best bed: Villa Spalletti Trivelli, Rome, Italy

Finally! The chance to live like a noble. Villa Spalletti Trivelli was, until recently, the Villino Urbino of an aristocratic Italian family. A country house in the heart of the city. The last one left in private hands; many have become embassies. When the Spalletti-Trivelli family decided to turn it into a small, ever so perfect hotel most of their finest furnishings were left exactly where they had always been. Glamourous and historic, yes…but still a home. It is comfortable. Bowls of candy, framed photos and large picture books sit on coffee tables in the living rooms. The library may be listed, as are most of the interiors, but it is also full of books you want to flip through as you curl up beside the fireplace. There is a bar where you are encouraged to pour yourself a cocktail or a glass of wine from their vineyards. As in a friend’s house, there is no charge.  Located atop one of the legendary seven hills, the home was completed in 1904 by Gabriella Rasponi, lady in waiting to Queen Margarite (yes, of pizza fame) and granddaughter of Napoleon’s sister Caroline Bonaparte. Gabriella planned to live in the villa with her husband, the Senator Count Venceslao Spalletti Trivelli.  But sadly he died before it was completed. Villa Spalletti served as both house and salon, welcoming  Nobel Prize winners, writers and politicians throughout the 20th century. In 2006 Gabriella’s heirs decided to welcome the public, turning their home into this small, extraordinary hotel. The rooms have big mahogany framed windows and generous marble bathrooms with bathtubs, double sinks and stand-alone showers. The sheets are linen, the pillows heavenly, the minibar free. The lowest floor, originally the kitchens, has been transformed into an incredible spa and gym. Large, elegant and peaceful, the treatment rooms are the perfect escape; the high-end gym equipment makes a great work out easy. A rooftop evening cocktail (there is a complementary bar here too) in one of the three Jacuzzis is a unique Roman experience!

Number of Rooms: 17

Sweet Suite: All the rooms are wonderful and have history! Grandfather’s studio (now a junior suite), Grandmother’s former studio has a classic balcony overlooking a park … they are all beautifully proportioned and surprising large but if space is what you are after one of the Garden Suites is a must. Not in the original building but just across the garden. They have a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, master bedroom, large living room and a fabulous private terrace. They are a shockingly good value!!

Favorite Thing: The thoughtfulness…rooms come with charging stations, the staff is discrete, unobtrusive and helpful. There are call buttons in the public spaces, push one and help arrives quickly, ignore them and you are left alone to enjoy everything at your leisure and with privacy.

Near By: Piazza del Quirinale, Trevi Fountain, Via del Corso & Via Condotti shopping, Piazza Barberini

Amenities: roof top terrace, jacuzzi, complementary bar, wellness center, garden, library, restaurant, free private parking, complementary minibar, tepidarium, steam room, cooking classes and private tours can be arranged

$$$

https://villaspalletti.it

Villa Spalletti offers a special amenity to clients who book through Wells Luxury Travel