Rome
Italy


The Experience

For all its impressive historic credentials and grand location, the Hotel Eden feels like a private home. The lobby exudes all the unpretentious comfort and coziness of an English drawing room, with a fire in the hearth, Oriental rugs and intimate love-seats. More than 100 years old, this landmark establishment is at the center of things and yet at a peaceful remove from the hustle of Roman street life. It enjoys a lofty position over the Villa Borghese gardens and straddles a quiet crossroads in a neighborhood that sprung up in the late 1800s, but still is only a stroll away from the cafés of Via Veneto.

The Rooms

Rooms are comfortable cocoons; the shuttered, heavily swagged and double-glazed glass doors and windows filter out the faint growls of a passing motorino. The decor is plush but conservative, featuring tasteful antiques, oil paintings and brass chandeliers. The most basic category (superior) can be small, so upgrade to deluxe rooms to secure extra space, and request a city or Borghese garden view -- others are over a courtyard, which here is simply a euphemism for brick wall. It follows that the higher you go the better the view and the quieter the room, and bedrooms on the fifth floor even have little balconies. Bathrooms are beautifully finished in marble, but in all but the most expensive rooms and suites, are sometimes even too pinched to accommodate twin sinks or power showers.

The Service

The warm, personal service and familial atmosphere -- so unusual in a large landmark hotel -- is what draws the large percentage of return guests. The ever-youthful concierge, Maurizio Pangrazi, is the hotel's standard-bearer and sets the friendly tone. He never forgets a face, welcoming you by name even five years on.

The Highlights

You are enjoying your first Campari and soda of the evening, watching the ancient stone of Rome turn every more mellow as the sun dips behind the distant river Tiber, throwing the distinctive dome of St. Peter's into sharp relief against the purple sky. The piano is tinkling and attentive waiters are replenishing the ice. All the pleasures of the Eternal City seem to be distilled in this moment, on the roof terraces of the Hotel Eden. Later, you can eat simply at the adjoining Giardino, under the atrium roof, which slides back in hot weather; or sample a more adventurous and imaginative menu in the rosy-hued Michelin-starred Terrazza restaurant. While Terrazza is a more formal experience, both share the peerless views and equally outstanding national dishes from the same kitchen.

-- Catherine Fairweather

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