Review: First In: Hotel d'Inghilterra, Rome

Why book Hotel d'Inghilterra?

For supreme convenience, located as the hotel is in the immediate vicinity of a prime concentration of Rome’s must-see sites (early-morning, crowd-free jaunts to the Trevi and up the Spanish Steps are easy to accomplish when you’re a five-minute walk away from each and can stop back in for breakfast al fresco), without the sacrifice of so much as a whiff of the happy hospitality that makes the place feel almost like a blissful little bunker—blissfully separate from the often overwhelming bustle just outside.

Set the scene

If a stroll on the Via Bocca di Leone is at all like making one’s way to the belly of the beast by way of its mouth, then the terrible implied destination is anything but terrible. It’d be apter to compare what’s going on here to the eye of the storm, an oasis of stillness fortified by magic or something more scientifically explicable against the brutal scourge of crowds that flock to Rome. This little stretch of street is quieter than most in the area, open only to foot traffic and the occasional approved vehicle, meaning the little courtyard out front and the outdoor seating of Café Romano that lines the building’s flank are perfectly peaceful vestiges of calm for mild people watching and window shopping—in addition to the aforementioned sites, there is also shopping galore on your doorstep.

The backstory

When it opened in 1845, the Inghilterra was christened the Angleterre—with a name like that, the English knew they had a home in the city and travelers came flocking. But it’s not just Brits who’ve passed through these doors and stayed for a meeting if not overnight—Pope Pius IX met with both Dom Pedro V of Portugal and Oscar Wilde here, for example (separate instances). In 2016, Starhotels group acquired the property, and in the autumn of 2023 embarked on a yearlong renovation that is now, at the time of writing, nearly complete (still to come are a subterranean gym and spa, so stay tuned on that front.) The modernization was not done at the cost of charm and history, and restoration (of furniture, frames, doors—ask about Roberto and Patrizio Fersini, the brothers who handled such work in their shop a few blocks down Via Bocca di Leone) just as much the name of the game as fresh paint and appliances. In short, you’re not walking into some minimalist beige-and-gray spread. Just the opposite.

The rooms

This writer at first misheard his tour guide, the manager, when she told him of the room count. He heard her say 18 rooms and did not think twice about it, such was his impression of the hotel’s small-scale intimacy. There are, in fact, 80 rooms across the hotel’s six stories, and no two are alike. In an age where most hotel rooms come uniform, one could stay here, say, 80 times in their life without once getting hit by deja vu. That’s not to say there aren’t common elements—maximalist silk and velvet prints on the upholstery, fearless color when the fabrics are solid, blond herringbone wood floors, white marble in the bathroom. The vintage furniture—frames and mirrors and desks dating anywhere from the 16th to 19th centuries—sings in artful assortments. Second floor rooms and suites, the last batch to be completed, are all about wallpaper after the design team found a box of vintage William Morris numbers tucked away in the basement—those that I saw crawl floor-to-ceiling with dainty florals against deep green backdrops, like a meadow forever preserved in springtime. There are Balcony Suites on higher levels that each paint their own sprawling picture of the Eternal City (you would never think Rome could be so vastly visible from the ground of the not-terribly-tall building.) Unsurprisingly, the Penthouse Suite is the understated gem to end all gems—cool black stone underfoot, with a green palette in the sunken living room and wraparound built-in bookcases letting the views do most of the talking. Here also is a private terrace with a long dining table beneath green-and-white striped awning, the exquisite views from which can only be made better by the highly-attainable promise of an excellent espresso in hand while taking them in.

Food and drink

The cagey who never sit with their back to an establishment’s door; the vain who never met a mirror they didn’t like; those with good taste—nobody that I can think of would be able to resist the hotel bar here. Wood paneling painted glossy black and punctuated with mirrors and leather tufted benches make the place a safe and sexy little box made all the more cozy by its remarkably small size—at most, some 15 patrons could fit in here at any given time. Here, cheerful barmen grin widely in their vests and pinstriped shirtsleeves as they whip up your Negroni or martini or whatever you asked for—just rest assured that it will be very strong and very good. It’s just as good a place for a nightcap, with an extensive array of digestifs—amaros and amarettos, fernet branca and branca menta—on deck to end the evening right.

Across the hall, all-day restaurant Café Romano has a menu replete with local and regional delights like pizza mortadella (do not miss it) and myriad pastas as well as a good steak and fish of the day. The pastry chef has a new laboratory and it shows, with sweet treats on offer morning through night—the classic maritozzi is exceptional, but don’t write off more experimental bites like the little banana-chocolate custard cake that occasionally crowns the pastry tower at breakfast. Big windows mean that, even if there’s not a table available outside on the Via Borgognona side of the building, diners can indulge in some fine people watching on top of whatever they’ve ordered.

The neighborhood

What was once known as “The English Ghetto” in the 18th and 19th centuries for its popularity with tourists from that part of the world is now a premiere Roman shopping neighborhood—Prada, Gucci, Loro Piana, Rolex, and more maintain storefronts nearby. Remaining are the landmarks, of course, with Piazza di Spagna and the Spanish Steps where they’ve always been alongside the Spanish embassy. Crowd congestion is certainly common around these parts, but can be escaped pretty easily and avoided entirely if guests make use of their location to visit these sites early in the morning.

The service

Winningly familial. The concierge, bar, and restaurant staff share an indelible rapport into which they are keen to bring you if you’re willing. Everyone is proud to be there and unabashed about letting you know it. They hold their heads high and look you in the eye. It’s all incredibly reassuring and warm in addition to white glove.

For families

As good as it gets in Rome—seven rooms in various categories have the option to connect, cots and rollaway beds can be brought in on request. The concierge is on call to arrange babysitting as well as kid-friendly tours from local guides.

Eco effort

D’Inghilterra’s sustainability efforts stand out at Café Romano where the ingredients are local and extremely fresh—the chef likely selected the veggies in your salad from the market that morning. There’s also the heating and cooling system, wherein heat generated by the hotel’s air-conditioning units is used to produce hot water rather than being released into the atmosphere.

Accessibility

Very good—two street-level entrances have ramps in place and are wheelchair-accessible, and lifts access all floors of the hotel. One room, on the ground floor, is ADA-compliant.

Anything else to mention?

Be sure to spend some time seeping in the common spaces beyond the check-in area. There’s the adorable room off the lobby that houses the concierge, with tiny lacquered desks and adorable safari-inspired wallpaper. The best of these rooms, off a gold and gilded drawing room, is the library with its checkerboard desk and burnt-orange sofas. The walls, too, are orange wallpaper offset by paneling painted glossy black. It’s a Negroni’s natural habitat.