Hassler Roma – Hotel Review

Like the Connaught in London and Le Meurice in Paris, the Hassler is more than a hotel – it’s an institution. But while the former two historic hotels are both part of very small and chic hotel groups, the Hassler is independent and still owned by the family that started it. The charismatic Roberto E. Wirth is in situ as both proprietor and general manager – with his charming son also onsite – and this makes the hotel feel personal and warm, rather like a grand home. Read the full review.

Where is Hassler Roma?

If Rome’s iconic Spanish Steps are a stairway to heaven then the revolving door into the Hassler is the Pearly Gates. The hotel sits right at the top of the famous steps, with the Trinita dei Monti church next door, the Villa Medici just along and the Borghese Gardens behind – and the whole of Rome stretched out before you from this elevated vantage point. The views are something else.

Room types

From the smaller Classic Rooms right up to the Presidential Suites, the guestrooms have a certain formal grandeur – “old school” in the best possible way. The bathrooms are splendid and many of the rooms also have walk-in closets. Rooms and suites at the back – some with balconies – overlook the hotel garden and the Borghese Gardens, while those at the front have some of the best views of the city going. The three premier suites have extraordinary panoramic terraces. (One of them is actor Russell Crowe’s home-away-from-home in Rome.)

Restaurants and bars

For a serious dinner, Imàgo restaurant on the sixth floor has one Michelin star and offers sophisticated interpretations of Italian classics, with an emphasis on seafood – scampi and turnip greens ravioli; turbot cooked as lamb, with mushrooms, potatoes and truffle. All with those amazing views.

The Hassler Bistrot is more casual, based in the lovely garden in summer months and in the sumptuous Salone Eva drawing room the rest of the year. There are classic Roman dishes, such as spaghetti carbonara, as well as international hotel staples, such as the Hassler Cheeseburger.

The Salone is also a glorious spot for a civilised drink, perfectly mixed in the classic wood-panelled bar leading off it.

What you need to know

The location is off-the-scale divine. To hear the church bells of Rome ringing at noon, as you look out from the open window of your Hassler room, is to know you’re somewhere very special.

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