The Jetsetters Journal

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When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe whole year at a glance

At their best in November

Europe

Asia

Indian Ocean and Africa

Middle East and the Americas

Every hotel we shortlist170 hotels, one listFilter by place, by what each hotel is best for, and by the judges behind it.Browse all hotels

How the Shortlists work · How we choose

Journeys

When to go: 17 places, month by monthThe Shortlists

The dining car of the Orient Express

Rail · 5 trains

Luxury train journeys

Five great trains, from the Orient Express to the Andes.

Read the guide
The Colosseum lit up at night

Cities · 1 perfect day

One day in Rome

Sunrise to midnight: the walk, the tasting menus and a view of St Peter's.

Read the guide
Overwater villas on a Maldives lagoon

Islands · 12 months

The Maldives, month by month

When the sea is glass, when the mantas come, and when the price halves.

Read the guide
Wildebeest crossing the Mara River

Wild · Jul to Oct

The Great Migration

Where two million animals will be, and where you should be waiting.

Read the guide
The Grand Canal in Venice at the end of the line

Rail · London to Venice

The Orient Express

When it runs, what each cabin costs, and the best month to board.

Read the guide
An aircraft wing against a dusk sky

Flights · Door to door

Emirates business class

From the car at your door in London to the lights of Dubai, in ten moments.

Read the guide

Links marked * are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Hotels cannot pay to be on this list. How the shortlist works

Rome at golden hour over the Tiber: the best hotels in Rome, shortlisted for 2026

The Shortlist

Best hotels in Rome 2026

Five neighbourhoods, five kinds of Rome: the hotels independent judges rate highest, and who should book somewhere else.

  • Research-based
  • Checked 16 October 2026
  • No paid places
  • 16 hotels, 5 areas
THE JETSETTERS JOURNAL · SHORTLIST 2026 ·RomeSHORTLISTED

Photo: Unsplash

The short answer

The best hotels in Rome, in one paragraph

The best hotels in Rome cluster where you will want to walk: around the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, with quieter grandeur on Via Veneto and in Monti. Our 2026 shortlist has 16 hotels, each with a Michelin Key, a Forbes Travel Guide star rating, or praise from two independent judges. The most decorated are Bvlgari Hotel Roma, Hotel de Russie, a Rocco Forte Hotel and Hassler Roma. For a first visit, stay within walking distance of the Pantheon.

Shortlisted means chosen on research: a Michelin Key or Forbes Travel Guide rating, or praise from two independent publications, each linked below. We have not stayed at these hotels yet. Read how we choose.

Shopping and grand hotels

The best hotels in the Spanish Steps and the Tridente

The three straight streets fanning out from Piazza del Popolo hold Rome's designer shopping, artists' studios on Via Margutta and the Spanish Steps themselves. It is the city's most polished quarter, busy by day and quieter after the shops close.

Stay here if
First-time visitors, shoppers and anyone who wants grand-hotel service within walking distance of most sights
From the airport
About 45 to 60 minutes by car from Fiumicino; Spagna and Flaminio metro stations (line A) are on the doorstep

Shortlisted 2026

Hassler Roma

A family-run grand hotel at the head of the Spanish Steps, praised by both guides for its staff.

82 keys. Private pools: no; spa but no pool.

  • Honeymoons
  • Photography
Skip it ifMichelin notes the room mix leans towards suites, so standard doubles are limited and rates climb quickly.
Evidence
Check rates

Shortlisted 2026

Hotel de la Ville, a Rocco Forte Hotel

Rocco Forte's second Rome hotel, known for its rooftop bar with views across the historic centre to St Peter's.

104 keys. Private pools: no; spa but no pool.

  • Honeymoons
  • Photography
Skip it ifMichelin says the decor walks a line between elegance and opulence that some will find too much.
Evidence
Check rates

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

The heart of old Rome

The best hotels in the Pantheon and Navona

This is the dense medieval and Baroque core of Rome, a maze of lanes between the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Corso. Almost everything is on foot, and the piazzas stay busy late into the evening.

Stay here if
Walkers, food lovers and anyone who wants to step straight out into the old city
From the airport
About 45 to 60 minutes by car from Fiumicino; cars cannot reach every door in the limited traffic zone, so expect a short walk with luggage

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Quiet grandeur

The best hotels in Via Veneto and Villa Borghese

The curving avenue of La Dolce Vita runs up from Piazza Barberini to the walls and the gardens of Villa Borghese. It is greener, wider and calmer than the historic centre, with grand hotels and embassies rather than lanes and trattorie.

Stay here if
Repeat visitors, families who want space and anyone planning a morning at the Galleria Borghese
From the airport
About 45 to 60 minutes by car from Fiumicino; Barberini metro station (line A) is at the foot of the street

Shortlisted 2026

Hotel Eden, Dorchester Collection

A Dorchester Collection hotel with a rooftop restaurant looking over the domes of the centre.

98 keys. Private pools: no.

  • Honeymoons
  • Photography
Skip it ifMichelin lists a gym but no pool or spa, and parking nearby costs about 65 euros a day.
Evidence
Check rates

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Next to the Colosseum

The best hotels in Monti and the Forum

Monti is a village-like district of cobbled streets, wine bars and independent shops that runs down to the Forum and the Colosseum. It feels more lived-in than the centre while keeping the ancient city within a few minutes' walk.

Stay here if
Couples, return visitors and anyone focused on ancient Rome
From the airport
About 45 to 60 minutes by car from Fiumicino, or the Leonardo Express to Termini and a short taxi; Cavour and Colosseo metro stations (line B) serve the area

Shortlisted 2026

Hotel Palazzo Manfredi

A 16-room hotel on the site of a gladiator training school, with a rooftop restaurant looking straight at the Colosseum.

16 keys. Private pools: no; some Grand View suites have hot tubs.

  • Honeymoons
  • Photography
Skip it ifThere is no pool or spa, and Via Labicana carries steady traffic past the front door.
Evidence
Check rates

Shortlisted 2026

Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel

A large hotel in two curved 19th-century palazzi, with a rooftop pool over the Baths of Diocletian.

232 keys. Private pools: no; shared seasonal rooftop pool.

  • Families
  • Value luxury
Skip it ifAt 232 rooms it is a big hotel in the Termini station area, and extra beds are not offered.
Evidence
Check rates

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

Calm, near St Peter's

The best hotels in Prati and the Vatican

Prati is an orderly 19th-century grid of wide streets and good food shops beside the Vatican, with the Gianicolo hill rising to the south. It is calmer and more residential than the centre, and closest to St Peter's and the Vatican Museums.

Stay here if
Families, early risers heading to the Vatican Museums and travellers who want a quieter base
From the airport
About 40 to 50 minutes by car from Fiumicino; Ottaviano metro station (line A) serves Prati

* Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.

THE JETSETTERS JOURNAL · STAYED AND VERIFIED ·ROME 2027

Coming in 2027

Stayed and verified

None of the hotels above carries our second stamp yet. Hotels we stay at earn the Stayed and verified stamp, with what we found written down and any hosted stay disclosed. Run a hotel on this list? See how verification works.

How the Rome shortlist works

  • Published criteriaSetting, service, value for the rate and who it suits: the same five tests for every hotel.
  • Evidence, statedA Michelin Key, a Forbes Travel Guide rating, or two independent publications. Each pick links to its sources.
  • No paid placesNo hotel can buy its way on. A hosted stay is disclosed on the page, every time.
  • RecheckedFacts carry the date we checked them, and the shortlist is revisited every year.

Who should skip a Rome hotel splurge

If you will spend every hour out walking and eating, a five-star room is a place to sleep, and the money may be better spent on dinners. Plan the day first with our guide to one day in Rome.

Questions people ask

Rome hotels, answered

What are the best hotels in Rome in 2026?

Our 2026 shortlist has 16 hotels. Among the most decorated are Bvlgari Hotel Roma, Hotel de Russie and Hotel Eden, each recognised by the Michelin Guide's Keys or Forbes Travel Guide. Every pick links to the judges behind it.

Where is the best area to stay in Rome?

For a first visit, around the Pantheon and Piazza Navona, or the Spanish Steps: you can walk to almost everything. Via Veneto is quieter and grander, Monti is closest to the Colosseum, and Prati suits a Vatican-focused trip.

Which Rome hotels are best for a honeymoon?

Hotel de Russie for its secret garden, Hotel Eden for rooftop views over the city, and Bvlgari Hotel Roma for design and its spa. All three are an easy walk from the Spanish Steps.

Is it worth paying for a Rome hotel with a view?

Often, yes. A rooftop terrace or a view of the domes changes how a Rome evening feels, and several shortlisted hotels open their terraces to non-guests for a drink if you would rather not pay for the room.

How far are these hotels from the airport?

About 40 to 50 minutes by car from Fiumicino to the centre, depending on traffic, or around 30 minutes on the Leonardo Express train to Termini plus a short taxi.

Have you stayed at these hotels?

Not yet. Every hotel on the 2026 list is Shortlisted on research. Hotels we stay at will carry the Stayed and verified stamp, and any hosted stay will be disclosed on the page.

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