We’re in Rome, close to the Trevi Fountain and Santa Maria della Vittoria, the church that contains the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, the marvelous sculpture in marble and gilded bronze by Bernini. This is one of the most coveted and spectacular areas of the Eternal City. It is here that the American entrepreneur Ian Schrager, at the helm of the hotel collection known as The Edition, has chosen to create his first boutique hotel in the Italian capital (soon to be followed by openings in Milan and at Lake Como), in a rationalist building from the 1940s that was the headquarters of one of the leading Italian banks. The magnificence and rigor of those years can still be seen in the impressive entrance hall, and the magnificent central staircase made in Cipollino marble, remaining faithful to the original project completed by Cesare Pascoletti in collaboration with Marcello Piacentini.
Enhanced by a lush urban jungle, the front courtyard welcomes guests, immediately immersing them in the informal and convivial atmosphere of the hotel. The luxurious courtyard with columns, featuring 400 plants and a cascade of jasmine on the façade, is also the outdoor seating area of Anima, the restaurant of the chef Paola Colucci, offering traditional repasts and new creations, as well as modernist cocktails inspired by Italian gardens and the Mediterranean.
Only after this first ‘green’ impact can guests have access to the lobby, another breathtaking spectacle: a two-story volume, over seven meters high, with walls and floors in porous travertine. The discreet, secluded reception area is on the left, while at the center of the lobby oversized sofas covered in white fabric, low tables and a custom billiard table set the tone, referencing a twin set-up in the lobby of the Barcelona Edition. Along the walls, the Rosy Angelis lamps by Philippe Starck for Flos add character to the space with a vivid contemporary twist.
On the ground level two bars offer unusual experiences for guests: the Punch Room – a concept borrowed from other Edition properties – is a room where punch is served, decorated in wood and intense shades of red; and the intimate Jade Bar, a space clad in antique green marble that can contain only ten persons, with a rotating selection of mixed drinks.
On the seventh floor, The Roof is a secluded terrace with a fine view of the city of Rome, equipped with a large bar area and a travertine swimming pool surrounded by teak cots. The guestrooms are luminous and furnished in the Edition style, but with a clear Italian influence: walnut paneling and herringbone wood floors, furnishings in beige leather, beds of pale canaletto walnut and bedside tables are joined by intriguing works of Italian art adorning the walls.
In the bathrooms, washstands in Carrara marble and brushed brass casements are the accent elements in the gray stone facings. In tune with the other boutique hotels of the brand around the world, the entire interior of the Rome Edition is on a human scale: welcoming, comfortable and sophisticated.
