Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008

Villa Spalletti Trivelli

Small and luxurious, with Neoclassical overtones, this early-20th-century villa — on a side street on patrician Quirinal Hill — is also refined and subtle: a small brass plaque and bell are all that distinguish it from its neighbors. Once the private home of the Spalletti-Trivelli family (titled since 1667), the hotel houses many of their furnishings, around which guests will find oak and walnut floors; 15-foot tapestries suspended on butter-yellow walls; and overstuffed chenille sofas in echoey sitting rooms. The goal: allowing guests to experience what home life for a Roman nobleman was like (apparently, very hushed). A double is about 430 square feet, but small rooms are counterbalanced by refined interiors, featuring color-coordinated damasks on the beds and armchairs and fine antique wood tables mixed with Lucite ones. The winning touches: exquisite bed linens; monumental framed antique maps and prints (each room has at least one); and state-of- the-art marble bathrooms.

Insider Tip: Don't miss the beautiful, fully stocked, totally complimentary bars and fridges in each room.

Room to Book: The rooms on the top floor interconnect and can be booked as a single private unit.