Rome is a city filled with masterpieces. From the paintings of Caravaggio and Raphael to the sculptures of Bernini and the films of Federico Fellini – it is the cradle from which all that is best about Italy has emerged. So, the Eternal City was the perfect fit for the opening of the latest EDITION.
Conceived, concepted, and programmed by the visionary entrepreneur, Ian Schrager, executed and interpreted by the hotel owners, Statuto Group, the intimate 91-room Rome EDITION sets a new standard in the Eternal City. Its sophistication, attention to detail, refinement, and high design aesthetic make it set to become a meeting place for Romans and travellers alike. Positioned in one of the most enviable areas of Rome, the hotel is only a few short steps from Via Veneto, the most sought-after street in all of Italy. It was immortalised in La Dolce Vita and embodies Italian flare in all its glory. Not only that – all the major attractions are within easy reach, including the Piazza Barberini, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and the ever-beautiful Borghese Gardens.
Built in the 1940s and formerly occupied by one of the main Italian banks, the building is a striking example of the rationalist style and was created by Cesare Pascoletti in collaboration with the famed architect Marcello Piacentini. The stunning central staircase of rare cipollino marble from the quarries of Apuane is testament to their genius. Original features are retained throughout, including the central courtyards and original statues and lamps.
The hotel has three unique bars, a rooftop lounge, bar and pool, a show-kitchen restaurant, a well-appointed urban wellness space with gym and treatment rooms, and a courtyard garden where guests can while away the time sipping their favourite drink or sampling the peerless food menu from adored Roman Chef Paola Colucci, the hotel’s chef partner. The 91 rooms, including 17 suites, have all the design elements the brand is renowned for: the muted tones, the accents of walnut wood and stunning custom designed furniture.
Rome is a city obsessed with its food, so EDITION took great care in choosing a chef that embodies the city to lead its food offerings. And they found her in Paola Colucci, the self-taught founder of Roman favourite restaurant Pianostrada. Colucci came to cooking later in life, after spending 20 years in finance she left the industry to fulfil her lifelong passion of cooking and opened her first restaurant nine years ago. Alongside her best friend and business partner, Chiara Magliocchetti, Colucci’s two daughters, Alice and Flaminia Spognetta, make up the female-led team.
Known as one of the best and most intuitive chefs in the city, she is a firm believer in the emotionality of food and the importance of interacting with her guests. It is for that reason that her kitchen at The Rome EDITION’s signature restaurant Anima will be open-fronted and screened with ambered glass, so all can admire her work. Using recipes passed down through the generations of her family, the menu includes traditional Italian dishes with a modern twist and international outlook.
In a first for the city, the hotel has an expansive lush garden that will be both piazza and dining space. It is here in the private garden that guests begin their journey as the hotel unfolds like acts in an opera. A Roman street scape leading into the heart of the hotel, it is an indoor-outdoor space, a jungle abundant with more than 400 plants and a cascade of climbing Jasmine over the façade. A dramatic bronze metal awning overlooks teak wood banquettes and free-standing furniture along with an Italianate arrangement of lanterns to give it the feel of a traditional Roman garden. The Garden provides outdoor seating for Anima one side and a relaxed all-day terrace on the other, offering a menu of light dishes available throughout the day until late evening. Featuring old favourites and new creations the menu is accompanied by a modernist cocktail list inspired by Italian gardens and the Mediterranean.
As with all EDITION hotels, the social heart of the hotel, The Lobby, sets the tone. With dramatic 22ft-high (7m) ceilings, and porous travertine floors and walls it is a show-stopping space for Romans and travellers alike. Two symmetrical seating arrangements are the central axis of the space. White custom fabric sofas and coffee tables inspired by Manuel Coltri lie next to petrified wood side tables and standing lamps. The Lobby is EDITION at its most dynamic. It is a place to relax and make merry; a place to see and be seen or play a few games of pool on the custom-made table.
Located on the ground floor, two unique bars set the benchmark for mixology in the city: Punch Room and Jade Bar. The Punch Room, EDITION’s signature bar concept, is an award-winning speakeasy-inspired bar concept that follows the standard set at other EDITION properties worldwide. Born in the 17th century, traditional punches utilised the exciting new ingredients discovered on the trade routes, the five traditional ingredients of punch highlighted spirits from Europe and the colonies, spices and citrus from Africa and the east, teas from China and India, and sugar from the Indies. Taking inspiration from traditional recipes, Punch Room puts a modern spin on the drink. The dark walnut wood bar, with its Rosso Levanto marble fireplace and custom armchairs in rosewood and dark brown leather, is a place where guests can unwind with friends under low lights. The perfect spot to recline on the amaranth-coloured velvet sofas and explore Punch cocktails that examine the influence of the Roman Empire, it is a convivial and relaxed space.
Jade Bar is an intimate mixology destination, designed to attract true connoisseurs and aficionados. Advanced techniques create a kaleidoscope of cocktails from a limited range of spirits and seasonal ingredients, effectively creating a gallery of flavour which changes throughout the year. The elevated experience of Jade Bar is an ode to the Roman passion for honouring the finest of nature’s offerings. The intimate jewel box-like space has floor-to-ceiling green antique marble picked out with accents of satin brass and gold. Guests are encouraged to relax on the emerald velvet banquettes and take in the Jeff Koons-inspired sculptural pieces, while enjoying the unique offering.
Located on the seventh floor, The Roof offers unobstructed views across the city skyline and landmarks including the Pantheon, Acqua Paola Fountain, and Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle. The secluded spot features a large bar area, a travertine plunge pool haloed by daybeds in solid oiled teak, as well as custom bronze metal vasesdotted along the outside edge of the terrace. Take a drink at the bar counter, or a swim at the end of a hot Roman day. Chef Colucci offers raw and cooked dishes inspired by her love of the Mediterranean Sea. Likewise, the cocktails use regional citrus notes, herbs and amari to create a truly Italian list.
The guestrooms follow the design aesthetics that EDITION is known for, but with a pronounced Italian flare. The comfy beds are custom designed in Canaletto light walnut wood and the expansive windows bring to life this uniquely Italian tableau; Peperino stone and custom bedside tables sit alongside singular Italian artwork that adorns the walls. Each room also has a custom-made chair in beige leather, walnut wood herringbone flooring and comes equipped with a 55-inch-television. In the bathroom, guests will find a custom Carrara marble basin leaning on walnut wood, brushed brass fixtures, as well as the signature EDITION Le Labo amenities.
The Rome EDITION is a unique offering, a new breed of boutique hotel that embraces the changing identity of the city and puts you are the heart of it all. With EDITION, there’s no place like Rome.
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