Hotel Vilòn

Like many of Rome’s finest boutique hotels, Hotel Vilòn aims to provide not just luxury-hotel service and comfort, but residential charm and intimacy as well. The setting, in the city’s historic center, in a 16th-century house annexed to the Palazzo Borghese, is as romantic as it gets, and close by to many of the familiar attractions. But not for a moment does it feel like a busy city-center hotel; once inside, the quiet is practically monastic.

In fact, the house spent much of the 20th century as a nunnery, and now houses only 18 rooms, each one remade by the architect Giampiero Panepinto and decorated by film production designer Paolo Bonfini. The result, perhaps unsurprisingly, is truly cinematic, every angle full of visual interest provided by idiosyncratic color choices, eye-catching furnishings, and an abundance of artwork. The rooms feel exquisitely residential, with walk-in closets, complimentary minibar snacks and drinks, massive rain showers, and views overlooking the Palazzo Borghese’s private garden.

At this level of Roman hospitality you can expect a fine restaurant on premises, and Hotel Vilòn doesn’t disappoint; Adelaide Ristorante & Salotto serves seasonal Italian cuisine highlighting Rome’s particular culinary tradition, in spaces spanning a dining room, an outdoor terrace, and an elegant bar.