When we say a hotel is sexy, we mean it as a compliment. Take Chapter Roma. It’s not tawdry or trying too hard; it blends old-world mystery with modern design for an air of romance you feel immediately upon entering, from the moody lobby with its old stone staircase and Art Deco accents, to the tasseled, antique-style room keys that you leave at the front desk on your way out. In its own words, Chapter Roma is “glamorous and gritty.” In other words, it’s sexy: the kind of place you bring a date, and the mood is instantly set.
Guest rooms bring the Art Deco design upstairs by way of brass fixtures, voluptuous headboards, and vintage rotary phones. Glimpses of original brick wall stretch up to the high ceilings. Long-limbed lamps hang down as if dangled from the heavens. See-through showers, mixology-fueled minibars, well-curated pop art, and an otherwise uncluttered atmosphere add to the vibe.
And when you pull back the blinds, throw open Chapter Roma’s apartment-style windows, you’re free to do as the Romans do, looking out over the street scene below, enjoying a cocktail (but not a cigarette — the hotel is 100% non-smoking).
Is Chapter Roma the sexiest hotel in Rome? It might be. Here are some others that could also make a claim to the title. (And here is our entire selection of hotels in Rome.)
Chapter Roma
Rome, ItalyRome has glamorous, opulent, and luxurious hotels, but not many in the top tier when it comes to pure style. Chapter Roma is an exception. Designer Tristan Du Plessis was respectful of the hotel’s 19th-century digs, but not worshipful — one part dark and moody industrial modernism, one part gem-toned Art Deco-inspired swank, and one part irreverent street-inspired art adds up to a literally unforgettable experience.
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Palm Suite
Rome, ItalyThe suites at Palm Suites are exceedingly stylish, full of artworks and eclectic, eye-catching design, and their sheer spaciousness is a real treat. In an 18th-century building containing ten colorful, contemporary suites, there are views of no less notable a landmark than the Colosseum, and is surrounded by the ancient remnants of the Roman Forum.
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Soho House Rome
Rome, ItalySoho House Rome makes a statement via an unusual building — in this case a ten-story Modernist-inspired structure in the up-and-coming district of San Lorenzo. More important than the architecture, though, is the atmosphere cultivated by the fact that Soho House is not just a hotel, but a club — so you’ll share its eclectic, art-filled public spaces not only with travelers but with in-the-know locals as well.
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Nobildonne Relais
Rome, ItalyThe Palazzo Mereghi was built in the late 19th century, but in a neo-Renaissance style that vividly recalls the 16th. In its modern incarnation as Nobildonne Relais it seeks to recreate the environments of four Roman noblewomen from the 16th and 17th centuries, to each of whom it dedicates one of its four lavish suites — we’re talking high ceilings with Renaissance-style frescoes, Venetian mosaic tile floors, and space for three or even four adults.
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Six Senses Rome
Rome, ItalySix Senses Rome occupies a historical palace, in this case the 18th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, a former cardinal’s residence whose exteriors and architecture have been meticulously restored and preserved. Inside, however, the sky was apparently the limit for designer Patricia Urquiola; this, like any Six Senses, is as thoroughly modern a luxury hotel as you’ll find anywhere in the world.
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The Rome EDITION
Rome, ItalyThe Rome EDITION makes a big splash, as Ian Schrager’s hotels so often do. This 91-room luxury boutique hotel feels both monumental and somehow strangely intimate; it’s set close to the Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini, but enjoys a generous measure of luxe seclusion. The rooms are handsome and warmly minimalist, and the public spaces are as theatrical as ever, from the dazzling emerald-hued Jade Bar to the verdant and lively courtyard garden.
G-Rough
Rome, ItalyIn a 17th-century building with Italian design classics from the Thirties, Forties and Fifties, G-Rough defies clichés. “Eclectic” doesn’t do it justice to the clash of disparate styles. Every detail has been carefully chosen not only for its intrinsic interest but for the contrast it creates with its surroundings. This tension of textures is proof that you can’t have rough without smooth, or smooth without rough.
The Hoxton Rome
Rome, ItalyLike most interesting pairings, the Hoxton, Rome is a bit of a stretch — what was once a post-industrial East London phenomenon feels very different when adapted to a verdant, upscale Roman neighborhood, and while Rome is no stranger to cutting-edge boutique-hotel style, it doesn’t usually come at so affordable a price, or with so accessible and inclusive an atmosphere.
Hotel Scenario
Rome, ItalyTucked down an unassuming side street in the heart of Rome is a hidden gem: Hotel Scenario stands behind the façade of a well-worn 17th-century palazzo, but its interiors are pure 21st-century design-hotel chic. Designers Studio MORQ reorganized the hotel into clean-lined, modernist spaces, but they’ve left intact plenty of antique elements, like frescoes, columns, timbered ceilings, and weathered stone staircases.
Hero image: Chapter Roma
