Rome's Most Charming Neighborhood Just Got Its First 5-Star Boutique Hotel

Casa Monti is French brand Leitmotiv’s Italian debut — and the first luxury five-star hotel in Monti, one of the city’s oldest and most authentic neighborhoods.

It started as a drizzle, but big, fat raindrops began falling from the sky. My husband and I ducked inside and settled into a corner booth. We had just finished a round of cocktails at the rooftop bar of Casa Monti, Rome’s newest and — dare I say — most charming luxury boutique hotel. While the young bar staff dashed out to the terrace and quickly brought the cushions inside, my eyes wandered over to the mosaic behind the bar depicting a pastoral scene with birds in flight and men in togas by a river. The artistry behind such a mosaic is unbelievable; I tried mosaic-making once, and I hadn’t even finished a small square with a geometric pattern in an hour. It’s a dying art and one that deserves to be kept alive.

It’s fitting that Casa Monti would be home to such an intricate piece, as it bills itself as “the artist’s residence reimagined and opened to the world.” The first hotel in Italy by the Leitmotiv Group, which is behind La Fantaisie in Paris (featured on Travel + Leisure's 2024 It List) and Coeur de Megève in the French Alps, envisioned as a bohemian enclave for curious travelers who wanted to see an alternative side of Rome. It’s also the first five-star hotel to open in Monti, a neighborhood full of independent boutiques, artisan’s studios, and lively restaurants and bars that tend to draw a vibrant local crowd. Despite being a short walk from the Colosseum and Roman Forum, Monti has somehow maintained its authenticity — you won’t find chain stores or tourist traps here. As a travel writer based in Rome, I love to bring visiting friends and family to Monti, but there’s never been a great hotel in the neighborhood until now.

“We want to deepen the connection with the neighborhood,” Andrea Ronchetti, the hotel’s general manager, tells me over an espresso the following day. He and his team are working on creating a guide to their favorite alternative spots in Rome, featuring places like La Taverna dei Fori Imperiali, a great family-run restaurant nearby; Drink Kong, which is ranked among the World’s 50 Best Bars; and Pasticceria Regoli, where you must try a maritozzo, a traditional Roman pastry with fresh cream in a bun.

"Another objective we have is to become a reference point for Romans," he says. "We want to offer a casual experience without the barrier you sometimes find in more formal five-star hotels."

My husband and I certainly appreciate how approachable and friendly the staff are. From the receptionists at the front desk to the Sicilian waiter in the restaurant and the bartender at the rooftop bar, the staff are always ready to chat and seem genuinely invested in our wellbeing. Though the location and the whimsical design by Laura Gonzalez initially drew me to Casa Monti, it’ll be the staff that keeps me coming back, bringing family and friends for cocktails on the rooftop and leisurely lunches or dinners at the restaurant.

Casa Monti

• Laura Gonzalez's colorful, maximalist design features a plethora of prints, custom-made furnishings, and wallpaper that cheekily references ancient Rome.

• The rooms are full of character, with headboards matching the wallpaper, books, and art pieces.

• The rooftop bar is an intimate indoor/outdoor space with creative cocktails you’ll only find here.

• The restaurant serves lighter takes on traditional Italian dishes, like raw (not fried) zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and octopus with pappa al pomodoro.

• The location, nestled on one of the most charming streets in Rome’s most authentic neighborhoods, offers a true local experience.

The Rooms

Rooms range from a snug "cosy" single room to the Roman Suite, which has a living room, bedroom, bathroom with a soaking tub, and a 750-square-foot terrace. All rooms feature a whimsical design, with headboards that match the wallpaper and amenities like minibars stocked with local products, Nespresso machines, hand-painted espresso cups, and Bluetooth-enabled Marshall speakers. Bathrooms have colorful tiles and full-sized bath products by sustainable beauty brand Susanne Kaufmann. My room had a plush bed, bespoke bedside tables and lamps, and a sofa and table in front of curtains featuring the same print as the headboard and wallpaper, which cleverly concealed the Chromecast-enabled TV.

Food and Drink

The main restaurant on the ground floor is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For guests, a buffet breakfast featuring croissants, yogurt, fruit, local cheeses, and charcuterie is included, and hot dishes like eggs and pancakes are available to order. My husband and I enjoyed taking our breakfast onto the small terrace overlooking a quiet street.

For dinner, the menu features classic Roman pasta like cacio e pepe and amatriciana, and the chef’s creative takes on stuffed zucchini blossoms, eggplant parmigiana, and more. We especially loved the rooftop bar, which serves original cocktails like La Fioraia, made with Tanqueray gin infused with mountain flowers, raspberry shrub, and lemon, and La Nonna, made with Hendrick’s gin, apricot jam, almond liqueur, Stillabunt magic velvet, lemon, and soda. The views of the neighboring residential buildings served as a reminder that we were in one of the city’s most authentic neighborhoods.

Activities and Amenities

Casa Monti has a vintage Fiat 500 parked right outside the entrance and works with local tour operators to offer tours in vintage vehicles, including Fiat 500s or 850s, Alfa Romeos, and vintage Vespas. There’s no gym, but the hotel offers day passes to a gym that’s a five-minute walk away.

The Spa

The fifth-floor spa is the first Susanne Kaufmann spa in Rome. Signature treatments include massages and facials that incorporate the brand’s natural products and holistic philosophy. I relaxed with a full-body massage that incorporated an array of techniques and continued to unwind with my husband afterward in the jacuzzi.

Family-friendly Offerings

There are connecting rooms available for families, and kids receive one of three books about Rome, depending on their age. The youngest visitors get a sticker book, while the book for 8- to 12-year-olds engages their curiosity and teaches them about ancient Rome. Small dogs are also welcome in the rooms, restaurant, and bar. The hotel provides pet beds and bowls for them.

Accessibility and Sustainability

There are two handicapped-accessible rooms and bathrooms that have showers without a step. The hotel is single-use and plastic-free, and has room sensors to reduce energy consumption. Bathrooms have full-sized bottles of shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. The restaurant sources as much as possible locally and seasonally.

Location

The location on Via Panisperna in Monti puts you right in the heart of Rome, less than a 15-minute walk from the Colosseum and Roman Forum. The neighborhood is full of boutiques, restaurants, and bars. One evening, my husband and I decided to try the pizza at Urbana 47, an industrial-chic restaurant on the picturesque cobblestoned Via Urbana, and afterward went to the Race Club, a speakeasy a few blocks from the Colosseum. I also stopped by a few of the neighborhood’s independent boutiques, including the eponymous store of Danish-born designer Tina Sondergaard and Kokoro, which also makes clothes made-to-measure. The Cavour metro stop is handy if you want to take the metro to Termini Station, where you can change to Line A to go to the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, or the Vatican.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Rooms can be found for as low as $350, and breakfast is included when you book directly with the hotel, making this an absolute bargain compared to the city’s more established five-star properties.

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