"Though many dream of palaces fit for a king, finding an undiscovered one these days is a tall order. Enter Palazzo Roma, a bona fide 18th-century palace turned boutique hotel and the latest (and most dazzling) debut from the buzzy Shedir Collection, owned by J.K. Place cofounder Eduardo Safdie. Hidden away on the southern stretch of the iconic Via del Corso in the heart of Rome’s ever-bustling historic center, the 39-room showstopper melds incomparable architectural details—lavishly restored frescoes, intarsia wood ceilings, a baronial marble staircase—with a distinctly modern sensibility (and a 1,000-plus-piece art collection) to jaw-dropping effect. This is all thanks to the singular vision of Milan-based designer Giampiero Panepinto, the aesthetic maestro who designed the restaurant at Hotel Vilòn, its achingly chic sister property just a short stroll away. The palatially proportioned rooms boast 16-foot ceilings, splashy color palettes, and colossal bathrooms honed in rare marbles that would wow Caesar himself, while the common areas delight and surprise: A statue of Euterpe, the Greek Muse of music, presides over the striking Salla de Musica, the palace’s former ballroom-cum-lobby. Meanwhile, more than 100 timepieces beckon in the azure-hued Clock Room, a prime perch for an aperitivo and fresh-fried arancini from Core—the fresco-wrapped, chandeliered restaurant—after a day spent pounding Rome’s black-cobblestoned streets. In a city teeming with new five-star hotels, this storied stunner just may be the jewel in the crown. —Alex Kirkman" - Maresa Manara