photo: Hotel Campo de' Fiori

2. Residenza Napoleone III

For those whose tastes lean towards the opulent, Napoleone III provides a suitably sumptuous setting for a trip for two. Set in a 16th century villa on the Via Condotti, it’s a short saunter away from Rome’s central Spanish Steps, in the heart of the city’s shopping district.

As its name might suggest, this hotel has royal connections; Emperor Napoleon III lived here in 1830 and now the residence has been made into two apartments: the Napoleon Suite and the Roof Garden Suite.

The owners - the equally regal-sounding Prince Pietro and Princess Letizia Ruspoli – describe the venue as “a place of living history.” Indeed, befitting its aristocratic roots, the site plays host to numerous works of art, from Gobelin tapestries to busts of Roman emperors – all bonafide heirlooms.

While you have free reign of your apartment, help is there should you need it; a concierge service is on hand for any requests during your stay, allowing you to focus on the serious business of pursuing la dolce vita.

Check prices and availability at Residenza Napoleone III here.

Residenza Napoleone III's 'Napoleon Suite' bedroom. Photo: Residenza Napoleone III

3. The St. Regis Rome

Emerging in November from a €40 million renovation, this 5-star luxury hotel has been given a full make-over for 2018. Steeped in history and renowned for being one of the first hotels opened by famed hotelier Cesar Ritz in 1894, the new-look space combines original detail (terrazzo floors, mosaic insets) with contemporary touches (the now-ubiquitous in-room premium film channels, iPod docks and Wi-Fi throughout the building).

Each of the hotel’s 160 rooms is designed to feel distinct and unique, blending influences from the Empire, Regency and Louis XV eras in a palette of powder blue and terra cotta.

Standing tall on the Piazza della Repubblica, a five-minute walk from Via Veneto, the hotel is flanked by some of the city’s attractions, such as the Baths of Diocletian – and the just as important numerous gelaterias.

And when it comes to sampling traditional food, you don’t even need to leave your hotel room; each room has access to a round-the-clock butler service, allowing you to have locally-sourced cuisine delivered direct to your door. When in Rome…

Check prices and availability at The St. Regis Rome here.

The lobby in the newly-refurbished St. Regis Rome. Photo: Marriott International

4. Hotel Lord Byron

While Lord Byron may not seem the most natural link to Rome and traditional Italian culture, don’t let this hotel’s less-than-Mediterranean name put you off. This venue’s leaning towards the prominent Romantic is reflected throughout the hotel in its focus on aesthetics and beauty, with rooms resplendent in rich mahogany and rosewood. Marble bathrooms are stocked with Lorenzo Villoresi toiletries and plush bathrobes, should you wish to spend some time reposing in you room – presumably while contemplating the art adorning the walls, in true Romantic fashion.

This 5-star, Art Deco-styled residence has a 1920s charm which chimes with the Parioli district in which it’s based. It’s not the most central of options – instead set back to the north of the centre – but is located a short walk from the picturesque Villa Borghese gardens and the Borghese Gallery, which hosts work from the likes of Titian, Rubens and Raphael.

Guests concerned about foraging for food out in the suburbs of Rome needn’t worry – as well as having many options in the area, the hotel has its very own restaurant, The Sapori. The on-site restaurant seeks to bring all of its guests’ Italian culinary dreams to life just a skip away from their bedroom – think risotto, classic spaghetti alla carbonara and local cheese platters.

Check prices and availability at Hotel Lord Byron here.

One of Lord Byron hotel's lounge areas, complete with fireplace. Photo: Hotel Lord Byron

5. Villa Spalletti Trivelli

If, as accepted wisdom would have it, all roads do indeed lead to Rome, then Villa Spalletti must have been designed at the centre of the map. This hotel is near almost everywhere you might need to go – from the prosaic (the central train station) to the iconic (the Trevi Fountain). Sat on one of the original Seven Hills of Rome, the Quirinale, the city retreat was formerly the ancestral seat of the Spalletti family. It retains much of this spirit, with classical artwork and family portraits on show around the villa.

This 119-year-old villa is part of the Small Luxury Hotels group, with an emphasis on the ‘small’ – this hotel distinguishes itself from its larger competitors through the intimate and homely environment it provides. Its 12 rooms, communal drawing room, lounge, library and rooftop are served by staff well-versed in running a household, rather than a hotel, with the heightened attention to the individual that distinction brings.

Tourist activities can be unexpectedly tiring – Villa Spalletti Trivelli has the solution for when exploring becomes exhausting, with its own ‘Wellness Centre’ to help guests re-relax. Services offered include beauty treatments, a steam room and a traditional tepidarium – a Roman-style relaxation room.

And if all the unwinding proves thirsty work, the complimentary minibar in your room should do the trick.

Check prices and availability at Villa Spalletti Trivelli here.

Rooftop area at Villa Spalletti with bar, loungers and jacuzzis. Photo: Villa Spalletti Trivelli

 

6. Relais Giulia

This option breaks the ‘hotel’ mould, technically serving as a bed and breakfast. Across its 14 rooms, each with classic Roman décor, guests have access to bathrooms in which to luxuriate in either the hydro massage bath, or – more extravagantly – the Jacuzzi.

As every good traveller knows, it’s all about location. And this hotel occupies prime real estate, set just paces away from the ever-popular Spanish Steps, putting you in an ideal position to do some exploring of the city right outside your front door. But when entering into Rome’s winding streets feels too much of a bind, you can opt instead to contemplate all things Italian from the watery oasis of the hotel’s swimming pool.

Check prices and availability at Relais Giulia here.

A bedroom at Relais Giulia. Photo: Relais Giulia

 

7. Ale & Niki’s Home

This bed and breakfast is set within a building built in 1899 and gives the full ‘home in Rome’ experience. Run by two sisters, each of the venue’s six guest rooms is named after a member of their family.

It’s the location that’ll keep you coming back to Ale & Niki’s home – situated the Prati district, you’ll be sleeping within a stone’s throw of Vatican City, with the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and various other cultural hard-hitters held within its walls. If you’re more in the mood to explore Rome’s sartorial pleasures, it’s also in the heart of the city’s high-end shopping hub, so you can while away the hours investing in some of the much-vaunted quality Italian attire.

Check prices and availability at Ale & Niki's Home here.

One of six bedrooms at Ale & Niki's Home. Photo: Ale & Niki's Home

 

8. Town House 62

A haven of modernity in a city filled with antiquity. For culture-seeking couples, Town House 62 places you right between the Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican and Piazza di Spagna. That means you’ve got the Pantheon on your doorstep during your stay here. To help you navigate your way expertly around Rome’s history, the hotel offers private guided tours of the city’s main attractions.

With just five luxury and rooms in the accommodation, you’ll get a personalised experience; the hotel offers an international breakfast served in your room, should you be so inclined. If that puts enough of a spring in your step that you feel ready to venture further afield than the centre of Rome, helpfully the hotel also rents out motorbikes and bicycles. Just be wary of operating them after a few Aperol spritz.

Check prices and availability at Town House 62 here.

A four-poster bed at Town House 62. Photo: Town House 62

 

This article was produced by The Local and contains affiliate links from booking.com. The Local will earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a booking.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also