47 Boutique Hotel
The 47 Boutique Hotel sits in front of the Piazza Bocca della Verità, close to the Roman Forum, Circus Maximus, and Colosseum. Its balance of reasonable prices and high-quality service make it enticing for any traveler who wants to be within walking distance of Rome's top sites.
Its five themed floors invoke references to history, art, fashion, and more, with motifs like photography and 60s icons; some rooms even have their own private terrace. Look right out over the Forum from the rooftop terrace, which also houses a restaurant and bar. Or visit the ground floor, where you'll find a private cinema, tea room, flower-filled courtyard, and bistro with a gin corner boasting more than 47 types of gin from around the world.
Hotel Modigliani
The Hotel Modigliani offers family-friendly rooms near the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, set just outside the bustle of the crowds on a quiet street. Find your escape in one of its 23 rooms, all of which are furnished with crisp white and gentle neutral fabrics and range in size from twin to quadruple.
Relax in their spacious internal courtyard, decorated with hand-decorated Italian tables and fresh greenery. If you prefer to be inside, the welcoming red furniture of the lounge, accented by Carrara marble, artwork in stucco frames, and even a chandelier, awaits to rest your worn-out touring feet.
Hotel Barocco
Sitting pretty on one of Rome's most beautiful squares, the fountain-splashed Piazza Barberini, Hotel Barocco is a tasteful conversion of two historic townhouses. Despite the winningly central location, the atmosphere is discreet, and the décor a subtle fusion of modern-meets-baroque.
Neutral, earthy colors, shimmering drapes, plush fabrics, and antique furnishings give the 37 rooms and suites distinctive flair. Marble bathrooms with robes and slippers come as standard while splashing out on a deluxe room ups the romance with a canopy bed. The ultimate indulgence, however, is the Junior Suite, with its own rooftop terrace, sauna, and outdoor hot tub looking out over the piazza.
Besides this, there's an intimate bar for a drink, a full concierge service, and activities from cooking courses to "gelato and espresso" walking tours can be arranged. Breakfast is a fine American-Italian spread of fruits, cereals, cakes, bacon and eggs, cold meats, and cheeses.
This is a terrific area for strolling, just around the corner from the designer boutiques and bars on Via Veneto.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
The Inn at the Spanish Steps
Gaze out across the Spanish Steps and the Trinità dei Monti from the bougainvillea-draped roof terrace of The Inn at the Spanish Steps. The inn itself was built in a historical monument dating to 1760, once home to Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, but they also have a sprinkling of luxe penthouses and serviced apartments in the vicinity.
Outside is the Rome of a million postcards, with Via Condotti, the Italian capital's most fashionable street, right on the doorstep. Inside the décor is a playful intermingling of original features, contemporary fabrics, and rich hits of color. Rooms are individually designed, but you can expect luxuries such as Etro toiletries and free tea, coffee, and water. Some of the deluxe rooms come with original 17th-century frescoed ceilings and hot tubs.
At sundown, the rooftop terrace is the place to watch Rome light up over a cocktail and complimentary snacks.
G-Rough
An ode to cutting-edge 20th-century Italian designers, G-Rough is a one-off. It's the brainchild of owner Gabriele Salini, a seventh-generation Roman with a razor-sharp eye for design that blurs the lines between nostalgia and post-modernism in an 18th-century building. Trendy without trying too hard, the pared-back suites are a breath of fresh air from the flouncy interiors you'll find elsewhere in Rome: distressed walls festooned with playful art, retro-baroque furnishings, brightly colored velvet sofas, and mosaic-tiled bathrooms. The facilities are top-notch, too, with Smeg mini-fridges.
The mood here is deliberately low-key, intimate, and discreet, but if you want a massage, late breakfast in your room, or an alternative tour of Rome (Vespa rides, a day in the life of a designer, and the like), just say the word. There's a hip bar for hanging out over carefully picked wines and cocktails.
The location is lively, just across the way from Pasquino, Rome's best-known 'talking statue' and monumental Piazza Navona.
Nerva
Sitting opposite the Forum of Augustus, this gorgeous little boutique hotel is just five minutes walk from the Colosseum. Rome is right on your doorstep at Nerva, where contemporary Italian design and limited edition artworks and photographs put a modern spin on a historic townhouse.
The family that owns Nerva goes above and beyond to make your stay memorable, with five-star décor and service for three-star prices. Just say the word whether you need a private guide or a personal shopper.
The rooms offer bright pops of color, sleek Italian linen, pendant lights, and dark marble bathrooms. In the mood to splurge? Opt for the Master Suite, which comes with its own living room with a fireplace and Jacuzzi bathtub.
Breakfasts are lovingly prepared, with cold-pressed juice, coffee, eggs to order, freshly baked pastries and cakes, and homemade preserves.
Portrait Roma
Living proof that good things come in small packages, the 14-suite Portrait Roma brings together the look and feel of a private mansion with the service of a five-star hotel.
This hyper-luxe property makes a superb base for exploring Rome's historic center, a stone's throw from the designer stores of Via Condotti and the Spanish Steps. From the roof terrace, you can sip cocktails by the fireplace, with the whole of Rome spreading out photogenically before you. Breakfast is served up here, and it's a view you'll want to leap out of bed early for, trust us.
The chic suites are done out in soft neutrals, with wood floors, framed prints, and huge marble bathrooms featuring signature Ferragamo toiletries. There are welcome extras like DVD players and iPhone docks, designed to make you feel at home—and wish it were.