Martius Private Suites

Rome, as a destination, already has plenty to recommend it, from its ancient history to its famous dedication to the good life. But as fans of unique, unusual, independent hospitality, we’ve got another reason to love it: there’s perhaps no other major capital that’s so richly endowed with hotels of the small-scale luxury-boutique variety. Martius Private Suites is exactly the kind of place we’re talking about: just eight rooms and suites in a Renaissance palace a few streets due north of the Pantheon, in the Campo Marzio district, decorated in a hyper-luxe hybrid Italian style, blending the building’s considerable history with the influence of a contemporary eye.

Though compact, the double rooms offer first-rate comforts, including Nespresso machines and Ortigia bath products. The lone junior suite elaborates on the theme somewhat, and the deluxe suites expand to 60 square meters, while the two presidential suites include ample living space and marble baths. And while it necessarily lacks the services of a full-scale grand hotel — pool, spa, restaurant, et cetera — Martius Suites is well positioned to show you the best of what living in Rome has to offer, from restaurant reservations to cooking classes to tours of the Vatican or Rome’s many museums, monuments, and historical sites.