Rome, which has no shortage of prestigious hotels, will soon have a new jewel with the opening of Bulgari Roma on 9 June. It's a return to its roots for the jeweller, who was born in the Italian capital at the end of the 19th century and whose flagship shop, opened in 1905, is still located at Via Condotti 10.
For its part, its hotel version, developed in partnership with the Marriott groupThe Palazzo dell'INPS, Italy's social security system, was built not far from here, in a historic building facing the Mausoleum of Augustus. Built in the mid-1930s, this building embodies monumental, uncluttered architecture of the rationalist style, a tiny glimmer of beauty at the heart of the dark fascist period.
A link between eras, the Hotel Bulgari, decorated on its southern façade with an immense 70-metre mosaic depicting the founding of the Eternal City, evokes within its walls the history of the Eternal City. Ancient Rome. In the vestibule at the entrance to the establishment, privileged travellers will find a period statue of the Emperor Augustus from the Torlonia collection.
Completely restored to welcome its first guests, the building has been redesigned by Bulgari's resident architects, Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel. Their firm, ACPV, designed a contemporary design combining aesthetic rigour with rich materials and the finest Italian craftsmanship, particularly Murano crystal. The 114 rooms - most of which are suites, including the 300 m² Bulgari Suite - embody the luxury brand's attention to detail.
To complete its offer, the hotel has a vast 1,500 m² spa, with nine treatment rooms and a 25m swimming pool. But it has also called on a chef worthy of the place, Niko Romito, three-starred for its Reale restaurant in Abruzzo. A consultant to the hotel brand since 2017, the chef will helm the soberly named "Il Ristorante - Niko Romito", offering contemporary Italian cuisine in an elegant setting with ebony-tiled walls, opening onto a terrace overlooking the mausoleum of Augustus. All of this is combined with a private room for intimate and refined dinners, which can be followed by a drink in the hotel bar, next to the restaurant and also extended outdoors. On the ground floor, Il Caffè, also open to the outside, is the hotel's other, more casual restaurant.
While Accor is preparing an Orient Express hotel next to the Pantheon, the result of the transformation of the Grand Hotel de la Minerve, the Italian capital is attracting luxury brands. While the hotel is due to open in 2025, by the end of 2023 Rome should see the metamorphosis of the headquarters of the Italian Central Bank into a new luxury hotel. a luxurious Corinthia hotela project in partnership with the Reuben Brothers family of billionaires, also behind the conversion of the historic Admiralty Arch in London at the Waldorf Astoria.
For its part, the IHG group has already opened an urban resort in March. Six Senses in a 15th-century palazzoe century building close to the Corso. The British hotelier will soon be adding a less exclusive, but still prestigious, hotel under its flagship brand InterContinental. Jane Mackie, senior vice-president of the group's luxury and lifestyle brands, believes that 2023 is " one year wonderfully exciting for IHG Hotels & Resorts in Rome" .
The long-awaited InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace will open its doors next May in the heart of Rome, on the very chic Via Veneto. Here too, the building reflects the slightly more recent history of the Italian capital, since it was first used in 1900 as a residence for ambassadors passing through Rome, then as the library for the American embassy from 1946 onwards.
Designed by architect Carlo Busiri Vici, the building boasts 160 rooms and suites in a chic contemporary design sprinkled with neoclassical details. The hotel also features Scarpetta NYC, a restaurant linking Italy and America, and Charlie's Rooftop, a rooftop bar. L'InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace will also have a 130 m² meeting and events room, the Cameo Events Room, equipped with the latest technology. It's the perfect venue for companies and high-ranking dignitaries alike.
