Rome’s Most Charming Neighborhood Simply Received Its First 5-Star Boutique Lodge

It began as a drizzle, however huge, fats raindrops started falling from the sky. My husband and I ducked inside and settled right into a nook sales space. We had simply completed a spherical of cocktails on the rooftop bar of Casa Monti, Rome’s latest and — dare I say — most charming luxurious boutique lodge. Whereas the younger bar workers dashed out to the terrace and shortly introduced the cushions inside, my eyes wandered over to the mosaic behind the bar depicting a pastoral scene with birds in flight and males in togas by a river. The artistry behind such a mosaic is unbelievable; I attempted mosaic-making as soon as, and I hadn’t even completed a small sq. with a geometrical sample in an hour. It’s a dying artwork and one which deserves to be stored alive.

It’s becoming that Casa Monti could be house to such an intricate piece, because it payments itself as “the artist’s residence reimagined and opened to the world.” The primary lodge in Italy by the Leitmotiv Group, which is behind La Fantaisie in Paris (featured on Journey + Leisure’s 2024 It Listing) and Coeur de Megève within the French Alps, envisioned as a bohemian enclave for curious vacationers who needed to see an alternate aspect of Rome. It’s additionally the primary five-star lodge to open in Monti, a neighborhood filled with impartial boutiques, artisan’s studios, and full of life eating places and bars that have a tendency to attract a vibrant native crowd. Regardless of being a brief stroll from the Colosseum and Roman Discussion board, Monti has one way or the other maintained its authenticity — you gained’t discover chain shops or vacationer traps right here. As a journey author based mostly in Rome, I like to deliver visiting family and friends to Monti, however there’s by no means been an excellent lodge within the neighborhood till now.

“We wish to deepen the reference to the neighborhood,” Andrea Ronchetti, the lodge’s normal supervisor, tells me over an espresso the next day. He and his workforce are engaged on making a information to their favourite various spots in Rome, that includes locations like La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, an excellent family-run restaurant close by; Drink Kong, which is ranked among the many World’s 50 Finest Bars; and Pasticceria Regoli, the place you need to strive a maritozzo, a standard Roman pastry with contemporary cream in a bun.

“One other goal we have now is to turn out to be a reference level for Romans,” he says. “We wish to provide an informal expertise with out the barrier you typically discover in additional formal five-star lodges.”

My husband and I actually respect how approachable and pleasant the workers are. From the receptionists on the entrance desk to the Sicilian waiter within the restaurant and the bartender on the rooftop bar, the workers are at all times prepared to speak and appear genuinely invested in our wellbeing. Although the placement and the whimsical design by Laura Gonzalez initially drew me to Casa Monti, it’ll be the workers that retains me coming again, bringing household and pals for cocktails on the rooftop and leisurely lunches or dinners on the restaurant.

The Rooms

Rooms vary from a cosy “cosy” single room to the Roman Suite, which has a lounge, bed room, toilet with a soaking tub, and a 750-square-foot terrace. All rooms characteristic a whimsical design, with headboards that match the wallpaper and facilities like minibars stocked with native merchandise, Nespresso machines, hand-painted espresso cups, and Bluetooth-enabled Marshall audio system. Bogs have colourful tiles and full-sized tub merchandise by sustainable magnificence model Susanne Kaufmann. My room had a luxurious mattress, bespoke bedside tables and lamps, and a settee and desk in entrance of curtains that includes the identical print because the headboard and wallpaper, which cleverly hid the Chromecast-enabled TV.

Meals and Drink

The principle restaurant on the bottom flooring is open day by day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For company, a buffet breakfast that includes croissants, yogurt, fruit, native cheeses, and charcuterie is included, and sizzling dishes like eggs and pancakes can be found to order. My husband and I loved taking our breakfast onto the small terrace overlooking a quiet avenue.

For dinner, the menu options traditional Roman pasta like cacio e pepe and amatriciana, and the chef’s inventive takes on stuffed zucchini blossoms, eggplant parmigiana, and extra. We particularly liked the rooftop bar, which serves unique cocktails like La Fioraia, made with Tanqueray gin infused with mountain flowers, raspberry shrub, and lemon, and La Nonna, made with Hendrick’s gin, apricot jam, almond liqueur, Stillabunt magic velvet, lemon, and soda. The views of the neighboring residential buildings served as a reminder that we have been in one of many metropolis’s most genuine neighborhoods.

Actions and Facilities

Casa Monti has a classic Fiat 500 parked proper exterior the doorway and works with native tour operators to supply excursions in classic autos, together with Fiat 500s or 850s, Alfa Romeos, and classic Vespas. There’s no fitness center, however the lodge provides day passes to a fitness center that’s a five-minute stroll away.

The Spa

The fifth-floor spa is the primary Susanne Kaufmann spa in Rome. Signature therapies embrace massages and facials that incorporate the model’s pure merchandise and holistic philosophy. I relaxed with a full-body therapeutic massage that integrated an array of strategies and continued to unwind with my husband afterward within the jacuzzi.

Household-friendly Choices

There are connecting rooms out there for households, and youngsters obtain one among three books about Rome, relying on their age. The youngest guests get a sticker guide, whereas the guide for 8- to 12-year-olds engages their curiosity and teaches them about historical Rome. Small canine are additionally welcome within the rooms, restaurant, and bar. The lodge gives pet beds and bowls for them.

Accessibility and Sustainability

There are two handicapped-accessible rooms and loos which have showers with out a step. The lodge is single-use and plastic-free, and has room sensors to cut back vitality consumption. Bogs have full-sized bottles of bathe gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. The restaurant sources as a lot as attainable domestically and seasonally.

Location

The placement on By way of Panisperna in Monti places you proper within the coronary heart of Rome, lower than a 15-minute stroll from the Colosseum and Roman Discussion board. The neighborhood is stuffed with boutiques, eating places, and bars. One night, my husband and I made a decision to strive the pizza at Urbana 47, an industrial-chic restaurant on the picturesque cobblestoned By way of Urbana, and afterward went to the Race Membership, a speakeasy a number of blocks from the Colosseum. I additionally stopped by a number of of the neighborhood’s impartial boutiques, together with the eponymous retailer of Danish-born designer Tina Sondergaard and Kokoro, which additionally makes garments made-to-measure. The Cavour metro cease is useful if you wish to take the metro to Termini Station, the place you may change to Line A to go to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, or the Vatican.

Easy methods to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Rooms will be discovered for as little as $350, and breakfast is included once you guide instantly with the lodge, making this an absolute discount in comparison with town’s extra established five-star properties.