Hotel San Anselmo

This family-run, modern boutique hotel in a 19th-century Roman villa has a romantic Baroque-inspired style with a modern twist. At the entrance, there's a patio with hand-painted tiles from Florence, potted plants, and black wicker seating. The retro-modern lobby has red armchairs, brown velvet couches, hardwood floors, and gilded crystal sconces. The fireplace is lined with floor-to-ceiling burnished metal and faces a wall of mirrors, while large windows provide plenty of natural light. The front desk and surrounding walls are decorated with ornate boiserie paneling. The adjacent lobby bar area is a small, dark room with dark wood floors, metal bar stools, and the same boiserie paneling, but drinks can be taken into the lobby sitting area or the large and airy breakfast room, an elegant room with high gilded ceilings, soaring archways, geometric metal tables and matching leather and metal chairs, fabric draped from the ceiling, a crystal chandelier, and plenty of natural light. There's a shaded sitting area on the front deck, with cushioned black wicker sofas and armchairs, as well as tall, bar-style tables and chairs. In the back, there's a large, lush garden filled with orange and lemon trees, and plenty of flowers, and there are comfortable, shaded seating areas throughout, as well as high wooden tables and stools on the back patio.

The Hotel San Anselmo is located in Rome's quiet and well-heeled Aventine Hill neighborhood. Heading just north, the buzzing neighborhood of Testaccio is home to cool restaurants and bars, the Mattatoio art center that was converted from a slaughterhouse, and plenty of nightclubs. It's also home to some of the most famous trattorias in the city. There are a handful of other sights within a reasonable walk, including the Circo Massimo, Sant’Alessio all’Aventio, Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, and Sant’Anselmo, all of which are approximately 10 minutes away on foot. There's also plenty of public transportation nearby. The Bocca della Verita and the Roman Forum are each around a 15-minute walk from the hotel, while city center sights like the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Colosseum, and Trevi Fountain are about a 15-minute drive or 30-minute tram ride plus walking. There is a metro station at Piramide, though it's almost 15 minutes away on foot. Both Leonardo da Vinci International Airport and Ciampino Airport are a 30-minute drive from the hotel.

Similar to the common areas, rooms have a Baroque-meets-modern style, with a slight retro flare, all reflected in the heavy curtains, large crystal chandeliers, and ornate furniture. Neutral tones are used throughout, literary references and poems are scrawled artistically across walls, and there are blonde parquet floors. Some rooms have private balconies overlooking the gardens or neighboring villas. Each room has a small flat-screen TV, minibar with snacks and drinks, air-conditioning, and a safe. Some guests complain that certain rooms are small, though. The ornate marble bathrooms have gray countertops and floors with large gilded mirrors. Hairdryers, heated towel racks, and makeup mirrors are included, as are Keiji toiletries. Some bathrooms have shower/tub combinations while others have jetted showers or jetted tubs.

A buffet breakfast is included in all rates at the Hotel San Anselmo, and includes an extensive spread of fruit, cheeses, meats, scrambled eggs, bacon, pastries, cereal, and coffee; in warmer weather, it can be served in the garden or in-room, as well as in the airy breakfast room. There's also a lobby bar, which serves cocktails and other drinks throughout the day, which can be sipped in the lobby lounge area, on one of the terraces, in the garden, or in the breakfast room, which has games such as an artistic chess set. There's also a small business center with an Apple computer, and the hotel offers room service (though there is no full restaurant), concierge services, and free parking. In-room spa treatments can be arranged. However, there is limited parking; airport transfers are available for a fee.