Inghilterra Hotel, Royal Demeure

Just a stone's throw away from the Spanish Steps, the 17th century home of the noble Torlonia family has been one of the most exclusive hotels in Rome for the past 150 years. The air of sober elegance that envelops the salons, furnished with treasured antique furniture, is echoed in each guestroom, evoking a refined yet welcoming atmosphere. The enchanting view from the terrace of the Panoramic Suite spans the rooftops of the historic centre. Recently opened and already a huge success, the "Café Romano" is a paradise for the gourmand offering a culinary experience of dishes from around the world and its cosmopolitan opening hours. For seminars and conferences, the Hotel offers two meeting rooms set in the graceful atmosphere of Palazzo Torlonia: splendid frescoes, technology and soft natural light to meet every conference need.

As befits an authentic private residence, each room has its own distinct and inimitable identity. From the corridors on, each area is furnished in the most exquisite classic Roman style of the last century. Delightful antiques, damask and silk, Chinese porcelain, and huge Baroque mirrors adorn all the rooms. This grandeur is also endowed with simplicity to leave space for the views of Rome, a captivating spectacle that begins with the first light of dawn. The regal comfort of the rooms forms an ideal complement to the beauty of the Eternal City, a sea of rooftops, terraces and domes to be savored sitting out on the balcony in the warm sunshine or from the great terrace of the panoramic suite, where the view is breath-taking and gladdens the heart. This bijou suite is a home away from home with its own fireplace, yellow sitting room, study in 19th-century style, and countless books. The equally elegant bedroom bashfully withdraws before the great terrace dominating the Roman skyline. You are cut away from the world up here, your privacy invadedonly by the fragrance of the flowers. An authentic and irresistible paradise, this is the Hotel d'Inghilterra.

The Roman Garden and English Bar at the bottom of the steps, a small marble statue heralds the entrance to the splendors of ancient Rome. Once the hotel's main restaurant and now devoted to the sumptuous rite of breakfast, the Roman Garden greets you with a maze of frescoed rooms, a dreamy Pompeian atmosphere, and an explosion of trompe l'oeil. The Café Romano A blend of classic and modern is seldom achieved. Here at the Café Romano, recently refurbished by artists and architects, the feat has been performed so successfully as to banish all memory of the previous structure. From the terracotta-colored vaulted ceiling to the intriguing lights and the broad columns dividing up the space, every detail is designed to be savored at length all through the day, from the morning to late at night. Each dish on the cosmopolitan menu is cooked in accordance with authentic recipes from the world's different culinary traditions. This ambitious undertaking is performed to unanimous acclaim by the genius of Rodolfo Chieroni, one of the chefs most in favor with the world's potentates, and indeed with Woody Allen, who once enjoyed an unforgettable cacio e pepe here.