Hotel Hassler Roma
The Hassler has crowned the top of the Spanish Steps since 1893, and it holds a distinction no other grand hotel in Europe can claim: it remains privately owned and managed full-time by the same family — the Wirths, a Swiss hotelier dynasty now in its sixth generation under twins Roberto Jr. and Veruschka. That continuity shows in the warmth: a grand hotel that somehow also feels like a family's house.
The crown jewel is Imàgo, the Michelin-starred restaurant on the sixth floor — created in the 1950s by Oscar Wirth as the first restaurant-with-a-view in Italy — whose panorama across Rome is, quite simply, the one every Rome photograph wants to be.
The crown jewel is Imàgo, the Michelin-starred restaurant on the sixth floor — created in the 1950s by Oscar Wirth as the first restaurant-with-a-view in Italy — whose panorama across Rome is, quite simply, the one every Rome photograph wants to be. The "Golden Book" of guests runs from the Beatles to Cate Blanchett.
The most prominent position in Rome — the very top of the 135-step Spanish Steps procession — and a white-liveried welcome through the revolving door. Grand and, somehow, immediately warm.
82-plus individually designed rooms and suites in classic grand-hotel style, each a little different, antique-furnished and lavish, culminating in the Villa Medici penthouse and the modern Hassler Penthouse. (A current restoration adds public spaces and a garden by Jacques Garcia and a new spa being excavated beneath the Spanish Steps.)
Imàgo, one Michelin star, sixth floor, chef Andrea Antonini — contemporary Roman cuisine against the city's most spectacular panorama. Plus Salone Eva, the Palm Court garden, and the 1940s-glamour Carmen's Bar.
Piazza Trinità dei Monti, atop the Spanish Steps — the most beautiful and central position in Rome, beside the Trinità dei Monti church, minutes from Via Condotti, the Pantheon, and Villa Borghese.
The Hassler is Rome's grand hotel in the fullest sense — six generations of family ownership, the top of the Spanish Steps, and the view from Imàgo that defines the city. For the right occasion, it's the address.
The Hassler lobby is the great perch of Roman hotel culture — from it, you see everyone who matters arriving. For a hotel of this register, a grand, lively entrance is not optional and the Hassler understands this.
The rooftop restaurant Imàgo has the definitive elevated view of Rome — St Peter's dome, the Pincian Hill, the sweep of the city. It is one of the few hotel rooftop experiences in the world that justifies its own visit.
The Wirth family has owned the Hassler for six generations. The institutional knowledge, the consistency, the way the staff knows returning guests — this is only possible with that kind of continuity.
Crown of the Spanish Steps. There is no better position in Rome for a hotel of this type.
Book Imàgo well in advance — it is one of the harder dinner reservations in Rome during peak season.
The Hassler's rates reflect its standing. For the occasion that requires this address, the investment is clear.
The Spanish Steps below the hotel are extremely crowded during the day. The hotel provides a genuine retreat. The steps are quieter after 10pm.
Service at the Hassler is notably warm compared to other hotels of this register — the family ownership produces a culture that hotel groups find difficult to replicate.