Casa Montani

An immaculate, lovingly appointed townhouse conversion with 5 rooms, overlooking Porta del Popolo

Casa Montani overlooks Porta del Popolo, the old Roman gateway that was once the main entrance to the city for visitors from the north, and which leads onto the spectacular disc of Piazza del Popolo. The Casa, tucked away on the third floor, is one of Rome’s new breed of discreet townhouse conversions, and has been in the family for generations: Giuseppe Montani’s great-grandfather bought the place directly from the builder in 1916.

Today, the apartment’s not a hotel, but an intimate upper-range guesthouse. It’s a labour of love, designed by architect Liliana Sciacca, and decorated by its French-Italian owners with custom-made furniture such as glossy lacquered desks, plus original paintings by Giuseppe Butera. The lobby-reception has walls hand-painted by Philippe Gandon in bold black and white stripes that call to mind 1930s chic, or Audrey Hepburn photographed by Cecil Beaton. For the standard of comfort, for the design and fittings, for the location, and for Rome, prices are reasonable.

Highs

• Great location, footsteps away from Piazza del Popolo, Villa Borghese and Via Babuino, and 5 minutes from the Spanish Steps
• More intimate than a hotel; only 5 rooms and guests have a key
• Extremely quiet - excellent double glazing
• Breakfast served in your room, which heightens the sense of privacy
• Friendly service: most days one of the owners is on reception and can make recommendations
• Top quality furnishings and fittings: Tebro linen, Zazzeri faucets, Hèrmes toiletries

Lows

• Breakfast is fairly basic
• No concierge, restaurant or room service, but this is not a hotel and light snacks are available all day
• Room 2 feels a bit cramped and overlooks an internal courtyard; the price is the same for all deluxe rooms although the other two are larger and have street views