There’s something for everyone in Rome, from stately old palaces to user-unfriendly design exercises and everything in between. The austere 1930s brickwork facade of the Fortyseven Hotel is a compromise, its Deco style striking enough to satisfy those bored with the classics, yet restrained enough to avoid design overload. Instead of musty antiques or plastic sculptural blobs, you’ll find parquet wood floors, rich earth tones, and mid-century design classics for furniture. If you need a dose of the old world, just throw open a curtain and take in the views of the Vesta temple or the Circo Massimo.

Each floor is dedicated to a master of twentieth-century Italian art, from Amedeo Modigliani to Umberto Mastroianni, a welcome nod to the recent past in this city of ancient history. Rooms are comfortable and functional, with satellite TV and DSL internet connections, along with twenty-four hour room service.

The hotel has a cocktail restaurant CIRCUS at the rooftop. The perfect setting for an aperitif and mediterranean dinner whilst looking out over Ancient Rome. Fortyseven does have its own lounge, for a quiet drink, and the rooftop terrace is the perfect place to unwind at the end of the night, or to soak in the sun in the daytime. There are more opulent hotels in Rome, and sleeker, more minimal ones as well—this one’s for our inner Goldilocks, who may find Fortyseven to be just right.

Style: Modern Design

Atmosphere: Lively

61 Rooms - Rates starting at € 170.00 (approx. US$ 224)