White Hotel

The White Hotel draws a largely tourist crowd, many from Australia and the U.K. It's located on a typical Roman side street crowded with parked Vespas, sooty from exhaust, and teeming with places to eat and drink. The hotel has a beige masonry facade and the building allegedly dates to 800 A.D., but almost all of the interiors were renovated in 2013. A white reception desk with a recessed light strip and gumball machine welcomes guests. A low, backless, blue sofa sits against one wall, and there's a cluster of ash- or moss-colored upholstered furniture against a chalkboard wall on which guests can doodle. There's also a stray pouf in a corner and a wilted potted palm near the elevator. At one end of the lobby is a tiny bar with two chrome stools and a whiteboard with drink suggestions written in green marker. The underground breakfast room has a modish looks with white tables, chairs, and walls paired with reverse-negative murals of trees and industrial gray floors. Another space to linger is the interior courtyard, with a dusty glass roof, marble-topped tables, and potted plants. 

The White Hotel is located in a popular tourist spot, near shops, restaurants, and cafes. The Trevi Fountain is the closest attraction, just three minutes away on foot. The Barberini metro stop is a four-minute walk from the hotel while the Spagna metro stop takes five minutes to reach on foot. The Spanish Steps are seven minutes away, while the Via Veneto -- an iconic Roman street best captured in Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" -- is a six-minute walk. The Pantheon is an 11-minute walk, while the Colosseum and the Roman Forum are a 15-minute walk. The Vatican takes a bit longer to reach; it's a 30-minute train ride from the hotel. And the airport is a half-hour drive away without traffic.

Rooms at the White Hotel include 10 Standard Rooms and 30 Executive Rooms that come in a variety of bed configurations (some are spread over two floors, with an upper loft area). The Executive Rooms were renovated in the mid-2000s and the decor was upgraded from classic to more modern. However, despite the use of white-on-white decor and some smart built-in cabinets and shelving, rooms tend to feel small and cramped. And the smallish windows with views of either the courtyard or the street, don't help. Unrenovated Standard Rooms have blond wood furnishings, navy rugs, and striped curtains -- a far more traditional look. All rooms have fine linens, air-conditioning, minibars, kettles, and safes as well as flat-screen TVs. Bathrooms are equally small but come kitted out with hairdryers, robes, magnifying mirrors, and C.O. Bigelow toiletries. Rooms have twice-daily housekeeping, and cots and cribs are available at no extra charge.

Breakfast is included in room rates at the White Hotel, and the fare includes an array of cured meats, yogurts, and breads -- gluten-free options are also available. Though there's no proper restaurant, the hotel offers vouchers for discounts in wine and dinner at nearby places, and there's a small bar just off the lobby. 

The on-site gym has an array of machines and free weights in a well-lit, windowless room. The spa is a series of rooms that include a classic sauna, a relaxation room with lounge chairs and a panel of changing color lights -- treatments are also available. Just off the lobby is a small business center with two computers, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.  Garage parking is available for a fee in a nearby lot, and the hotel can arrange private tours for a fee -- in a Ferrari, no less.