8 Best Hotels in Rome

If it was good enough for Grace Kelly, who honeymooned here with Prince Ranier III of Monaco in 1956, then Hotel Hassler is good enough for us. The 1893 palace known for its impeccable service is perched at the top of the Spanish Steps, giving it a commanding view of Rome’s terra cotta rooftops and Saint Peter’s Basilica. (Don’t miss the panoramas at Imágo, the Michelin-starred contemporary Italian restaurant that’s housed on the hotel’s sixth floor.) Equally breathtaking are the 95 guest rooms, which are sumptuously appointed with Renaissance-era antiques, Limoges porcelain, and trompe l’oeil frescoes. No wonder Hollywood A-listers—think Gwyneth Paltrow and Tom Cruise—continue to flock there.

Hotel de Russie’s location near the famed shops of Via Condotti make it an ideal landing pad for fashion lovers, but its statue-dotted terraced garden and orange blossom–fringed courtyard make it a lush refuge for anyone looking for a little peace in this always bustling city. (It doesn’t hurt that the lush greenery of Villa Borghese borders the property.) The 19th-century palazzo encompasses 122 modern rooms, with streamlined interiors, a pastel-accented color palette, and mosaic-tile baths, but the ultimate relaxation awaits at the spa, where guests can enjoy dips in the saltwater indoor pool or a visit to the Finnish sauna.

For the old-world ideal of Roman hotels, look no further than Dorchester Collection’s Hotel Eden, between Via Veneto and the Spanish Steps. The 1889 grande dame recently underwent a year-and-a-half-long renovation that modernized the hotel’s 98 luxurious rooms, adding Murano lamps, marble baths, and toiletries by Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta, and included a brand-new spa that offers treatments using naturally derived products from cult 17th-century Florentine brand Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. That attention to detail continues in other public spaces, such as La Libreria, a gilded lounge with frescoed walls, velvet settees, and a secret piano bar.

RELATED: Hidden Rome

In a 16th-century townhouse near Piazza Navona, quirky G Rough feels more Barcelona than Rome. Unlike other five-star hotels, this 10-room boutique eschews marble walls and sumptuous textiles in favor of carefully curated grit: frescoes remain unrestored, wood beams are left exposed, plaster walls are kept unfinished. Still, luxury can be found in spades, not least in the gold-tiled bar and reception area. The boutique is furnished with an eclectic collection of midcentury Italian decor, from a Gio Ponti bar cart to Sputnik chandeliers by Gino Sarfatti, and the staff can arrange for unexpectedly exclusive experiences, including tours of archeological sites in private apartments and shadowing designer Luigi Mulas Debois for a day.

To live your very own version of La Dolce Vita, head to the iconic Hotel Majestic Roma, where Federico Fellini filmed the 1960 classic. Built in 1889, the hotel remains loyal to its neoclassical roots with turn-of-the-century antiques, elegant lacquered furniture, and a Carrara marble lobby whose red carpet isn’t just for the likes of Madonna. The 98 guest rooms remain simple yet sophisticated, but the public spaces are breathtaking. Antiqued mirror panels and gilt furnishings give Ristorante Bistrot a jewel-box feel, while dark wood paneling and textured walls make the R Bar an ideal spot for a romantic rendezvous. For our money, though, we’d spend our days camped out on the terrace for the unparalleled people watching on Via Veneto.

RELATED: Italy Special: 25 Best Hotels in Italy

Given the moody, masculine palette at D.O.M. Hotel Roma, it’s surprising that the boutique is housed in what was once a 17th-century convent. Located off the tourist track in the residential Regola neighborhood—which means you’ll enjoy inspiring views of Rome’s centro storico from its rooftop bar—D.O.M. has 24 urbane rooms where the past and present collide: Contemporary mirrored furnishings, velvet bed frames, and brass fixtures blend with weathered wood beams for a look that’s at once stylish yet comfortable. Downstairs, Andy Warhol prints are juxtaposed against ornate crystal chandeliers in the vampy restaurant, but signs of the old building are there in the exposed brick archways.

History and antiquities fanatics won’t find a better place to stay than the Inn at the Roman Forum, in a 17th-century building that sits above one of Rome’s ancient site. A walk behind the concierge desk reveals a 2,000-year-old crypt and vaulted corridor to Trajan’s Market—you could spend a whole morning exploring its depths were it not for the wealth of reliquaries that beckon from elsewhere in the city. For those who need a breather from all that museum hopping, the plant-filled rooftop bar fits the bill. Downstairs, the 12 rooms highlight a riot of colors and fabrics that feels like a microcosm of the city’s competing styles, from silk moiré walls and satin pillows to parquet and terra cotta floors.

Just steps from Via Condotti, the city’s busiest shopping street, J.K. Place Roma is housed in the former architecture department of the University of Rome—a fitting location given architect Michele Bönan’s track record converting weathered buildings into the kind of visually stunning lodgings trendsetters and style mavens prefer. A stay in the 30-room boutique feels like a visit to your chicest friend’s house thanks to the seamless service and glamorous yet approachable interiors, which feature wood-paneled walls, classical sculptures, custom midcentury-inspired furnishings (the canopy beds are works of art in their own right), and Italian marble baths. Naturally, the bar has also become a welcome landing pad for the glitterati.