02 May 2026
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As the Eternal City, it’s been a long time since anyone considered Rome the most contemporary metropolis in Italy. Yet despite all the ancient relics and storied accommodations that dot the landscape, the last decade — a blink of the eye in Roman time — has seen a new wave of edgier, trendier, artsier spots vying for the title of the best design hotel in Rome. Below, five standouts.
Rhinoceros
What it’s all about: A wonderfully edgy stay in the Centro Storico district blending contemporary art with views of ruins in a reimagined 17th-century palazzo.Owned by trailblazing Alda Fendi (part of the iconic Italian fashion dynasty), Rhinoceros is a favorite among the creative set for its on-site art gallery and design by Pritzker Prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel. Stainless steel dominates here, contrasting with rough-sanded walls that reveal layers of faded paint, and with standout furniture pieces by designers like Philippe Stark and Isamu Noguchi.
The 25 apartment-style rooms — each fitted with a full kitchen and a spacious living area — showcase Nouvel’s minimalist style alongside Rome’s historic charm, highlighted by views of ancient sites such as the Temples of Hercules and Portunus.
Palazzo Talìa
What it’s all about: Director Luca Guadagnino goes exquisitely glam for his first hotel project near the Spanish Steps, which holds Two MICHELIN Keys.Design credentials don’t get much more intriguing than those of Palazzo Talìa, which commissioned filmmaker Luca Guadagnino for his first hospitality project. The lounge, bar and restaurant are all his creations, with custom furnishings by his studio alongside showstoppers such as a dramatic 1940s-era glass chandelier by Simone Cenedese and new, vivid floral carpets by Nigel Peake throughout the hotel.
On the top floor of the 16th-century palazzo, Guadagnino also designed a suite lined with a green marble fireplace, pink seating and fluted boiserie, which opens onto an expansive plant-filled terrace overlooking the courtyard. The other 24 rooms were designed by Galleria MIA and Laura Feroldi Studio, continuing Guadagnino’s palette of bold colors, his mix of vintage and contemporary pieces and his rich surfaces — from Dedar fabrics on chairs to modern frescoes in the bathrooms by Pictalab.
Six Senses Rome
What it’s all about: The term “sanctuary” can feel like a cliché when it comes to hotels in busy city centers. At this One-Key just steps from the Roman Forum, it’s just a fact.When the Six Senses wellness group opened its first urban hotel, creating a sense of calm was a clear priority. Just steps from one of the city’s main thoroughfares, the hotel inside the 15th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini is all serenity, beginning with a spacious lounge filled with a wealth of enormous plants and sunlight that filters in through the glass ceiling.
Milan-based architect Patricia Urquiola designed the interiors, employing her signature sinuous furnishings and distinctive sense of color, with everything rendered in soft shapes and hues, all set against sound-absorbing woodworked walls. The spa was inspired by ancient Roman bathhouses, with walls lined with arches and entirely clad in travertine stone.
Soho House Rome
What it’s all about: Art-crammed rooms, a rooftop pool and wraparound city views define this modern, artsy hotel in the bohemian San Lorenzo neighborhood.It’s fitting that a clubhouse for international creatives would bring fresh energy to Rome’s design scene. Soho House Rome has 49 rooms, most with balconies, designed by its own team to suit its discerning travelers and filled with bespoke artwork by emerging artists.
Color-rich nods to Italian heritage include the graniglia floors, stucco walls, hanging rugs by the Sardinian weaver Mariantonia Urru and 1970s ceramic lamps reissued in collaboration with Tuscan brand Bitossi. Atop the 10-story brutalist building, the rooftop pool in burgundy tiles makes for a supreme summer hangout.
The Rome Edition
What it’s all about: An elegant gem near the famed Via Veneto with lush details, including a breathtaking Cipollino marble staircase and a hidden courtyard.A Rationalist 1940s bank building designed by Cesare Pascoletti and Marcello Piacentini is the monumental setting, where minimalist interior design by Patricia Urquiola complements the building’s rigorous geometry. And despite its very metropolitan location, it’s the greenery — a brand signature — that stands out.
The green wall garden and rooftop full of Mediterranean plants (plus a plunge pool) go nicely with the moss-toned Cipollino marble of the original building, and the green curtains on the ground floor complete the picture.
The 91 rooms feature walnut paneling, herringbone wood floors, bone-colored leather furniture and bathrooms in spotted gray porphyry marble. This being an Ian Schrager hotel, the soaring travertine lobby and its five bars and restaurants (including the luminescent Jade bar) are popular evening destinations.
Hero Image: A typically funky lounge space at the Soho House Rome. © Soho House Rome
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