Orient Express La Minerva
ROME, ITALY
The Roman home of the Orient Express offers contemporary voyagers a refined refuge steeped in history
With the bells of Santa Maria sopra Minerva ringing nearby and the Pantheon just steps away, the tempo slows inside the newly unveiled Orient Express La Minerva hotel, and the city’s past feels almost within reach.
In the very heart of Rome, the hotel revives aristocratic grandeur with a contemporary soul. Set within a 17th-century palazzo on the lively and lovely Piazza della Minerva, the property reclaims a storied address once favoured by Grand Tour luminaries. From Stendhal to George Sand and Herman Melville, artists and thinkers sought their muse in its quiet elegance and perfect location.
Today, artist and architect Hugo Toro has reimagined the palazzo’s legacy, composing a poetic interior wherein each space is conceived as a subtle exploration. Visiting feels like opening a trunk filled with treasures and souvenirs from distant journeys; as if an aesthete’s private residence, belonging to an elegant traveller, had transformed into a hotel.
Drawing inspiration from Rome’s rich, multimillennial evocative power, Toro’s design is eclectic yet controlled, infused with both historical and sensual references. The hypnotic patterns on the carpets conjure the Pantheon; the hand-painted headboards depict the ever-changing skies of Rome; and the subtly blue-hued curtains mirror the shutters of neighbouring buildings. Gently patinated walls capture Rome’s golden light, and carefully restored antique ceilings arouse a dreamy, creative ease. Temporal and stylistic allusions ripple subtly throughout. Some elements – like the custom bar trunks or the oak nightstand – allude to the mythical Orient Express and the golden age of travel, evoking a refined escape.
On the seventh floor, Gigi Rigolatto is a stunning rooftop restaurant and bar that radiates Riviera glamour, while downstairs in the lobby, La Minerva Bar glows beneath a glass ceiling. Both strike a balance between sophistication and sprezzatura – that effortless, nonchalant charm so intrinsic to the Città Eterna.
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