Picolo recommends · Luxury hotel in Rome
Hassler Roma in Rome
A family-run hotel beside the Trinità dei Monti church since 1893, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the sixth floor and the old town below.
The Spanish Steps
The hotel stands at the very top, right beside the church with the twin bell towers. Photo: Jorge Salazar / Unsplash
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In short about Hassler Roma
Hassler Roma is an independent five-star hotel at the top of the Spanish Steps, run by the sixth generation of the Wirth family. Book it for the view over the old town, the Michelin-starred Imàgo restaurant and the public rooms renewed in 2026.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hassler Roma
Below the hotel, the Spanish Steps fall away towards Piazza di Spagna and the boat-shaped Barcaccia fountain. People have been sitting on these steps for 300 years, and by late afternoon they fill up again. Up here, beside the twin towers of Trinità dei Monti, the noise reaches you only faintly.
The view from the top
At dusk the domes of the old town turn gold below the hotel. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)
Picolo's verdict
Why we like Hassler Roma
Few hotels in any capital have a doorstep like this. You walk out and the whole of the old town lies below you.
It is still a family business, more than 130 years on. The Wirths are the sixth generation to run the house.
Piazza di Spagna
The Barcaccia fountain at the foot of the steps was designed by Pietro Bernini, father of the more famous Gian Lorenzo. Photo: Marco Grosso / Unsplash
A Swiss family's hotel since 1893
Albert Hassler, a Swiss hotelier, opened the hotel beside Trinità dei Monti in 1893. The Wirth family has run it for six generations, and twins Veruschka and Roberto Wirth lead it today. It has stayed independent while many of Rome's grand hotels belong to international groups.
In 2026 the hotel closed for the first time in its history for a renovation. The French designer Jacques Garcia reworked the public rooms and the Palm Court garden, using old photographs from the hotel archive, and a new two-storey spa is planned to follow.
Imàgo, on the sixth floor
Imàgo has held a Michelin star for years and is led by chef Andrea Antonini. Big windows frame the rooftops and domes of the centre, which makes a table at sunset the one to ask for. Salone Eva serves Roman classics in a more relaxed room.
Rooms with the view
The rooms facing the Spanish Steps and the city are the reason to come, and the room category matters more here than at most hotels. The Presidential Suite looks straight down on the church and the steps. Guests also have a terrace on the seventh floor, with a view across to the Vittoriano.
Bars
Carmen's Bar, named after Carmen Wirth, is a small cocktail room of dark wood and gilt mirrors in the style of the 1940s. Il Palazzetto, a wine bar set above the steps, is the place for a glass in the open air.
Who it suits
Couples on an anniversary, first-time visitors who want Rome laid out in front of them, and anyone who likes old-school service. If you prefer a garden to a view, or a large spa today rather than one still being built, Hotel de Russie down the hill is the better choice.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hassler Roma
Book your stay
Hassler Roma at the Spanish Steps
Choose a room facing the steps or the city, and book three to six months ahead for spring.
Villa Medici
A few minutes along the hill from the hotel, the French Academy opens its gardens for guided tours. Photo: Theodora Ispas / Unsplash
What to do near Hassler Roma
The Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna: walk down at dawn, before the crowds, to see the steps empty.
Keats-Shelley House: the small museum at the foot of the steps, in the house where the poet John Keats died.
Villa Medici and the Pincio: follow the road along the hill towards Villa Borghese for views over the rooftops.
Via Condotti: the luxury shopping street starts at the foot of the steps.
The Trevi Fountain: about ten minutes away on foot, best early in the morning or late in the evening.
Getting there
Spagna station on metro line A is at the foot of the steps, a few stops from Termini, where the Leonardo Express train arrives from Fiumicino airport. From the station, a passage with lifts brings you up towards Trinità dei Monti. By taxi, allow around 45 minutes from the airport. If you are still choosing an area, our guide to where to stay in Rome compares the neighbourhoods.
Would you rather stay somewhere else?
If the Hassler is full, or not quite your style, these three are a short walk from the steps.
Hotel de la Ville: For a rooftop bar: a few doors along Via Sistina, with Cielo on the sixth and seventh floors. Check availability and prices at Hotel de la Ville
Portrait Roma: For a suite like an apartment: 14 suites from the Ferragamo family, with a roof terrace facing the steps. Check availability and prices at Portrait Roma
Hotel de Russie: For a garden: Valadier's Secret Garden and a spa, ten minutes down the hill. Check availability and prices at Hotel de Russie
Picolo also recommends
Hotel de Russie
Ten minutes down the hill, Hotel de Russie trades the view for a garden. Valadier's terraces climb towards the Pincio, breakfast is served outdoors under the trees, and Stravinskij Bar fills with Romans at aperitivo time. On the hottest afternoons there is a spa with a pool. Choose it if you would rather sit under orange trees than look down on the rooftops.
Frequently asked questions about Hassler Roma
Is Hassler Roma worth it?
Yes, if the view and the location are what you want from Rome. Hassler Roma stands at the top of the Spanish Steps, has a Michelin-starred restaurant and is still run by the family that has owned it since the 1890s. Pay for a room facing the steps or the city, as that view is the reason to stay.
Is Hassler Roma open after the renovation?
Yes, Hassler Roma reopened in spring 2026 after closing for a renovation, the first closure in its history. The public rooms, the Palm Court garden and the Imàgo restaurant were redesigned, while a new two-storey spa was planned to follow later. Check the status of the spa with the hotel if it matters for your stay.
Does Hassler Roma have a Michelin-starred restaurant?
Yes, Imàgo on the sixth floor of Hassler Roma holds a Michelin star. Chef Andrea Antonini cooks modern Italian food, and the large windows look out over the rooftops and domes of the old town. Book a table for sunset well ahead, as the restaurant is popular with Romans as well as hotel guests.
Which rooms at Hassler Roma have a view of the Spanish Steps?
Rooms and suites at the front of Hassler Roma look over the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna. The Presidential Suite looks straight down on the steps and the church. Book a category that names the view, because rooms on other sides of the building face the courtyard or side streets instead.
How far is Hassler Roma from the Trevi Fountain?
Hassler Roma is about a ten-minute walk from the Trevi Fountain, downhill through the streets below the Spanish Steps. The Pantheon is around 15 minutes on foot, and Villa Borghese is a short walk along the Pincian Hill. Spagna metro station on line A is at the foot of the steps.