A Weekend in Rome: Palazzo Roma Review + Where to Eat
· By April Windsor
Via del Corso moves like a river. By morning, students and scooters and the particular blur of Roman pedestrian life. By afternoon, tourists and gelato. By evening something else entirely, softer and slower, the ancient city returning to itself. Palazzo Roma sits just off it, behind a doorway that gives nothing away from the street.
PALAZZO ROMA
The building is sixteenth century and has been through many lives. In its current form, Milanese designer Giampiero Panepinto has returned it to a version of its aristocratic self: high ceilings, original frescoes, the kind of proportions that make contemporary furniture look exactly right rather than merely positioned. There are 39 rooms and suites, each curated individually.
The frescoes are the first thing you notice and they stay with you. Painted at ceiling height, some restored and some left in their elegant decay, they give the rooms a depth that no decorator could invent. The beds are four-poster, the fabrics richly patterned, and the artworks on the walls have been chosen with a collector's eye. Nothing here was put in place to fill a space.
DINING
Core, the hotel restaurant, occupies a ground-floor room beneath its own frescoed vault. The menu is Mediterranean and modern, the wine list Italian and serious. Breakfast is taken here too, and it is the right start to a day in Rome.
For evenings when the city calls, Pierluigi is a short walk away. An institution since 1938, it serves seafood with the confidence that comes from eight decades of getting it right. For a meal with altitude, Gigi Rigolatto Roma at La Minerva is the destination. Hugo Toro's interiors, mid-century luxe with a glam edge, frame a panoramic view of the Pantheon that feels almost impolite in its generosity.
The Verdict
Palazzo Roma does not announce itself. There is no grand lobby designed to impress on arrival. Instead it reveals itself slowly, detail by detail, fresco by fresco. By the end of a stay you know the hotel the way you come to know a city. Not all at once, but thoroughly.
PhotographyAll photography by Splendid Magazine, captured on the Leica M Series and Apple iPhone 17 Pro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best luxury hotel in Rome?
Hotel de Russie, Hotel Hassler, Hotel de la Ville, JK Place Roma, Hotel Eden and Palazzo Manfredi headline Rome's luxury hotel scene. Hotel de Russie is beloved for its hidden garden; Hassler sits at the top of the Spanish Steps; Hotel Eden offers one of the city's most celebrated rooftop restaurants.
How should you spend a weekend in Rome?
A classic Splendid weekend: Friday evening aperitivo at a rooftop bar; Saturday morning Vatican Museums and St Peter's at opening time, lunch near Campo de' Fiori, an afternoon walking from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon to Trevi, dinner in Trastevere. Sunday: early coffee at Sant'Eustachio, a long walk through Villa Borghese, lunch at Pierluigi or Salumeria Roscioli, and an afternoon at the Colosseum before flight.
Which neighbourhood is best to stay in Rome?
The historic centre around Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori and the Pantheon is ideal for first visits — walkable, atmospheric and close to everything. Trastevere is quieter and more local-feeling but requires taxis or longer walks. Parioli suits travellers after a quieter residential experience close to Villa Borghese.
Splendid's book of cinematic hotels, Hotel Diaries, is available in print and digital editions.