Inside Hotel De La Ville's Roman Penthouse

Most of the city has descended on crowded viewpoints – maybe a rooftop bar or a public garden – found via a trending social media video or a Substack newsletter. Not me, though. I'm on a private terrace, overlooking the Eternal City's rooftops without sight of the crowds below. I'm sipping a Sky Spritz made by mixology director Simone Di Serio on a makeshift bar on wheels. Next, I'll have a mezcal margarita, easy on the spice, with a side of olives and perhaps some smoked almonds. I'm up on the sprawling rooftop terrace of the De La Ville Suite – the top key at Rocco Forte's Hotel De La Ville – for aperitivo hour. Panomoramic is the only word for the view in front of me, with vistas spanning just shy of 360 degrees. It's one of the penthouse's four outdoor spaces – I've another leading off my top-floor bedroom and more attached to the two suites on the floor below. Book all three suites together and they become the enormous De La Ville Penthouse, a six-bedroom, two-floor, 3,853-sq-ft mammoth of a room. It might just be one of the most sought-after suites in the city. While this suite configuration was only launched in the spring, the hotel itself opened in 2020 (and promptly closed and opened – and closed again in its first few years, owing to Covid-19), as a little sister to Hotel De Russie which has long been the Rocco Forte flagship and glitterati magnet. Despite the grandeur of its location, literally a stone's throw from the Spanish Steps and the enduring wonder of the Trevi Fountain, Hotel De La Ville remains more understated than its elder sibling. Even this low-key entrance is too much for some high-profile guests – I'm told a secret network of corridors and passages hide behind the walls. Related article: The Hidden Rome Atelier That Has Dressed Popes for 200 Years Stay The elevator zips straight up to the De La Ville Suite, no corridors required, and opens out to While much of the Rocco Forte empire has been created by director of design (and the founder's sister) Olga Polizzi, Italian architect Tommaso Ziffer was called upon for Hotel De La Ville. Like the rest of the property, the penthouse is an effective mismatch of styles. There's some exuberant maximalism in the bold color combos and grand touches of neoclassicism, as well as mock Roman busts and vintage furniture in the drawing room/lounge, and a more masculine Art-Deco leaning bedroom. Somehow, this grandeur still feels relaxed and welcoming: an imposing mustard velvet chaise longue is far more comfortable than it appears and the espresso machine is simple and straightforward. While the terraces are where you'll want to spend your time, there is plenty of indoor space. Take the whole penthouse and you'll have, in addition to the six bedrooms, three living rooms, a dining room, a kitchenette, a study, and six bathrooms, as well as two guest bathrooms. A lavish marble staircase connects them all, with a double-height window making the best of the view. Amenities are plentiful, too: complementary mini bars stocked generously enough for a full cocktail hour; shelves laden with books from classic novels to design bibles; and baked treats left seemingly every time you leave the hotel. Dine If you watch your first Roman sunset from the privacy of your terrace, head to the hotel's rooftop restaurant, Cielo, for your second. The view is virtually the same (if not quite so panoramic as in the penthouse), and the setting is pure romance. Rocco Forte's culinary creative director (their title, not mine) Fulvio Pierangelini puts a spin on traditional Italian dishes, and presents a creative and indulgent menu. There's delicate zucchini flowers, loaded up with tomato sauce; seared tuna doused in tuna sauce (the restaurant's inventive spin on a beef tonnato); and a carbonara ravioli which is a novel take on one of the city's most famous pastas. Peppery olive oil laces everything, and parmesan is wielded liberally. The accompanying Champagne list is comprehensive, with local sparklings thrown in the mix. When it comes to red wine, go for the Brunello. After dinner, head down to Cielo bar for a creative cocktail and more of those views. While Cielo is the flagship place to eat and drink, special mention also goes to the hotel's breakfast that's served in an enclosed courtyard (you can take it up on your terrace, but in doing so relinquish rights to the extensive buffet spread, inclusive of a signature cream bun dubbed 'the maritozzi'). Many hotels fall short on coffee, but Hotel De La Ville is not one of them: its flat whites are strong, smooth, and not at all bitter. Extra points for latte art, too. Relax Rocco Forte is very much a family affair, and middle child Irene Forte heads up the wellness program across the entire group, via her eponymous skincare brand (her siblings Lydia and Charles are in the business, too). The Irene Forte Spa is below ground and has five treatment rooms, a saltwater hydro pool, and a small gym (with a personal trainer, should you require). You'll also find Irene Forte products back in your suite – scents like prickly pear, almond, pistachio, and apricot are sweet without being artificial. Explore With a top suite like this one, the real challenge is dragging oneself away. The Hotel De La Ville team apparently pre-empted this problem and to coincide with the launch of its penthouse earlier this year, it also launched a new 'Above and Beyond' program, reserved for suite guests. The experiential offering is delivered in partnership with Imago Artis Travel – a Rome based travel operation that specializes in uncovering lesser-known cultural activities throughout Italy. For De La Ville, it unlocks some closely guarded doors: there's a cocktail soiree within a private aristocratic palazzo, a viewing of a hidden underground fresco, and a trip to a secret garden in a former residential enclave. There's all of the 'standard' Rome, too. You're moments from the sun-beaten Spanish Steps and the shopping district they look over, and the oasis-like Villa Borghese park is just behind the hotel for when respite is needed. A private golf buggy tour might feel cliché, but worth it to take in all the sights en masse, and absorb some extra expert insight. The hotel's extremely well-connected concierge can set up virtually anything you like.