The Best Luxury Hotel For A Romantic Stay In Rome

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If we’re ever gonna do Rome together, we better do it in style.

Those were my exact words to my partner amid all the planning for our romantic three-day getaway in Rome. While we don’t normally indulge ourselves with luxury hotels, and rarely ever go on all-inclusive holidays, I felt like our first joint trip after Covid should be one for the ages, especially after two and a half years of suspended travel privileges.

All I can say is I’m glad we gave AirBnB a miss this time, and that I’m now pretty convinced there is only one way to do Rome justice if you’re visiting as a couple on a short break:

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It All Boiled Down To One Simple Choice

Rome is a bucket list destination for many of our readers, and it’s not hard to understand why. Few cities are as captivating, and evoke such a mystical imagery as the Italian capital. Dating back nearly three millennia, and being the starting point of our Western civilization, there is surely no shortage of wonders to be found here.

How to ensure, then, we could enjoy our romantic break to the max, yet still not feel overwhelmed by Rome’s enormous cultural wealth? Almost instantly, basing ourselves in an area that would help us optimize our visit, besides allowing for some quality time together became one of the top priorities.

Fontana Di Trevi In Italy, Rome — *Fontana di Trevi, one of the many perks of staying in the Sofitel: as it is right beside all the top landmarks, you get to experience them all by yourself if you simply wake up early enough*

Of course, this was our inaugural post-Covid vacation, and our long-anticipated return to Italy now that it has finally removed all of the pandemic-era entry requirements, so it couldn’t just be any hotel either. With all of this in mind, there is only one option we could have possibly narrowed it down to.

Both due to its excellent location, close to some of Rome’s top attractions, an absolute must seeing that we’d only have a few days to explore the city, and its multiple five-star ratings on Google, where it ranks as one of the best hotels, we ended up staying at the Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese. For once, Google couldn’t have been more accurate.

Checking In And First Impressions

Facade Of The Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese Hotel, Atop Pincian Hill In The Center Of Rome, Italy — *The elegant facade of the 18th-century former palace that has now been converted into a 78-room boutique hotel.*

Unlike other over-the-top, five-star Italian alberghi stuck in a permanent struggle to attain an architectural grandeur, the Sofitel in fact takes pride in being simple, efficient, and a moderately-sized boutique hotel focused, first and foremost, on well-being. That’s not say it lacks luxury – not at all. It is simply the ultimate definition of ‘less is more’.

My first thought stepping out of the taxi, and being led into the reception area, was how elegantly the Jean Philippe Nuel-styled interior seemed to, perhaps intentionally, mirror the color palette of the nearby Villa Borghese Gardens. It is sparsely decorated with vibrant green and more earthy tones, which help give the 19th century former-palace a fresher look.

Waiting Lounge Of The Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese, A Boutique Luxury Hotel In The Center Of Rome, Italy — *The Sofitel’s cozy downstairs lounge*

Besides noticing the striking color pattern, we knew we would be well looked after as soon as reaching the front desk. Visiting Rome at the peak of the travel season, in early August, I was half expecting to face a long wait time at check-in now that Europe is overrun by visitors, and 97% of hotels report staffing shortages.

Beating the odds, the hotel didn’t look at all understaffed, or even busy on an extent. We were promptly greeted by the friendly staff, who helped us with our bags and checked us in right away. As the room wouldn’t be ready until 2pm, we were led to a waiting lounge where drinks and nibbles were served.

Interior Of Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese, Luxury Boutique Hotel In The Center Of Rome, Italy — *A clear display of Jean Philippe Nuel’s polychromatic design*

Even though we arrived a bit earlier than we should, we had the keys to our suite within 5 minutes of sitting down, the whole process taking less than 10 minutes overall. No check-in questionnaires needed or any bureaucratic hurdles whatsoever. The entire process was remarkably smooth and, most importantly, fast.

The Room Is A Literal Gateway To Heaven

Interior Of The Main Bedroom In A Luxury Suite Of The Sofitel Roma Villa Borghese, Boutique Hotel In Central Rome, Italy — *The rooms at the Sofitel are richly decorated with a heavenly ceiling fresco inspired by Baroque art*

There is a reason why the Sofitel Rome is a favorite among honeymooners: entering the suite, we were welcomed with a bottle of local wine – more specifically, the deep ruby laziale Sodale merlot – and a tray of traditional Italian macarons, immediately setting the mood and making the bright, white-on-white room feel more homely.

And it didn’t stop there.

I don’t know about you, but I just love it when hotels are genuinely concerned with reflecting the mood of a particular country or culture, and being in a cultural hub as ancient, and diverse, as Rome, that is no small feat. Here, the designer has struck the delicate balance between functionality and Roman aesthetics, and he’s done so beautifully.