Rome
Italy


The Experience

The St. Regis Grand Hotel is the perfect antidote to the Ian Schragerization of hostelry. Built in 1894 and run by the famous hotelier Cesar Ritz, the St. Regis has a lordly place in the wide avenues above the Spanish Steps and the Via Veneto. Fittingly, the palazzo's interior matches the exterior, decorated in the height of the Belle Epoque's French and Italian frenzied style. The lobby rotunda and grand hall, with their polished floors, stupendous candelabra and Murano chandelier, still hold their grandeur more than 110 years after they were born.

The Rooms

Even standard rooms are a good size for Rome -- the smallest is 385 square feet -- and have a personalized fresco of a Roman monument or significant site painted on the wall behind the bed. And in every room the flamboyance continues unabated: Rich furnishings from the Empire and Louis XVI periods are covered in damask and brocade, and no one shied away from great swathes of fabric over the windows in stiff silk satin that highlight the elaborate plaster molding. The Designer Suite is the only room that goes more modern, with sleeker furniture and design pieces and artwork from contemporary Italian artists.

The Service

For a hotel so firmly planted in the Old World, its service has sped ahead with the e-butler. All butlers are equipped with wireless handhelds, so even if you're stuck in a meeting or at lunch, you can e-mail your wish.

The Highlights

You'll find that modern touch as well among the contemporary art of Vivendo, which has garnered raves for its modern Italian menu of dishes like wild asparagus risotto and its extensive wine list of over 10,000 bottles, more than half of which are from Italian makers. Spiral down the iron staircase to "di…Vino," the wine cellar where private tastings and dinners can be arranged.

-- Sunshine Flint

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