St. Regis Grand Hotel, Rome
 The Experience
Built in 1894 and run by the famous hotelier Cesar Ritz, the St. Regis has a lordly place in the wide avenues above the Spanish Steps and the Via Veneto. Fittingly, the palazzo's interior matches the exterior, decorated in the height of the belle époque's French and Italian frenzied style. After a $35 million restoration in 2007, the lobby rotunda and grand hall, with their polished floors, stupendous candelabra and Murano chandelier, hold more grandeur than ever. The RoomsEven standard rooms are a good size for Rome--the smallest is 385 square feet--and have a personalized fresco of a Roman monument or significant site painted on the wall behind the bed. And in every room the flamboyance continues unabated: Rich furnishings from the Empire and Louis XVI periods are covered in damask and brocade, and no one shied away from great swathes of fabric over the windows in stiff silk satin that highlight the elaborate plaster molding. The Designer Suite is the only room that goes more modern, with sleeker furniture and design pieces and artwork from contemporary Italian artists. The ServiceFor a hotel so firmly planted in the Old World, its service has sped ahead with butlers who are equipped with wireless handhelds. If you're stuck in a meeting or at lunch, you can simply email ahead with your wish. The HighlightsYou'll find that modern touch as well among the contemporary art of Vivendo, which has garnered raves for its modern Italian menu of dishes like wild asparagus risotto and its extensive wine list of over 10,000 bottles, more than half of which are from Italian makers. Spiral down the iron staircase to "di…Vino," the wine cellar where private tastings and dinners can be arranged.
21:34 - 25/12/2008 -
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