Piazza di Spagna 9

Named for its address on the plaza below the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna 9 is a pocket-sized celebration of art and design in one of Rome’s most iconic locations. With just six units, in fact, it hardly feels like a hotel at all — which is entirely the point. Tucked away on the third floor of a 15th-century building facing the piazza are just two deluxe rooms and four junior suites, each one different and all of them impeccably well composed, in just the way you’d expect from the most fashionable Romans.

As well they should be. The owner, Stefania Grippo, is an interior designer, and a fairly humble one — she goes out of her way to highlight the work not only of the craftsmen upon whom any hotel depends but of Roman artists as well, filling the hotel’s spaces with an ever-evolving array of design objects, contemporary Italian furniture and a rotating exhibition of artworks.

Incredibly, she’s even found space for a small Turkish steam bath, which is more or less the extent of Piazza di Spagna 9’s traditional hotel amenities. Again, this is no criticism — here in the midst of one of Rome’s busiest districts, a stylish room or suite is more than enough, as the city is only too happy to provide the rest.