Palm Suite

For all the things there are to love about Rome, its most unique feature has got to be the way the many eras of its thousands of years of history remain standing side by side today. Palm Suite’s setting is a fine example — an 18th-century building containing five colorful, contemporary suites, it’s got views of no less notable a landmark than the Colosseum, and is surrounded by the ancient remnants of the Roman Forum.

It’s the smaller sister hotel to Palazzo Manfredi, which is located a few minutes’ walk away, just around the other side of the Colosseum. And while the Palazzo’s got a bit more opulence, the Palm Suite has a more residential vibe and a low-key atmosphere — it’s more apartment house than hotel, with the traditional services like the bar and restaurant available only at Palazzo Manfredi.

The suites themselves are exceedingly stylish, full of artworks and eclectic, eye-catching design, and their sheer spaciousness is a real treat. And for all its sedate splendor the small price you pay is to walk a few minutes to reach Palazzo Manfredi’s Michelin-starred rooftop restaurant, with its highly inventive cocktail program and its front-row Colosseum view.