Rome, one of Travel + Leisure readers’ favorite European cities, is having a luxury hotel moment. If your 2024 travel plans will bring you to the Italian capital, these are the best places to book.
Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel
This Neoclassical landmark on Piazza della Repubblica emerged from a renovation last spring. The 232 rooms and suites have retained their classical style, but the public spaces — the lobby and the spa — now sport a fresh, contemporary look. Book the signature Diocletian Bath Ritual (the hotel sits on the ruins of a fourth-century Roman bath) for baby-soft skin, then bag a chesterfield sofa at the rooftop bar, Seen, which serves cocktails and sushi in a clubby open-air space.
Bulgari Hotel Roma
The city’s buzziest new property is a homecoming of sorts for the jewelry brand, which was founded in Rome in 1884. Occupying a 1930s Rationalist building on Piazza Augusto Imperatore, the property comprises 114 rooms and suites, five dining venues by celebrated chef Niko Romito, an indoor pool with mosaics inspired by the Baths of Caracalla, and a pâtisserie where chocolates and pastries are displayed like jewels in glass cases. Rumor has it the Il Ristorante dining venue is booked solid for six months.
The Hoxton Rome
This playful spot, which has 192 rooms ranging in categories from “Shoebox” to “Biggy,” opened in the genteel Parioli neighborhood in 2021. It’s the first Italian outpost of the British Hoxton brand, known for attracting millennials with its chic interiors and remote-work amenities. At the restaurant, Elio, chef Sarah Cicolini has designed a menu inspired by the ultimate Italian vacation.
Related: The 7 Best Restaurants in Rome, According to a Local
InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace
The vision behind this 160-room property, which opened in May, was to bring a glint of glamour back to the famous but faded Via Veneto, a street known in the 1960s as the epicenter of Roman nightlife. To get started, the New York–based LDV Hospitality team opened an outpost of its Manhattan restaurant, Scarpetta NYC, as well as Charlie’s Rooftop, which emulates the jazz clubs of 1920s Harlem. As one of the city’s only enclosed alfresco venues, it’s a great option even in winter.
Mama Shelter Roma
In Prati, an Art Nouveau–filled neighborhood sandwiched between Vatican City and the river Tiber, this hotel from the Paris-based brand flaunts colorful interiors with street-art-style ceiling murals and vintage arcade games. At Restaurant Pizzeria, there’s often a DJ playing while the staff serve pizzas that blend Roman and Neapolitan styles. Even the co-working rooms and meeting areas channel the irreverent vibe.
The Rome Edition
Ian Schrager led the development of this 91-key hotel, which opened this summer in Rome’s city center. Guests love the minimalist style of the rooms and the trendy dining and drinking venues, especially the 12-seat Jade Bar and the speakeasy-esque Punch Room.
More Trip Ideas: How to Spend One Perfect Day in Rome
Six Senses Rome
The wellness- and sustainability-focused brand’s Italian debut opened in March in a former 18th-century palazzo. The design, by Patricia Urquiola, is turning heads for its fresh, breezy vibe, but the real draw is the Six Senses Spa, which has a Roman bath circuit, extensive treatment options, yoga and meditation sessions, biohacking equipment, and an “alchemy bar” where guests can learn to make scrubs and other skin-care products. No other spa in Rome can hold a candle to it.
Soho House Rome
Meander to San Lorenzo, an artsy neighborhood that’s home to Sapienza University, for this artist favorite. A new build, it consists of 49 rooms and 20 apartments, a rooftop pool, an outpost of Cecconi’s restaurant, a spa and gym with yoga and Pilates classes, and — in classic Soho House style — a screening room. Contemporary art enlivens the public spaces, but much of the hotel’s success is due to fabulous general manager Giorgia Tozzi, a ray of sunshine who ensures that everything runs smoothly.
Umiltà 36
This art-filled, Midcentury Modern–inspired addition from Shedir Collection, an Italian luxury hotel group, opened in July 2022 with just 47 rooms, nearly half of which are suites. Guests can lounge in the high-ceilinged Grand Hall, eat at the Argentinean El Porteño Gourmet restaurant, or take the three-minute walk to the Trevi Fountain.
W Rome
The outside may look old, but the rooms and suites inside are truly W: sophisticated, contemporary. The hand-painted mural by local artist Costanza Alvarez de Castro in the reception area can’t — and shouldn’t — be missed. Giano restaurant brings Sicilian cuisine to the city courtesy of chef Ciccio Sultano, while lauded local pizzaiolo Pier Daniele Seu slings pies in the rooftop restaurant. W the Store — curated by the designer for cult concept shop Chez Dede — stocks limited-edition bags and apparel.
A version of this story first appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure.