Mario de Fiori 37 Boutique Hotel

Mario de Fiori 37 is one of a small handful of boutique hotels owned by Alberto Moncada, whose skill at converting centuries-old townhouses into apartment-style hotels has resulted in some remarkable, intimate accommodations in one of Rome’s most vibrant — and tourist-saturated — neighborhoods. A few minutes from the Spanish Steps, this hotel’s neat, cream-colored exterior gives way to a modest lobby that reinforces the kind of place it is: a private and serene urban retreat. Rome’s got no shortage of hip boutiques with buzzing lobby scenes — this one aims for something entirely different.

The four rooms and three suites are luxurious, restrainedly modern, decorated in a warm, classic contemporary Italian style. Details include exposed wood-beam ceilings and handmade furniture, and bathrooms are travertine buffed to a reflective sheen. For a longer stay, the rooftop suite provides a bit more variation, with an expanded wardrobe and a king bed nestled beneath a pitched roof.

You’ll scarcely note the lack of an on-site restaurant, as this part of town is inundated with culinary delights. Likewise for a busy nightspot — it’s rare that visitors to the Spanish Steps find themselves craving still more humanity at night. Mario de Fiori 37 exists to provide the sort of peaceful escape that can’t be taken for granted in the heart of Rome.