Ferragamo Portrait Suites, Rome (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Ferragamo Portrait Suites, Rome (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Ferragamo Portrait Suites, Rome (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
Ferragamo Portrait Suites, Rome (Photo by Brad A. Johnson)
The mightiest trend in Rome? Tiny hotels with 15 rooms or less.
Dozens of micro hotels have sprouted up in Rome in recent years, giving guests an intimate experience that’s more like staying in a private apartment but with all the modern conveniences of a luxury urban hotel.
In the Via Condotti, the Ferragamo family built its Portrait Suites (rates from $514; Via Bocca di Leone 23, 800.337.4685) atop their flagship men’s store. To enter the 14-room townhouse, just ring the doorbell on a stoop between Ferragamo and Versace, and a butler traipses down the stairs to let you in. Guests help themselves to top-shelf liquors and wines at the rooftop honor bar overlooking the city. Pour yourself a drink, write down what you had (or as much as you remember) and sign your room number. Accommodations are small but posh, with an oversized photograph of a Ferragamo shoe hanging above the bed.
As the current trend goes, though, Portrait Suites looks like a behemoth. Many of these hotels are truly petite. The hotel
Margutta 54 (
rates from $372; Via Margutta 54, +39.06.3229.5295) and
Il Palazzetto (
rates from $330; Vicolo del Bottino 8, +39.06.699.34.1000) count only four rooms each. The former is a faded courtyard palazzo updated with reclaimed hardwood floors, sleek leather furniture and contemporary Roman art. The latter is an offshoot of the legendary Hassler and offers elegant, classically styled suites that come with guest privileges at the nearby sister property.
InTown Luxury House (
rates from $222; Via Bocca di Leone, 7, +39.06.6938.0200) rents six modish rooms in neutral tones accented with wenge wood furniture and geometric lines. There’s a massage therapist on call, just in case. And the most micro of all?
Casa Manni (
rates from $770; Via di Pietra 70, +39.06.9727.4787), a single 900-square-foot penthouse designed by Adam Tihany. It comes with a personal concierge and views of old Rome from every window.
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