Ivy and jasmine climb the walls of The Rome EDITION; a zen enclave tucked away in the heart of the Eternal City. With 500 per cent more tourists in the Italian capital since 2022, Rome has become the European city break choice du jour again, its artfully designed streets awash with holidaymakers of every stripe, and new luxury hotels popping up at pace.
Joining the new clutch of openings is The Rome EDITION - the 15th outpost for the brand (their other locations include Tokyo and Miami, Barcelona and Doha). All designed by Ian Schrager - the boutique hotel svengali - they share pared back chic with bursts of colour, making for ultra social media-friendly snaps. The Rome offering, which opened last month, is already making its name as a place for the style set to be seen.
Where?
Slap bang in the city centre, not far from the Via Veneto, and a few minutes’ walk from the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. The destination is as prime a launch pad as it gets for those exploring the city for the first time, or discovering it anew.
Style
This is a hotel you can judge by its cover; the leafy exterior on a quiet street screaming (or rather gently whispering) exclusivity from the off. Transformed from its past as a 1940s bank, the cool white and velvet greens of the lobby, paired with EDITION’s signature Le Labo scent, feels minimalist and fresh; elsewhere, bold colours rule, with its Punch Room bar decked in deep amaranth hues, and other outposts designed in striking shades of green and blue.
Both The Garden Room, where guests can drink or dine beneath the greenery all day (and well into the night) along with the oleander-draped rooftop which offers panoramic views of the city skyline make Rome EDITION feel like a party spot in training.
Facilities
Two bars (the Punch Room and the Jade Room), and restaurants Anima and the Garden Room.
There is also a gym, found down a flight of original marble stairs from the Forties (useful if you plan on extending your workout just a shade longer), and a treatment space is set to open over the coming months.
This summer will also see the full opening of the rooftop, with the pink flowered-trees framing Rome’s city skyscape. A restaurant and pool there are also in the works.
Extracurricular
The cobbled streets of Trastevere are sprinkled with cafes and cathedrals, restaurants, bars and boutiques, most of which are open until the early hours. It’s one of the city’s buzziest neighbourhoods, and just the ticket after the more traditional tourist trappings of the Vatican City et al.
Food & drink
It feels fitting that EDITION makes a point of celebrating fine liquor. There are three bars: the Punch Room - the city’s first to be dedicated to punch alone - which serves up cocktails showcasing African spices and Asian-inspired teas (plus possibly the nicest almond bar snack you’ll ever eat). In the Jade Room, every shelf is lined with lurid green booze, while signature restaurant Anima is the product of a collaboration with local chef Paola Colucci. The menu is Italian with a slightly broader Mediterranean remit that features anchovies from Calabria, courgette flowers fried and stuffed with fat prawns, and butter-like beef from the city’s renowned butcher Angelo Feroci, a family business whose doors have been open for over a century. Sit indoors for the open window to watch the chefs at work, or in the lime booths facing a wall of la dolce vita photographs by Elio Sorci, or in the leafy haven outside.
The Roof, once open, will offer seafood and coastal cuisine. Wherever you go, you’ll be well taken care of: the staff are pure charm, headed up by general manager Daniela Cataldo, who oozes warmth.
Which room?
Nothing says when in Rome like taking one of the hotel’s two penthouses. There are 93 rooms in total, with all containing what may be the most divine bathrobes known to man (along with distinctly Italian touches including beds made with Canaletto walnut, and Carrara marble basins).
They’re all very simple and stripped back - unlike the bold greens and blues of the hotel’s restaurants - think dark wooden walls and crisp white linen. A room that doesn’t overlook the Garden Room (where the DJ plays into the night) is advisable for light sleepers.
Best for...
Citybreakers looking for a fresh take on ancient style.
Price
Rooms start from £545 per night, editionhotels.com
