Nerva Boutique Hotel

It’s named for the emperor who built the last of Rome’s fora, and in fact it stands just outside the walls of the Forum of Nerva, a few streets up from the Colosseum. But don’t go expecting an Imperial Roman experience from the Nerva Boutique Hotel. It’s housed in an antique building — of recent vintage compared to the Forum, mind — but inside it’s coolly contemporary in that effortless Roman way, confidently indifferent to the antiqities that lie outside its walls.

The rooms are vibrant and stylish, full of modern Italian furnishings, and despite their modest square footage, they’re smart and comfortable. And if space is a concern, the suites are up to the task — one comes with its own courtyard, and the other is a split-level space that sleeps up to four.

There’s no restaurant — Nerva is more guest-house than grand hotel — but this being Rome, you’re never far from a mind-blowing meal. Monti, the neighborhood, is full of fine little restaurants and independent shops, and when it comes time for sightseeing, you’re within walking distance of the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon, and connected to the rest of Rome via the Colosseum metro station.