Hotel De La Ville, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Hotel De La Ville, a Rocco Forte Hotel, in Rome, Italy, is a distinguished luxury property that has garnered significant praise for its exquisite design, prime location, and exceptional service. Awarded a Michelin Two-Keys rating, it is consistently recognized as a top choice for discerning travelers seeking a sophisticated Roman experience.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The overall sentiment for Hotel De La Ville is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing it as "wonderful" and a "spectacular" place to stay in Rome. It holds high ratings across various platforms, including a 9.3 on Booking.com. The hotel has also received prestigious accolades such as being ranked #2 in Travel+Leisure's 2024 Readers' Favorite Hotels in Rome, #14 in Europe's Favorite Hotels, and earning a 2024 Forbes Travel Guide Star Award, in addition to its Michelin Key.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently highlight several standout features:

• Service & Staff: The attentive, helpful, and impeccably trained staff are frequently lauded, with many guests noting their exceptional attention to detail and personalized hospitality.
• Location: Its "stunning" and "peerless" central location just above the Spanish Steps is a major draw, offering easy walking access to many of Rome's iconic attractions.
• Design & Ambiance: The hotel's design, which blends 18th-century grandeur with contemporary touches inspired by the Grand Tour, creates a luxurious yet lively and character-filled atmosphere. Exquisite floral arrangements further enhance its elegant ambiance.
• Rooftop Terrace/Bar (Cielo): The Cielo Terrace Bar is a particular favorite, offering "breathtaking" panoramic views of the Eternal City and serving as an "incredible" and "buzzing" spot for aperitifs and cocktails.
• Spa Facilities: The Irene Forte Spa is a tranquil 550m² haven, offering a range of treatments, a hydromassage pool, Kneipp path, steam room, salt room, and sauna.

3. Room Quality

The hotel features 104 spacious rooms, including 15 suites, designed by Olga Polizzi and Tommaso Ziffer. Rooms are described as elegant, luxurious, and comfortable, blending original furnishings with modern amenities.

• Design: Rooms showcase a bright color palette, traditional wooden floors, and marble bathrooms. Jewel-toned colors, rich velvet headboards, luxurious fabrics, and vintage memorabilia from the Grand Tour era are prominent design elements. Handmade wallpapers by Rubelli and Dedar, and Italian fabrics and tapestries by Zardi & Zardi, add to the refined craftsmanship.
• Comfort: Guests frequently praise the extreme comfort of the beds and linen, often describing the mattresses as "fantastic." Shutters and blackout curtains ensure a restful night's sleep, even on a busy road.
• Amenities: Rooms are well-equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, minibars, satellite flat-screen TVs (some hidden in cabinetry), free WiFi, USB charging ports, and multi-country plug sockets. Marble bathrooms include handmade terracotta tiles and Irene Forte Skincare products, with some featuring rainfall showers and standalone tubs. Many rooms offer city or courtyard views, with some suites boasting private panoramic terraces.

4. Dining Experience

Hotel De La Ville offers a diverse and eclectic dining experience curated by Fulvio Pierangelini, the Creative Director of Food for Rocco Forte Hotels.

• Breakfast (Mosaico): Served in Mosaico, guests can enjoy a plentiful buffet with a wide selection of cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit, pastries, cakes, meats, and cheeses. An à la carte menu is also available, and the staff are noted for accommodating special requests like eggs benedict or pancakes, even if not explicitly on the menu. The food is beautifully presented, and the service is consistently described as exceptional. During warmer months, breakfast can be enjoyed on the outdoor patio.
• Restaurants & Bars:
  • Mosaico: In the evening, Mosaico offers a sharing-style menu inspired by local, seasonal ingredients and culinary influences from Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, in an open kitchen setting.
  • Café Ginori: In partnership with Ginori 1735, this café offers a dynamic twist on classic Italian cuisine.
  • Julep Herbal & Vermouth Bar: Inspired by the 13th-century Spice Route, this bar serves classic cocktails and creative infusions.
  • Cielo Terrace Bar: Located on the 6th and 7th floors, it provides a stunning setting for cocktails and small dishes with panoramic city views. Bartenders across Rome reportedly recommend Cielo for evening cocktails.

5. Service & Staff

The service at Hotel De La Ville is consistently highlighted as a major strength. Guests report an "exceptional" level of service and attention to detail from "impeccably trained" staff. From the doormen and concierge to room service and rooftop bar staff, everyone is described as friendly, welcoming, helpful, attentive, and quick to respond. Staff often remember guest preferences, such as coffee orders, and go the "extra mile" with thoughtful touches like folding clothes and arranging tours.

6. Location & Accessibility

Hotel De La Ville boasts a superb and highly desirable location in the historical heart of Rome, just above the Spanish Steps, on Via Sistina.

• Attractions: Many of Rome's most-frequented attractions are within walking distance, including the Trevi Fountain (10 minutes), Villa Borghese (10 minutes), Piazza del Popolo, the Pantheon, and Palazzo Barberini. The Spagna Metro station is also just yards away.
• Neighborhood: The hotel is situated in Centro Storico, close to the Spanish Steps shopping district and other charming micro-neighborhoods. Despite being on a busy road, rooms generally offer minimal noise due to effective soundproofing.
• Transport: It's a 40-minute drive from Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) (with a flat 50-euro taxi fee) and about a 15-minute drive from Rome's rail hub, Termini Station.

7. Value & Pricing

Hotel De La Ville is positioned as a luxury property, and its pricing reflects this. Rates are generally high, with entry-level superior guest rooms starting around 1,100 euros per night, and larger suites ranging much higher, some even reaching 10,000 euros per night for options like the De La Ville Suite with Terrace. While the price is considered a "splurge" and "hard to swallow" for some, many guests feel the impeccable service, luxurious accommodations, prime location, and overall experience justify the cost. The hotel appears to be consistently busy, suggesting strong demand despite the premium pricing. Booking through luxury travel platforms may offer added benefits such as early check-in, room upgrades, daily breakfast, and property credits.

8. Common Complaints

While overall reviews are glowing, a few minor criticisms have been noted:

• Housekeeping Issues: One guest reported disappointment with housekeeping, citing delays in room cleaning upon arrival and on a subsequent day, which was unexpected for a luxury brand.
• Room Size: A few guests have mentioned that some rooms can be a "bit disappointing in size" for the price point.
• Spa Accessibility: The spa pool reportedly lacks a chair lift, which could be an accessibility concern for some guests.
• Lack of Loyalty Program: The hotel is not part of a major loyalty program, meaning guests cannot earn points or elite night credits with large hotel chains.

Sources

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8. booking.com
9. roccofortehotels.com
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11. michelin.com
12. nearfarmag.com
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14. luxury-executive.com