Colosseo Panoramic Rooms

The Colosseo Panoramic Rooms has an impressive home: a symmetrical golden stone detached building that’s been conveniently converted into a restaurant and apartments. The guest house occupies the third floor of the building and looks straight out at the Colosseum. Location is prioritized over style, but that’s not to say that comfort is overlooked -- the beds are plush and rainfall showerheads are huge. The color scheme throughout is minimalist white, lilac, and taupe, with abstract black-and-white artwork and quirky block pendant-style lighting. The property attracts couples who value personal service (the husband-and-wife owner-hosts can provide maps, arrange taxis, and recommend restaurants) and a central location, but are happy to spend most of their time outside of a hotel, sightseeing and dining independently. 

The location of Colosseo Panoramic Rooms is something special. It’s housed on the second floor of an impressive traditional building on Via Nicola Salvi, directly across the road from the Colosseum. As well as uninterrupted views of the ancient amphitheater, travelers will also be able to spot the Roman Forum from the property. This is a buzzing tourist area, with trattorias, bars, and shops packed with visitors. It’s just a 10-minute stroll from the Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia, and a 20-minute walk to the Trevi Fountain. There are two metro stations (Colosseo and Cavour) within a five-minute walk, with services straight to Roma Termini Station (two minutes), the Pantheon (five minutes), the Spanish Steps (seven minutes), and Piazza Navona (eight minutes). The Vatican is around a half-hour metro journey with one change. Rome’s Fiumincino and Ciampino airports can be reached in a 30 to 40-minute drive. They're also easy to reach by public transport; there’s a bus from both airports to Termini Station, which is a two-minute metro journey from the hotel.

Rooms have a predominantly white color scheme with pale gray flooring and lilac and taupe feature walls. The rooms are clean and minimalist but have enough detail -- like coved walls, abstract black-and-white artwork, and quirky lighting -- to avoid them looking stark. The standard mod cons are covered; air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi, coffee- and tea-making facilities and a mini-fridge, and a hairdryer. Rooms also have a comfy king-size bed, flat-screen TV, small table and chairs, and a wardrobe or rail space. Black-tiled bathrooms are modern, with a heated towel rail, counter-top sink, and walk-in shower complete with huge rainfall showerhead. There are few differences between the size and design of the rooms. They key factor is the view. The Standard Room with Internal View (Room 3) has a tiny balcony that faces the building’s courtyard. On the plus side, the rustic shuttered-windows are pretty Instagram-able; on the downside, the locals’ strung-out washing might block the desired shot. All other rooms have incredible side views of the Colosseum. For the best room in the house, the Standard Room with Colosseum View and Big Bathroom (Room 2) is true to its name and has a larger walk-in shower. Unfortunately, rooms are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so views cannot be guaranteed. Some guests have noted that there’s street noise -- but only when windows are open. 

As travelers might expect of a four-room property, there are few facilities. A small front desk, done in the same white-and-lilac decor as the rooms, welcomes guests, but there’s no other common space. As the reception isn’t always attended, guests are given a set of keys and the owner’s cell number. The fact that rates include breakfast, when there’s no breakfast room, is a thoughtful touch. Guests receive vouchers for a simple breakfast (coffee and a pastry) at the cafe-bar on the ground floor of the building, to enjoy breakfast looking straight at the Colosseum. The only other facilities are free Wi-Fi and a tiny elevator.