Rome Editor Picks

This Trastevere hotel is a hidden Eternal City gem. All rooms are on the ground floor and look out onto the leafy orange-tree-laden courtyard, which also makes for a peaceful breakfast setting before pushing off to see the sights. The simple, but comfortable rooms – decked out with exposed brick and oak furniture – make for a quiet oasis, reminiscent of the building’s past as a former Renaissance-era cloister. One unique perk the Santa Maria offers is free bicycles for guests The Trastevere location – arguably Rome’s most attractive neighborhood thanks to its narrow alleyways flanked with wine bars and boutiques – is worth the price of a room alone.

Inspired by the Grand Tourists – the 18th- and 19th-century upper-class British travelers who made Rome an essential part of any itinerary – this 90-room Spanish Steps-area hotel has seen a number of distinguished guests traipse through its pearly doors, from Hemingway to Twain to Hans Christian Andersen. Meant to feel like a private residence, the lavishly decorated rooms are crammed with porcelain antiques, over-sized mirrors with ornate frames, and enough silk to make you think twice about leaving the room. If possible, request a room on a higher floor – one with terrace or balustrade. The hotel cocktail bar, perhaps one of the most posh spots to sip a martini in town, is a favorite haunt for local celebs.

Where to start? With a paid guide! The Glory of Rome seems much more glorious when narrated by someone who can resurrect the city from the scattered ruins with their informed descriptions. If you go it alone, keep in mind that the Forum is free, but you need a ticket for the Colosseum.

Don’t bother lining up in front of St. Peter’s early in the morning. Go to the back of the Vatican around lunchtime. See the museums first, then the Sistine Chapel, and then go into the church (which Michelangelo helped design).

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This underground “centro sociale” has a range of art exhibits, DJ nights, and performances. It’s a bit hidden, off an alley in the Jewish Ghetto, but it’s arguably the hippest spot in Rome.

The streets just off the Piazza are where you’ll find the main showrooms for big names like Armani, Prada, Valentino, and so on. Start off on Via dei Condotti and then keep wandering.

If you don’t have time to visit Pompeii, why not visit the next best thing? The glorious ruins at Ostia Antica, just outside of Rome, are easily accessible by a local commuter train that costs 1 Euro.