Review: Uncover unchecked opulence at Bvlgari Hotel Roma
The property has swiftly become one of Rome’s most coveted addresses
Location: Situated on the corner of Piazza Augusto Imperatore in the Campo Marzio area, a few steps from the River Tiber, Bvlgari Hotel Roma serves as an excellent base for exploring the Eternal City. Via del Corso, Piazza di Spagna at the foot of the Spanish Steps and the historic Bvlgari store on Via Condotti are all within walking distance. The hotel is housed in a huge, seven-storey rationalist building that previously served as the headquarters of the Italian Social Security Agency.
First impressions: The scent will hit you first: a delectable medley of bergamot, cedarwood and white musk that has become something of a signature fragrance for Bvlgari. Unchecked opulence follows. The 2,000-year-old original Roman sculpture that greets you in the foyer – a Pentelic marble statue of seated Augustus, no less – sets the tone for the decadence that runs through this property. From custom-made fabrics inspired by iconic Bvlgari-designed motifs and handcrafted Murano lights to original 1930s Ginori vases and walls in blown Venetian crown glass, every detail has been meticulously considered. I expected nothing less from Bvlgari’s first outpost in Rome – the city where the fashion house was founded nearly 140 years ago – but I wasn’t prepared to love it quite so much.
The facts: The ninth property to join the Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts portfolio, and the brand’s second location in Italy, Bvlgari Hotel Roma opened in June 2023. Greatly inspired by its surrounds, guests will notice a series of circular details across the property – a nod to the Mausoleum of Augustus, the circular 1st-century tomb where the first emperor of Rome was laid to rest, which sits opposite the property (and Bvlgari has helped to restore). The hotel feels like an homage to marble – perhaps inspired by Augustus’ love of the stuff (“I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble,” he is claimed to have said). The 114 rooms and suites are decorated in palettes of white, yellow, red and green, with each marble-clad bathroom playing along too. The hotel boasts two restaurants. Il Caffè on the ground floor is a relaxed eatery with a leafy outdoor terrace, where guests can enjoy breakfast (served all day), lunch and dinner. Fine-dining restaurant Il Ristorante on the fifth floor is helmed by Italian chef Niko Romito, who oversees the culinary offering at all Bvlgari hotels, and whose Abruzzo restaurant Reale has earned three Michelin stars.
Advise clients dine outside on the wraparound terrace, where perfectly cut windows in the walls offer views of the Mausoleum and Piazza Augusto Imperatore. The fifth floor also houses the black marble-topped Bvlgari Bar, while on the ground floor, guests will find the Bvlgari Dolci boutique, serving the brand’s famous ‘chocolate gems’; the Lobby Lounge, reserved for hotel guests and offering afternoon tea and aperitifs; and the Library. Guests seeking some pampering can head below ground level to the hotel’s Instagram-worthy spa, which, though smaller than at other Bvlgari outposts, is impressive, with marble-wrapped columns rising out of a mosaic-tiled pool. There’s also a small gym and hair salon. A hotel with this price tag needs to justify its value, and Bvlgari works hard to do that. Staff are experts in the detail – noticing that my husband was reading a book and leaving a bookmark on the nightstand, and finding a stool for my handbag whenever we ate. Suites are stocked with Dyson hairdryers, disposable make-up brushes, fitness kits, bath salts and wireless Bose headphones; cocktails arrive with a smorgasbord of complimentary Italian snacks; and turndown includes a flask of herbal tea that changes every night.
Ideal for: There’s nothing mellow or muted about Bvlgari Hotel Roma – but that’s precisely its appeal. Leaning into its high-fashion roots, this is a hotel for the fashionistas, designer-label lovers and clients who are ready to blow the budget.
Explore: Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts waited 20 years to find the perfect spot in Rome, so you can bet it’s a prime location. Walk a couple of minutes out of the hotel and you’re on Via del Corso; from there, Rome is your oyster.
Wow: The spectacular La Terrazza rooftop is a serious draw for clients staying in Rome. An oasis of potted plants, trickling fountains, pergolas and curtained cabanas, you’d be hard-pressed to find somewhere better from which to admire the views across the city, from Villa Medici to the Tiber.
Book it: Rates start from €1,800 a night, plus VAT.
bulgarihotels.com
Jacobs Media is a company registered in England and Wales, company number 08713328. 3rd Floor, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU.
© 2025 Jacobs Media
