Villa Agrippina, A Gran Meliá Hotel

Given the sheer size of Villa Agrippina, A Gran Meliá Hotel, whose gardens and lawns and imposing façades are impressively out of scale with its mere 110 rooms, it’s remarkable that it occupies such prime real estate. Put it this way: the Pope is practically a neighbor. More specifically, it sits on a hill (Gianicolo, Rome’s second highest) above the western bank of the Tiber, a five-minute walk from Vatican City and not much farther from the cobblestone streets of Trastevere.

Perhaps even more impressive than the location is how seamlessly the Gran Meliá has managed to weave the character of the Eternal City into a sparklingly modern hotel. It must have been tempting, in these surroundings, to go all-out classical in style; instead there’s as much glass as marble, and several clean-lined pieces of furniture for every cherub or bust.

The suites with terraces are the ones to get, outdoor tranquility in the middle of Rome being quite a rare luxury. The 750-square-foot interior of the Vatican Suite does not lack comforts, but it’s the 1,300-square-foot terrace, with views of the Vatican Dome and the botanical gardens from its private whirlpool, where you’ll likely spend most of your time. That’s just a notch below the Panoramic Suite, which itself has an enormous terrace that is dwarfed by that of the Penthouse. And guests at any level have access to the hotel’s shared luxuries, which include the My Blend by Clarins spa and Follie, an Italian fine dining restaurant by Luciano Monosilio.