Villa Spalletti Trivelli

A Hidden Gem…An Unmissable, Unique, Exceptional Hotel… During our recent stay the feeling of being a guest at an opulent and historic “fin de siècle” aristocratic residence grew on me. My message to discerning tourists visiting Rome…Villa Spalletti Trivelli is an experience not to be missed. Villa Spalletti Trivelli is an absolute gem. Guests at the Spalletti family home brimming with aristocratic flair, can expect elegant, old school service. I have never been anywhere less like a hotel which discreetly delivers all of the comfort and service standards of a five star luxury boutique hotel. Andrea Spalletti Trivelli greeted us on arrival with a tour, explaining the exquisite historic tapestries and the anecdotes behind them as well as providing an introduction to the family's aristocratic history which is evidenced everywhere through facinating framed photographs. Knowledge of the history enhances the experience of stepping over a century back in time. Andrea is a direct descendant of Napoleon’s youngest sister, Caroline (aka Carolina) Bonaparte. Caroline was Queen of Naples while her eldest sister was Grand Duchess of Tuscany. Caroline’s granddaughter, the aristocratic Gabriella Rasponi Spalletti Trivelli built Villa Spalletti Trivelli after, as Andrea explained to me, purchasing the site on Quirinal Hill which was previously used for hiring out penny-farthing bicycles in the late 1890s. I found the history so fascinating that I have researched the area which was highly prominent in the 1890’s. Although by then the Penny Farthing was declining in popularity it remained a status symbol and was used by fashionable society in this then elite area of Rome. In those days the nearby Quirinal Palace was the residence of the King of Italy and the Royal family. Anyhow, Gabriella most likely purchased the land from a Luigi Moretti who had been selling and hiring out Penny Farthing’s in the area from the 1890’s and on which she completed building the beautiful Villa Spalletti Trivelli in 1901. Andrea had mentioned that the land was previously used for this purpose although when the family acquired the land, the advent of motorised transport had greatly dimished demand. If I have got any of this wrong I would welcome any corrections by Andrea who is the family historian and custodian as well as being a consummate perfectionist and highly respected hotelier. As I relaxed in the sumptuously furnished drawing room, surrounded by the original antique furniture, amazing historical family photographs and beautiful art, usually without any other guests in sight, I imagined the Salon filled with the intellectual, political and artistic elite at the regular Thursday afternoon cultural soirees held by Gabriella. One of the framed photographs on display is of Countess Gabriella with Queen Margherita of Savoy. Thursday afternoons were frequently attended by royalty when Villa Spalletti was a magnet for those with interesting and forward thinking minds. I could just imagine glamorous and beautiful people spilling out into the garden… it must have been so idyllic then…and it still is today. I spent hours sitting in the grand reception rooms savouring the surroundings which would have barely changed since . There is absolutely nothing in the reception rooms that reminds me of hotels. Villa Spalletti is an outstanding, 5th generation family home in a still lovely location which was beautifully designed and built to the very highest standards. Even the original elevator blends seamlessly within the design as a feature of a period elite residence. It strikes me that conversion into a hotel Involved far more in unseen modern services and restoration than any changes to the interior all of which I believe is listed. As soon as you walk through the grand double entrance doors of the Villa, you are stepping onto the most glorious fragments of ancient coloured marble incorporated within the mosaic flooring, recovered during the building process. These fragments of a 2000 year old floor are a triumph of recycling given the original house belonged to Roman scholar and friend of Cicero, Tito Pomponio Attico. The historical resonance of this stunning opus sectile mosaic marble floor immediately invites arriving guests, having found the discreet, original doorbell, to literally forget it is 2025 and instead step back in time. Beautiful furniture belonging to generations of the Spalletti Trivelli family has been lovingly maintained. You will not find a cocktail bar in this hotel. You will also rarely notice any of the staff as they operate completely unobtrusively. When guests need service, they simply press a button wherever they are, in the traditional manner. If you have heavy luggage, have no concerns. Although having just 17 rooms/suites/apartments, there were always two helpful porters available. As with any grand private residence, the impressive double doors to this exceptionally well staffed Villa are always closed. Arriving guests simply press the discreet doorbell. Security is assured. Reception is discreetly situated, always manned and there were often three receptionists on duty. BEDROOMS:- THE BED… This was completely unexpected… my first hotel stay in as long as I can remember where I had no back pain whatsoever in the mornings. The bed was huge and the mattress was firm. If this was a particularly expensive mattress, I want one. I intend to e-mail Andrea to find out. THE EN SUITE BATHROOM Bathroom perfection, excellent shower and very comfortable bath with handheld highly effective shower along with everything else you may need. I noticed so much detail throughout Villa Spalletti that I can't review it all otherwise I would have to write a book. I will however mention that the bedroom air conditioning is excellent as is the Wi-Fi. I loved the wonderfully traditional bedside lighting controls and the superb quality, hand-crafted original window shutters which slide away into the walls. These craftsman made shutters in the bedrooms are another outstanding feature. To have shutters completely vanish effortlessly brings in the light when required and total privacy and blackout at night. housekeeping were excellent with a perfect turn down service. I am in no doubt that whichever room or suite you book, it will be delightful. For a hotel with only 17 rooms and suites their staffing level could easily handle a 100 room boutique hotel. Breakfasts are lovely, no waiters in sight. When entering the dining room for breakfast there were never more than two other people there. Perfectly curated background music added to the serene breakfast ambience. Guests simply help themselves from the extensive buffet and for anything else such as omelettes or cappuccino you simply press a service button and one of the lovely staff members will appear …and they can't do enough for you. I particularly enjoyed the oat milk cappuccinos. This hotel simply grows on you… it is to step back into the past and experience this opulent, eclectic yet distinguished, new build fin de siècle lifestyle incorporating modern features such as an elevator, central heating, telephones and electric lighting. I actually felt privileged to be a guest. Although the hotel was fully occupied I hardly ever encountered other guests and I usually had the exquisite public rooms (and accompanying service) seemingly to myself. The library is one of the many exceptional features of this unique family home and a joy to behold, particularly for a book collector. I understand that the library contains around 60,000 volumes in what must be a world class collection. This library will have been lovingly curated and I only wish I had the time during my stay to discover more. You will not find a cocktail bar at Villa Spalletti. If not for the extremely well-staffed hotel reception, there is little to remind you that you are at a hotel and it is far easier to imagine that you are a guest at an aristocratic family home, where you would certainly not expect to encounter a cocktail bar. Instead there is a side table in the drawing room with a tastefully arranged selection of bottles, ice, bar requisites and everything needed to make your own. An illustrated book of cocktail recipes in English and Italian is helpfully provided. I needed soda water for a perfect Aperol spritz and they sent somebody out for it. Meandering around and mixing my own Negronis and Aperol spritzes made me feel quite at home. There is simply no waiting for anything. Unusually for this area of Rome, the villa enjoys a large private garden. Guests can enjoy breakfasts in the garden which is an oasis of calm in what is a sprawling city packed out with tourists wherever you go. Or press a button and ask for tea. This is the first time I have enjoyed a stay at a luxury hotel and not been charged for anything else apart from the prepaid accommodation. The villa is such a wonderful retreat from all outside noise, hordes of tourists and traffic. I would return simply for the joy of being in residence when we next visit Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. I didn't get around to spending much time on the gorgeous rooftop (also with a complementary bar) nor did we manage to spend time in the villa’s splendid Caschera Spa although we certainly will do so next visit. I need to compliment all of the staff especially front office manager Francesco Valente for her pre arrival assistance and warm welcome. Throughout my stay (my wife had to return to the UK later on our first day), I felt the fin de siècle prescence due to the beauty, craftsmanship, historical references, neoclassical opulence and aristocratic history. This family-built retreat, opened for guests only since 2004, conjures up the nostalgia of fin de siècle meeting the beginings of modernity. Villa Spalletti Trivelli remains the very same intimate, decadent, private retreat for discerning guests as it was 125 years ago. We were fortunate…Count Andrea Spalletti Trivelli was around to greet us and provide a fascinating introduction to the house and the family history. Apparently he often does this when he is on the property. Together with his sister, Contessa Spalletti Trivelli who co-manages the property, these 5th generation owners have lavished such love and care on maintaining the original Villa while creating a hotel that is quite rightly up there with the best of the ‘Small Luxury Hotels of the World” providing state of the art, wonderful traditional hospitality. We look forward to returning when we have more time to visit to the family’s winery, offered as a unique day trip curated by the family.