NEW HOTELS IN ROME

Rome is ready for the return of business travellers with new hotels opening and more planned

- PAUL J DEVRIES

Spend a day strolling through Rome’s ancient streets and visiting its plethora of monuments and museums, followed by an evening of aperitivo and food on one of its historic piazzas, and it’s easy to see why the city is a magnet for tourists. Despite Milan’s reputation as the country’s centre of commercial activity, Rome also attracts its fair share of business travellers, ranking higher than its rival as a city for meetings and events. It offers both individual hotels with significant conference facilities (Rome Cavalieri – one of Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria hotels – can host up to 5,500 delegates) and vast spaces suitable for trade fairs or congresses at Fiera Roma or La Nuvola Roma convention centres.

Overall, the City of Seven Hills drew in excess of 10 million international visitors in 2019, making it one of Europe’s most popular destinations. Anticipating the new decade, it was getting ready for an influx of new hotels, with major brands including The Hoxton, Bulgari, Six Senses, and Rosewood set to inject some much-needed new life into the city’s inventory.

Following the pandemic’s inevitable impact on the industry, Rome began to welcome the first tranche of new hotels in the spring of this year. This continued over the summer months, as it celebrated Italy’s victory in both the European football championship and Eurovision. Much more is in store between now and 2023 – here’s a selection of noteworthy recent arrivals and upcoming openings.

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON ROME MONTI