Rome Cavalieri Waldorf Astoria, Rome

Accommodation

Guest rooms have a grand decor and are much larger than those in the city centre, and guest pampering is very important at Rome Cavalieri with the detail, and it pays off. From double doors and plush carpeting to ensure perfect soundproofing, to an exhaustive pillow menu and feather mattress toppers, a restful sleep is guaranteed. All rooms have separate living areas and private balconies overlooking the gardens or Rome (by far the better view). Large marble bathrooms are stocked with Ferragamo bath products, and there is also a soap menu.

The resort's Imperial Floor rooms have the best views overlooking the city. Wake up, draw back the curtains, and soak up the unforgettable views. Imperial rooms on the seventh and eighth floor come with private balconies, and guests staying in them also have use of the Imperial Club.

Dining

There’s just one restaurant in Rome with three Michelin stars: it is Heinz Beck’s La Pergola at Rome Cavalieri. The views are as sublime as the food, so it’s well worth making a reservation for dinner.

L’Uliveto is La Pergola’s little sister, and it’s a superb place to try traditional Roman recipes made with mouthwatering seasonal ingredients. Ask for the tasting menu with wine pairings: the spring menu is dominated by asparagus in various guises, and the seafood is also a treat.

Guests at Rome Cavalieri have a variety of choices for breakfast. A substantial buffet is served at L’Uliveto and can also be enjoyed outside on the terrace by the pool. A lighter selection is on offer in the Imperial Club, and of course, you can enjoy breakfast in your room, too.

Facilities

All guests can enjoy the skill and knowledge of the concierge staff, but those who book a suite enjoy Rome Cavalieri’s curated Suite Experiences, from private culinary or Vatican Garden tours, to a sandal-making workshop with a local artisan.

The enormous Grand Spa Club, considered one of the best in Italy and featuring La Prairie and Aromatherapy Associates products, is available to all for €20 (£18), but choose an Imperial Room and entry to its glass-domed indoor pools, amethyst Turkish bath, hot tub, saunas and fitness centre is free, as is access to the exclusive seventh-floor Imperial Club, where complimentary food and drinks are available from breakfast through to nightcap hour in the posh lounge overlooking Rome.

The de rigueur splurge for any guest is a private beauty or wellness treatment in one of the spa’s eight themed chromotherapy treatment rooms, or a session with a yoga, pilates, or fitness trainer in the spa studio. Otherwise, enjoy the outdoor pool. 

The Rome Cavalieri has to be the first choice for art lovers visiting Rome. The hotel owns around 4,000 paintings, sculptures, and antiques, 1,000 of which are on show.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s oil painting Odysseus finds Achilles is so historically significant that it’s not allowed to leave Italy, and it dominates the hotel lobby: there’s a layer of bulletproof glass to protect it, but other than that you can sit right beside it, admiring the brush strokes as you sip your morning coffee.

Elsewhere in the hotel, you can see ballet costumes which belonged to Rudolf Nureyev, Giuseppe Bazzani’s Judgement of Paris, and contemporary works by Andy Warhol.

The hotel has its own art historian, so if you’re keen to learn more about the artistic masterpieces you’re looking at and the painters who created them, ask for a guided tour.