The Inn at the Roman Forum
Hotel · Monti ·
Rooftop views, ancient crypt, uniquely styled rooms, great staff
Rooftop views, ancient crypt, uniquely styled rooms, great staff
"The Inn at the Roman Forum is a luxury hotel offering guests a unique stay with a Michelin Key rating for its exceptional service and location near Rome's ancient sites." - The MICHELIN Guide
"Where a regular hotel might have a closet to store your luggage, this one has a crypt built before Christ—literally a dark, windowless cryptoporticus with winding caverns and an ancient well just behind a door at reception, open 24 hours a day. My first impression was more like a tiny office than one of the world’s most outstanding hotels: a bright, fluorescent lobby with a little desk and a small couch; as one staff member scribbled down my passport number, another handed me a cup of tiramisu and swung open a door to the first century. I’d sit in a contemporary armchair among a marble bust and a pink orchid, reading the laminated page explaining that the passageway, discovered and excavated in 1887, still hasn’t had a full investigation into its significance. Steps from the Roman Forum and a short walk to nearly every major attraction, I kept returning to the crypt to sit, stare, and center myself in the one private ancient space I had entirely to myself—though too late at night I could only last a few minutes before jogging up to my room. Decorated in a classic style with a canopy bed and shuttered windows, my room felt perennial, but the public spaces shine: the terrace with a mesmerizing city view and a spiral staircase to an even smaller platform with an even more satisfying view. The upstairs lounge just inside from the terrace serves a great complimentary breakfast and daily aperitifs from five to eight, and the concierge will make you a reservation anywhere you like. Guests tend to come either for the unbeatable location or because they’ve heard about the crypt (and they want to be near the major attractions of Rome). Families are well served too, with one- to three-bedroom apartments in adjacent buildings that include the same full service as the standard rooms. Iconic spaces in a charmed location—this is the perfect base for a trip to Rome." - Mitchell Friedman
"A daringly renovated seventeenth-century building constructed over an ancient part of the city (on the ground floor is a fascinating vaulted passageway to Trajan’s Market), the Inn at the Roman Forum shows off a striking décor of walls covered in silk moiré, heavy bronze drapes, parquet floors, and sculptures and paintings of approving ancient aristocrats. There are still plenty of period touches, though, like the crumbling plaster walls in passageways, and the odd bust of a former Roman statesman perched on a table, to appropriately set the scene. The 12 rooms are outfitted with four-poster beds swathed in shimmering organza, fiery-orange satin pillows strewn on silk bedspreads, and oversized shaded lamps suspended from coffered wood ceilings. There’s a rooftop breakfast/cocktail terrace, and the fourth floor’s three intimate public rooms are the heart of the hotel. The only downside is that, as with many small, chic hotels, the entire staff seem to consist of the front desk person and a rarely-seen factotum."
"Something of a sequel to the Inn at the Spanish Steps, the Inn at the Roman Forum takes a very similar approach. This one, like the other, is a charming and luxe retreat with a personality all its own — this one tucked away down a very minor alleyway, but like the other, right next to one of Rome’s famous tourist attractions." - Tablet Hotels
"Located above the ruins of imperial Rome – Trajan’s Forum on the slopes of the Viminale (the smallest of Rome’s Seven Hills) – this little luxury retreat is a stone’s throw from bustling tourist Rome, yet seems miles. Tucked down a medieval alley in the Monti neighbourhood, romantics will love the rooms – many have four-poster beds and fireplaces; some have private jacuzzis. There’s no proper restaurant on-site, but some of the city’s best trattorias are within walking distance. There is, however, a delightful roof garden, where you’re served breakfast, snacks and evening drinks while enjoying views of the Campidoglio. By far the most astonishing feature, however, is the excavated ancient cryptic Roman portico underneath the building discovered in 1887 – considered a treasure of ancient Rome. " - Rebecca Winke
