Villa Spalletti Trivelli

You wouldn’t believe how hard it is not to resort to clichéd phrases like “La Dolce Vita.” See, there we’ve gone and said it again. But it’s hard to see what the alternative is — life in a posh Roman villa is indeed sweet, and if ever there were a hotel that perfectly exemplifies the genre, it’s the Villa Spalletti Trivelli, on Quirinal Hill around the south side of the Palace.

Forget the bustling Rome of zipping motorbikes and carabinieri sirens — this corner of the city is steeped in an aristocratic tranquility. And there’s no trace of design-hotel modernity; this place looks every bit its age, which is about a century. All of the fourteen rooms and suites are capacious and elegant, with antique furniture and up-to-date amenities, and they look out over either the Palace’s gardens or the Gardens of the Spalletti Trivellis — sorry, there we go again. There’s just something about this place that puts you in mind of a classic film set.

The package is completed by some fine food and a multitude of splendid venues to enjoy it in — from the dining rooms, to the drawing room with its honesty bar and afternoon tea, to the library, featuring Count Spalletti Trivelli’s original collection. The jewel in the crown, however, is the rooftop garden, with its shaded sofas and loungers, its Jacuzzis, and its terrace bar with its magnificent sunset views.