Hotel de la Ville: This Modern-Day Icon Is Perfect For Rome New-Timers

At the ripe age of 31, until recently I somehow had never made it to Rome. So I decided to change that this spring – and for my inaugural sojourn to the Eternal City, I wanted to get the full, quintessential Roman experience. The city is overflowing with five-star hotels, but which one would make me feel like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday? 

Enter Hotel de la Ville, a romantic property housed in an 18th century palazzo – recently updated with the first Roman outpost of restaurant Cafe Ginori. Admittedly, I’d spotted snaps of its picture-perfect courtyard decked out with white-and-orange striped umbrellas on Instagram and was immediately sold. But upon arrival I realised how much the central location added to the charm: perched at the top of the Spanish Steps, just round the corner from the Trevi Fountain, this hotel is right in the heart of Rome and was the perfect place to experience the magic of the Italian capital for the first time.

Part of the Rocco Forte group, Hotel de la Ville is the younger sibling of Hotel de Russie – ultra-luxe and long known as one of the top addresses in the city, attracting a string of famous faces from George Clooney to Lady Gaga. Hotel de la Ville, on the other hand, feels more relaxed – yet still undeniably glamorous. 

Tommaso Ziffer and Olga Polizzi (the design team behind Hotel de Russie) crafted the interiors, tapping into the hotel’s overarching Grand Tour theme. No boring neutrals here: the aesthetic is all about bold colours, rich fabrics, and whimsical wallpapers handcrafted by Rubelli and Dedar – with classic Roman artworks and Italian fabrics giving the hotel a timeless feel. It’s well worth having a wander round to marvel at it all: I was particularly impressed by the yellow sitting room featuring walls lined with illustrations of classical Roman buildings.

The 104 rooms and suites continue the vibe with sumptuous velvet furniture and headboards, Grand Tour-inspired objects d’art and giant beds, paired with bright marble bathrooms decked out with Irene Forte products. Rooms range from the cosy Superior category to the jaw-dropping six-bedroom De La Ville Panoramic Penthouse, which comes complete with three living rooms, a giant terrace and your own dedicated butler. My husband and I stayed in a Junior Suite, which boasted its own rolltop bath and living area, plus a small balcony which allowed for one of the most memorable moments of the trip: an al fresco glass of fizz at sunset, soaking up the thrum of Roman life on the street below.

Another highlight was dinner at Cafe Ginori, a beautifully designed restaurant created in collaboration with the eponymous Italian porcelain studio Ginori 1735 – known for its exquisite, statement tableware. Aesthetes will be in heaven here: checkerboard flooring is paired with pink patterned walls, while dishes arrive on vibrant porcelain plates (which you can later buy in the shop next door, a nice memento of the trip).

It’s not all style over substance though. Standing out on the Roman culinary scene is tough but the food here was excellent and certainly memorable. We began with sharing starters of puntarelle salad, a Roman delicacy which sees crisp chicory seeds covered in a salty, garlicky dressing, and fried calamari, ahead of a carbonara executed to perfection and a light yet delicious sea bass dish, served with potato cream and artichokes. The tiramisu to finish was a delight, as were the signature Oriente Italiano cocktails – think jazzed up Aperol Spritz, infused with cinnamon and strawberries.

For breakfast head to Mosaico, where you can eat either in the light-filled dining room or in the aforementioned courtyard. Expect a generous buffet of fruit, pastries, granola, cheeses and meats, alongside daily chef specials like carbonara scrambled eggs and omelette with ricotta cheese, zucchini and mint. 

On a sunny evening, you won’t find many better spots for a drink than Cielo, the hotel’s rooftop bar which draws in a stylish crowd. Soak up panoramic views of the city while sipping classic cocktails or a drink from the seasonal Once Upon a Time menu, which includes concoctions like Sotto Il Cielo di Roma, a mix of sake, ginger extract and Jasmine kombucha.

I could have spent hours here, but naturally there was some sightseeing to tick off. Hotel de la Ville couldn’t be better placed for this: turn right outside and you’re at the Spanish Steps (go early in the morning to avoid the crowds), keep going and you’ll reach the Borghese Gardens. A short walk away there’s Piazza Navona, plus plenty of shopping opportunities with the boutiques of Via Condotti, Via Borgognona and Via del Babuino nearby. Big guns like the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Keats-Shelley Memorial House are all close too, but art lovers should also explore the Giorgio de Chirico House Museum and meander down the ivy-covered, cobblestone Via Margutta, known as the historic artists’ street on account of its many art galleries and workshops (as well as starring in the aforementioned 1953 film Roman Holiday).

After racking up 30,000 steps exploring, we were thankful for the hotel’s Sicilian-inspired spa which we popped into for a bit of R&R. Created in collaboration with Irene Forte, it includes a cryotherapy chamber and a thermal area with a salt room, sauna, hydro pool and foot baths, with five treatment rooms offering facials, body treatments and bespoke rituals.

C&TH KEY NOTES

• Drink to order: The Oriento Italiano will be the best Aperol Spritz of your life
• Treatment to book: The Hydrator facial
• The dish to ask for: You won’t regret getting the carbonara
• Room to request: If you want rooftop views, look for the word ‘panoramic’ in the room category
• Don’t miss: Breakfast in the courtyard

THE LAST WORD

The unbeatable location is just one perk of staying at Hotel de la Ville. With friendly yet slick service and a timeless yet modern feel, it gets the balance just right – and is fast becoming a contemporary Roman classic.

BOOK IT

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