A new wave of five-star hotels has arrived in the Italian capital, and all but a few offer the classic take on luxury the city has been associated with for decades. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course, but if you’re looking for a place to stay that’s shaking things up a little, nowhere quite compares with 2021-opened W Rome: a hotel with a built-in vibe that will appeal to visitors in search of all things social and contemporary cool.
There’s always something up at W Rome. That much became clear to us as we first stepped through the hotel’s front doors and into its lobby. There, three stainless steel reception pods with ambient underglow reflect a mural by Italian artist Costanza Alvarez de Castro that spans all four sides of the room, depicting a landscape of ruins, busts and lush greenery. It’s a contrast between old and new you’ll encounter throughout the property, which comprises two adjoining palazzi that were reimagined by NYC-based Meyer Davis Studio. Another thing you’ll encounter is buzz – the good kind, with locals popping into the hotel to browse sneaker resale shop Big Soup, which has a small outpost by the lobby, and guests chit-chatting in the courtyard or disappearing into the secret Parlapiano garden (through a hidden door in one of the downstairs bathrooms… but you don’t know from us!).
W Rome has clearly been laid out for this exact purpose, to help connect people and create shared moments, with its common areas interconnecting and feeling more open and dynamic than what you might know from more traditional places to stay in town. Still, no two spaces feel alike, and an eclectic mix of floor patterns, statement furniture pieces and artworks ensures you know exactly when you step into the W Lounge (think Art Deco-inspired overhead lighting, baby blue couches and DJ sets at night) or Giano Restaurant, with its arched recesses, retro radio sets, and wood-panelled walls that felt simultaneously modern and nostalgic to us. A decidedly welcoming atmosphere is perhaps the direct result of this take on interiors, which never intimidates, and instead invites visitors to interact with the space in a ‘fun’ and engaging way.
In typical W fashion, the hotel’s 147 rooms and 15 suites also follow this approach. Our 23 sqm/247 sqft ‘Fabulous’ room on the top floor, though on the smaller side of things, had been cleverly designed to maximise the space available, while featuring a small sitting area, a king-size bed and the more elevated materials we’ve come to expect from the new generation of W properties, of which the hotel is one: from wooden herringbone floors to an all-marble bathroom with a softly illuminated mirror, a Dyson hairdryer, and W-typical amenities by brands including Davines, Marvis and skin regimen, there’s plenty in the way of high-end finishes and added-value perks. That the idea of ‘a good time’ is somehow inextricably built into a stay at W Rome is perhaps shown most imaginatively in the hotel’s in-house magazine, Pleasure, a copy of which had been placed in our room, alongside a bottle of Franciacorta, to inspire us to experience the city’s hedonistic side.
If there was an oversight, we thought it was the combination of a window in our bathroom, which didn’t feature blinds, and our bathroom door, made of frosted glass, that meant there was no way to stop daylight from falling into our bedroom and waking us up in the mornings. Early risers will arguably appreciate this, but those looking to embrace the hotel’s fun-loving spirit and paint the town red might want to pack a sleeping mask to ensure nothing gets in the way of a good lie-in, should it be what the heart (or the head) desires. We’d imagine you might not have this issue if you stay in one of the rooms at the top end of the accommodation spectrum, and in particular in the 241 sqm/2,594 sqft Extreme WOW Suite, which features a show-stopping outdoor terrace overlooking the neighbouring Istituto Svizzero, as well as dedicated concierge service to spoil you rotten, if that were to take your fancy (and of course, it would).
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Hedonist | FCO | GMT +2 |
| While you’re Out There |
| The hotel is just off the Via Vittorio Veneto, which was the epicentre of Italian cinema and culture in the 1950s and 60s, when Anita Ekberg, Jean Cocteau and Tennessee Williams would drop into the street’s busy bars for an aperitivo after a day of working in town. Stroll down the winding road towards Piazza Barberini, from where the Palazzo Barberini – one of the two sites that make up Italy’s National Gallery of Ancient Art – is just a few steps away. The museum’s permanent collection is impressive, and temporary exhibitions ensure there’s always something new to discover. |
One way to embrace gluttony while on property is to imbibe all you can in the way of epicurean delights, and luckily, we found the hotel had a way of putting these in front of guests at every turn. There’s Zucchero by pastry chef Fabrizio Fiorani on the ground floor, whose sweet treats exert a magnetic pull on all those strolling down the Via Liguria, or the rooftop Seu Pizza con Vista, which serves up hot carbs and cold drinks during the summer. For more refined bites, you can’t miss the Sicilian-inspired dining by Michelin-starred Ciccio Sultano, at Giano Restaurant in the hotel’s giardino, where a large neon W sits on the inner courtyard’s ivy-clad walls. On the weekends, the eatery is a popular spot for locals, and we loved that it seemed to get more animated by the minute. To us, Giano felt like an authentically Italian dining experience, with staff (some wearing pyjama-like suits with patterns reminiscent of Etro) providing service that couldn’t have been more personal or accommodating, and diners all around clinking glasses over shared plates and laughter.
What the menu lacked in options to suit our plant-based diet, the team around Executive Chef Adriano Rausa made up for in attitude and preparedness, suggesting a range of vegan-friendly dishes we found well thought out and prepared with the same level of care and attention as on-menu items appeared to be. From courgette tartare with almonds and basil, and three-tomato spaghetti to roasted endives, celery and orange salad with pistachios and, for dessert, an oat-based cioccolatissimo with raspberries – delizioso, all the way through (so much so, in fact, we’d argue these dishes deserve a spot on the regular menu). Breakfast was particularly enjoyable, with a range of sweet and savoury options to suit our dietary requirements and tastes: think couscous or black rice salad with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes when we craved something hearty, and chia puddings, granola and even proudly showcased, vegan-friendly croissants when we felt like a sugary treat… if only a plant-based pastry or two were the standard at every hotel. Bravo!
For your fitness needs, head to the 200 sqm/2,153 sqft FIT gym at W Rome, which features the latest Technogym equipment and is open around the clock, or make your way to the rooftop WET Deck, where a plunge pool and loungers await sun worshippers (complimentary sun screen is readily available, as it should be). Its rooftop is unsurprisingly one of the most social parts of the entire hotel, yet it also feels like a perfect retreat from the streets below. For all its beauty, the Eternal City can be hectic and crowded, not least during the summer months, and any five-star hotel in town would do well to factor in a number of oasis-like spaces for guests to withdraw to. W Rome, despite its ‘Whenever/Wherever’ outlook on hospitality, somehow manages to create moments that feel luxurious in the traditional way, too. It may not be the most luxurious hotel in town, but it doesn’t want to be, either. This is a place where guests can tune in or out of the vibe as they please, and with genuinely heartfelt service and a commitment to inclusivity (hooray for the gender-neutral bathrooms), everyone is Welcome – with a capital W.
Photography courtesy of W Hotels
