3 of the ten hotels in our Rome edit qualify. They are in our order of preference for this, not a ranking of the hotels overall.
What we looked for: A real spa with treatment rooms and a wellness programme, not a gym with a sauna.
The spa one1 / 3
A restored 18th-century palazzo on Piazza di San Marcello with Patricia Urquiola interiors and a travertine-lined bathhouse that was built for the hotel rather than dug out of the ground.
Central & walkableSplurgeWellness focusDesign-led
€€€€From about €1,300 a night
The grand one2 / 3
Bvlgari's name on a 1930s rationalist block facing the Mausoleum of Augustus, managed by Marriott and built around a 20 metre mosaic pool under eight marble columns.
SplurgeCentral & walkablePolishedDesign-led
€€€€From about €2,000 a night
The design one3 / 3
A listed 16th-century palazzo relined by Zaha Hadid Architects, with a pool that runs out into the garden on a glass floor above a Roman workshop.
Design-ledSplurgeCentral & walkableContemporary
€€€€From about €1,465 a night
Questions people ask
Six Senses Rome. A restored 18th-century palazzo on Piazza di San Marcello with Patricia Urquiola interiors and a travertine-lined bathhouse that was built for the hotel rather than dug out of the ground.
Independently, through extensive research, trusted sources and increasingly first-hand visits. Hotels cannot pay to be included, and every one of the ten has to exist for a different reason.