For The Cultured, The Considered, and The Creatively Inclined
Rome isn’t just its landmarks; it’s a living rhythm. A city that functions like anywhere else, only with more style, depth, and soul. Every bridge, façade, and narrow street carries centuries of stories, worn smooth by time but never diminished. People here move with quiet confidence. They dress with ease, speak with expression, and somehow make the everyday feel cinematic. This Rome travel guide shares where to stay in Rome, gathering the best hotels, restaurants, and neighbourhoods that hold its character, layered, generous, and timeless.
Walk long enough and you begin to feel the city’s pulse beneath the cobblestones. Mornings glow with espresso and the sound of church bells; afternoons stretch into golden hours spent in sunlit piazzas; evenings hum with wine, laughter, and soft conversation. Rome does not perform for you. It simply exists, artful, grounded, and utterly unforgettable.
Our curated edit of the best hotels in Rome is for travellers who value depth, design, and a sense of soul. These are places where heritage meets modern ease, converted palazzos, moody suites, and slow stays tucked into Rome’s most storied corners. Expect thoughtful interiors, warm hospitality, and often a glass of something beautiful poured before sunset. This is The Revel Stay’s Rome: expressive, layered, and made to be lingered in.
5 Star // 93 Rooms
Piazza della Minerva, 69
A bold, beautiful revival of timeless luxury in the heart of Rome, designed by visionary Hugo Toro.
4 Star // 10 Rooms
Piazza di Pasquino, 69
A bold boutique stay where vintage design, creative grit, and Roman soul collide just off Piazza Navona
4 Star // 8 Rooms
Via della Barchetta, 14
A discreet, wine-focused retreat with vintage flair, deep charm, and only eight perfectly designed suites.
5 Star // 18 Rooms
Via dell’Arancio, 68
A peaceful design jewel tucked behind Palazzo Borghese, where Roman elegance meets modern, intimate hospitality
5 Star // 39 Rooms
Via del Corso, 337,
A quietly opulent stay inside a 16th-century palace, where Rome’s past and present meet in style.
5 Star // 26 Rooms
Via del Nazareno, 25
A peaceful, design-led hideaway atop Janiculum Hill, offering Roman charm, garden calm, and timeless style.
5 Star // 36 Rooms
Via Panisperna, 210
Design-led and rooted in storytelling, The Ivens blends explorer spirit with elevated style in Chiado, Lisbon.
4 Star // 14 Rooms
Via dei Barbieri, 3a
A serene, minimalist escape tucked behind ancient walls -refined design and quiet luxury in the Roman core.
4 Star // 192 Rooms
L.go Benedetto Marcello, 220
A fresh, design-forward stay in leafy Parioli where local energy meets laid-back luxury and playful charm.
4 Star // 12 Rooms
Via del Leone, 22
A botanical hideaway in Príncipe Real, blending laid-back charm with soulful, design-led comfort.
Rome feeds you slowly. It is a city of long lunches, late dinners, and second glasses of wine that easily turn into third. The classics remain, and they are still perfect, but so is the new wave of places that cook with feeling and intent. From tiled trattorias to chef-led kitchens, we have gathered the spots where food, atmosphere, and story come together. This is Rome, The Revel Stay way.
Via Gallia, 28, 00183 Roma
SantoPalato is bright walls, open kitchen, and Roman classics with just enough edge. Chef Sarah Cicolini cooks like someone who loves her city deeply. Expect bold pastas, market-led plates, and zero pretense.
Via Tiburtina, 196, 00185 Roma
Pastificio San Lorenzo blends old soul with new rhythm. Set in a former pasta factory, it’s warm light, seasonal plates, and the kind of room that makes you forget what time it is.
Via Marianna Dionigi 4, Rome
Concreto feels like a pause well taken. Soft light, natural wine, and quietly confident plates that let the ingredients speak. It’s Rome through a slower lens, designed for comfort, conversation, and staying a little longer.
Via Luigi Angeloni, 102, Rome
At Genco, the walls show art, and the food plays along. Natural wine, bold flavours, and French-leaning plates made to share. It’s Rome, reimagined with warmth, rhythm, and a little rule-breaking.
Rome does not need an introduction. It is layered in history, filled with landmarks, and yes, it draws a crowd. But beyond the queues and postcard views, another rhythm waits. It is in the early morning light on quiet piazzas, the sound of forks clinking in courtyard trattorias, and the way locals still take their time. You do not have to skip the Colosseum, but you do not have to rush it either. The real Rome reveals itself between the big stops, in the side streets, the small galleries, and the slow walks home.
Monti is Rome in soft focus. Tucked between the Forum and the Colosseum, it feels surprisingly calm for somewhere so central. Mornings move slowly with espresso on cobbled streets and shops just opening their shutters. The neighbourhood leans creative, with vintage stores, natural wine bars, and trattorias where lunch becomes a long afternoon. It has charm that never needs to announce itself. Spring and early autumn suit it best, when the light is gentle and the air feels still.
Trastevere changes with the hour. Early mornings are golden and still, with shutters creaking open and coffee cups clinking in the quiet. By night, it becomes livelier, filled with laughter, clinking glasses, and the scent of pasta in the air. Wander a few streets from the crowds and you will find vine-covered walls, small trattorias, and locals gathered late in the piazzas. It is not perfect, but when it is good, it is unforgettable.
The Orange Garden feels like a secret, even if you are not the only one there. Set high on the Aventine Hill, it is a quiet walled garden with a view that opens across the Tiber and holds you there for a while. The trees offer shade, the air smells soft and green, and the city below moves without you. Come early in the morning or just before sunset, when the light turns golden and the sky feels close. It is small, simple, and full of calm, a place to sit, breathe, and feel Rome without saying much at all.
London rewards curiosity. Each area has its own mood, from local pubs and wine bars to small restaurants doing exciting things quietly. It’s a city of substance as much as style, where design, food, and culture feel thoughtful, layered, and constantly evolving.
Athens feels real in the best way. History sits alongside modern kitchens, rooftop bars, and neighbourhood life that runs late. Food is generous, conversation flows easily, and the city’s energy feels raw, creative, and deeply rooted rather than polished or precious.
We love Paris for everything that happens between the highlights. The neighbourhood cafés, late dinners, galleries down side streets, and design that feels effortless rather than styled. It’s creative, romantic without trying, and full of moments that stay with you long after you leave.
You’ll love Amsterdam if you want a city escape with soul. It moves to its own rhythm: bicycles gliding past canals, mornings shaped by good coffee, an evolving food scene, and art and music woven naturally into everyday wandering. Amsterdam is a place to discover slowly.
Four to five days is ideal. It gives you time to see the landmarks, explore neighbourhoods like Monti and Trastevere, and still move at an easy pace. Spend your mornings with espresso and your afternoons with art and wine.
Spring and autumn are perfect. The light is soft, the weather warm, and the crowds lighter. Summer brings long days and energy but can be hot, especially in the afternoons. Winter feels calmer and more local.
Yes, but best for the adventurous. The streets rise, twist, and open into views that reward the effort. For a true local experience, rent a Vespa and ride through the city’s rhythm, from quiet morning streets to golden-hour piazzas.
A beautiful mix of tradition and creativity. Some days call for the classics such as carbonara, cacio e pepe, or fried artichokes done the Roman way. Other nights belong to a new wave of chefs reimagining the city’s flavours with bold, modern touches. Either way, it always feels authentic and generous.
Stay central to feel the city’s rhythm. Monti offers calm and creativity, Trastevere brings soul and late evenings, and the historic centre keeps you close to everything. The best hotels combine heritage with quiet, effortless style.
Yes. Rome is welcoming and relaxed. Use the same awareness you would in any big city, especially in crowded spots, but overall the atmosphere is friendly and open.
Slow travel & City Escapes