罗马的房间

It’s not often we get to see luxury accommodation served up with this much personality and flair, especially when the by-line reads as who’s who in the zoo – Alda Fendi of the famous Roman fashion dynasty FENDI, the renowned French starchitect Jean Nouvel, and uber-successful Spanish entrepreneur Kike Sarasola, the founder of the Room Mate hotel group.

Located in the 17th Century Rhinoceros Palazzo, The Rooms of Rome serviced apartments occupy the ground, fourth and fifth floors of Fondazione Alda Fendi – Esperimenti remarkable mixed-use hub that also houses galleries and performance spaces aspiring to make a lasting mark on Rome’s culture.

The Rooms of Rome claim to offer personalised stays in the most historical part of the city “in which art and architecture have no boundaries”. Umm, yes, please!

The interiors are an unexpected mix of raw and untreated concrete, exposed brick walls, ancient timber ceilings, sleek stainless steel panels, and a melange of floor finishes including the remanence of the original patterned tiles. So good.

But for my money, the undisputed hero of these spaces are the oversized trompe l’oeil panels that appear as mirrors reflecting an alternate dimension of the rooms – an elegant and playful homage to the heritage qualities of each space. The mid-century inspired furniture and lighting choices are also a neat choice for the finishing touches.

Meanwhile, the ground floor gallery is conceived as a bridge between Italian history and contemporary art presented as audio and visual installations. The fourth floor and the rooftop are home to Caviar Kaspia, the gallery’s chic restaurant with three large terraces and strategically placed mirrors that overlook the Forum, the Temple of Vestia, the Arch of Janus and the hills of Rome.

Don’t know about you, but I’m pretty keen to try this place for myself.

[Photography by Roland Halbe.]