THE PROPERTY

Via Sistina is one of the great approach streets in Rome — a long, direct line from the Trinità dei Monti church at the top of the Spanish Steps down through the historic center toward the Trastevere. The hotel's position at the apex of this axis puts it within walking distance of the Villa Borghese gardens, the Via Condotti shopping corridor, and the Trevi Fountain. The building itself has occupied this site since the 18th century. Rocco Forte acquired and transformed it into one of the brand's flagship properties, adding the Cielo rooftop and a subterranean spa that connects to the hotel's internal courtyard through an underground labyrinth.

LOBBY CULTURE

The lobby salon is an exercise in confident restraint. Piranesi-inspired wallpaper in the yellow salon. Bespoke furnishings throughout. Abstract oil paintings alongside neoclassical antiques and bold patterned rugs that create a sense of inhabitation rather than decoration. The Julep Herbal and Vermouth Bar off the lobby is inventive and specific — a collection of herbal liqueurs and Italian vermouths alongside cocktails that take the local seriously. Breakfast in the Mosaico courtyard, bathed in morning light between the hotel's pink walls, is one of the quieter pleasures Rome offers.

DESIGN NOTES

Tommaso Ziffer's Grand Tour references play across 104 rooms and suites in blues, greens, burnt orange, and mustard yellow. Bespoke furniture with chinoiserie and neoclassical details. Bold patterned rugs. Irene Forte Skincare products in gleaming white marble bathrooms with rainfall showers and separate soaking tubs — the Forte family's organic botanicals grown on their Sicilian estate. Each room varies slightly in size and layout because of the 18th-century building's irregular geometry, which adds to the charm rather than detracting from it.

BAR & SHARED SPACES

The Cielo rooftop bar and restaurant is the social center of the hotel and one of the most sought-after seats in Rome — candy-red striped umbrellas, a full menu of seasonal dishes alongside cocktails, and an unobstructed panorama of the city from the Quirinal Hill to St. Peter's. It fills with a design-literate crowd of hotel guests and Romans who know to book ahead. The Da Sistina restaurant below serves classic Italian cuisine in an elegant room. The De La Ville Spa is an underground labyrinth with five treatment rooms, a thermal suite, and access to one of Rome's most exclusive wellness facilities.

ROOMS THAT MATTER

The 104 rooms are organized around the hotel's internal courtyard and either face the courtyard, the Via Sistina, or the rooftops beyond. The Forte Suites — Canova, Roma, and Suite de la Ville — are the three strongest choices, each with panoramic views and private terraces. The Canova Suite, named for the neoclassical sculptor, combines art and scale in a room that earns its reference. The three Forte Suites can interconnect to form the De la Ville Penthouse Suite, with private elevator access, packing service, and an in-suite aperitivo if required.

THE VERDICT

The most consequential hotel position in Rome, occupied by a building and an operation that deserve it. The Cielo rooftop is unmissable. The Pierangelini kitchen is serious. The spa is worth building a day around. Hotel de la Ville understands its address and has the interior quality to match it.

9.3

/ 10

Property

Hotel de la Ville

Brand

Rocco Forte Hotels

Category

Luxury

Rooms

104

Opened

2019

Address

Via Sistina 69, Rome, Italy

Design

Rooftop

Rome

Europe

Spa

Luxury

Views

Spanish Steps