To say that Casa Monti Roma, a new 5-star luxury boutique hotel opened last summer by the Leitmotiv group, is sited in a strategic location is an understatement. Positioned 10 minutes' walk from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in the animated Rione Monti — the marble and terracotta-hued district from which it takes its name, once comprising three of Rome's seven hills, is still considered one of the city's most authentic neighborhoods thanks to its constellation of family-run botteghe, restaurants, and bakeries — the hotel is a tangible exemplification of the area's contagiously inspiring spirit.
"With numerous art galleries, libraries, and little artists' studios dotting its streets, Rione Monti is a very bohemian and artistic neighborhood," Paris-based Laura Gonzalez, the interior designer whose genius makes Casa Monti into one of the best Rome hotels for décor-led travelers, tells me. Together with the owners, "we felt this place could be a unique opportunity to create something that blended art, culture, and hospitality, that felt timeless and contemporary at the same time."
