Palazzo Velabro

Behind the 18th-century façade facing the Arch of Janus, the interiors shift abruptly to the 1960s rationalism of Luigi Moretti. Moretti – the architect better known for the Watergate complex – carved out the building’s internal structure with distinct curved walls that still dictate the flow of the hallways and rooms. A recent overhaul by GaribaldiArchitects respected these structural sweeps while layering in warmer materials, filling the space with Hungarian herringbone oak floors and a palette of sage, terracotta, and brick pink. The 33 rooms lean heavily toward apartment-style living, with the majority functioning as suites equipped with kitchenettes. It changes the pace of a stay here, giving you the option to settle in and treat the space as a residence rather than just a bedroom. Furniture is a mix of vintage finds and custom pieces, often set against those signature curved walls. Downstairs, the common areas encourage lingering rather than passing through. You move from a lobby featuring a fresco by Edoardo Piermattei into a library stocked with Patricia Urquiola armchairs or a private screening room dedicated to Italian cinema. The location in the Velabro district places you directly between the Palatine Hill and the Forum Boarium, an area dense with history but generally quieter than the main tourist arteries. One practical reality of the address is the extreme narrowness of the street. Taxi drivers often hesitate to drive right up to the entrance, sometimes leaving you to walk the last few meters past the ancient columns of the neighboring Church of San Giorgio al Velabro.