This Art and Textiles-Filled Luxury Hotel in Rome Proves Fantastical Maximalist Interiors Can Be Chic and Timeless, Too

To say that Casa Monti Roma, a new 5-star luxury boutique hotel opened last summer by the Leitmotiv group, is sited in a strategic location is an understatement. Positioned 10 minutes' walk from the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in the animated Rione Monti — the marble and terracotta-hued district from which it takes its name, once comprising three of Rome's seven hills, is still considered one of the city's most authentic neighborhoods thanks to its constellation of family-run botteghe, restaurants, and bakeries — the hotel is a tangible exemplification of the area's contagiously inspiring spirit.

"With numerous art galleries, libraries, and little artists' studios dotting its streets, Rione Monti is a very bohemian and artistic neighborhood," Paris-based Laura Gonzalez, the interior designer whose genius makes Casa Monti into one of the best Rome hotels for décor-led travelers, tells me. Together with the owners, "we felt this place could be a unique opportunity to create something that blended art, culture, and hospitality, that felt timeless and contemporary at the same time."

Anyone familiar with Gonzalez's practice, which sees her charge sculptural silhouettes with eye-catching motifs informed by the Pre-Raphaelites, North African heritage, and leading French textile home Pierre Frey's creations into her own "romantic classicism", knows this description fits her style perfectly. In many ways, Casa Monti "felt like a tailor-made project for me," she explains. "As I was born in the South of France, I am particularly fond of Mediterranean light, and was happy to find the colors and nuances I enjoyed so much during my childhood again here in Rome."

Casa Monti: A Microcosm of Roman Grandeur

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In the passeggiata that takes me from the late Renaissance façade of Trinità dei Monti at the top of the Spanish Steps to the hotel's lively, cobblestones-lined Via Panisperna on December 1, some of the Italian capital's most striking landmarks whiz by me. From the monster-shaped entryway and windows of the Bibliotheca Hertziana, the former residence of 1500s artist Federico Zuccari, later turned into the headquarters of his Accademia di San Luca, and now home to the namesake art history German research institute, to Piazza Barberini's famed Triton Fountain, a masterpiece by pioneering Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and the neoclassical Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome's largest exhibition space, it's an open-air museum; nothing that Gonzalez, one of today's most acclaimed tastemakers of maximalism in interior design, could ignore.

To conceive the 26-rooms and 10-suites Casa Monti, "I had to immerse myself into the soul of the city, its culture, and craftsmanship, and use them to achieve a visually powerful result," says the designer. "Italy has such a rich art and architectural history, and I wanted the stay to pay tribute to this glorious past." To reflect it, Gonzalez collaborated with Italian artisans, highlighting "materials that stand for Italian savoir faire": Murano glass chandeliers and decorative objects adorn the hotel, where vintage rarities, a curated selection of coffee table books, and bespoke wall illustrations by artists Paola Sorrentino and Elena Rucli bring color and character to the space, alongside sketches by Maëlys Pommaret, ceramics by Florence Bamberger, and — of course — "busts sculpted in plaster like in the Roman era".

A Home for "Romans and Seasoned Tourists", Nestled in the Heart of Rome

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As I move inside the 18th-century, six-story palace that houses Casa Monti, this intermingling of eras and influences, and the legacy of its noble origins, are immediately palpable. Restored to its prime, the listed building's entrance lets guests in through an automatic, sleek wood-and-glass door which grants passersby an exclusive peek into the property. "The idea was to create a place built like a Roman house," Gonzalez explains. "Characterized by an intimate atmosphere, but also open to neighborhood life, Casa Monti invites visitors to step in and relax."

Thoroughly imbued with the best home fragrance blends by Susanne Kaufmann, whose ancient plant lore-inspired view of beauty and wellness sits at the core of the stay's sun-baked spa, the hotel exudes a honeysuckle, herbal alpine scent that feels, at once, calming, hypnotizing, and strangely familiar. Here, in the lobby that leads to its spectacular ground floor bar and just as imaginative restaurant, where the designer's personal interpretation of Parisian style décor — an ingeniously executed fusion of contrasting patterns, materials, and surfaces — marries the zestfulness and glamour of 1950s Cinecittà Rome, every detail has been crafted to evoke a sense of dream.

Sparked by "the golden age of Italian cinema", Casa Monti builds on the idea of La Dolce Vita — the self-indulgent, nonchalant way of life at the center of Federico Fellini's 1960 movie of the same title, understood by many as the ultimate "Roman experience" — to enthrall its temporary dwellers in every way possible. Drawing on the poetry and the oneiric atmospheres of the director's greatest masterpieces, as well as on the nostalgic depiction of Italy offered by Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name (2017), Gonzalez turned the accommodation into an idyllic refuge for those who want to savor a slice of "the authentic and artistic Italian lifestyle". Whether feasting your eyes on the vivid tapestry of shapes and textures that are its interiors, or tasting the delicacies of Sicilian Chef Umberto Tuccio's family-inspired menu (don't leave without trying his duck ragù fettuccine, the sublime carpaccio di verdure, and fried zucchini flowers), at Casa Monti, you're in for a treat.

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Across all six floors, beautifully rendered terrazzo flooring, "laid in an embellished grid pattern and designed to mimic that of old Pompei", alternates with handmade terracotta tiles, herringbone-patterned wooden floors, and kaleidoscopic rugs. "Mosaic, a quintessential element in the history of Rome," explains Gonzalez, "was inserted by little touches everywhere": in front panels, above each bathtub, or at the very back of the hotel's awe-inspiring rooftop bar, where it captures bucolic scenes of Roman mythology. The same is true of the many frescoes that complement the space — including those portraying the faded pines motifs, one of the Eternal City's distinguishing symbols, at its very entrance — which the designer describes as "the signature element of the hotel," and "add a warm, welcoming feel to each environment."

The pursuit of a wondrous life that defines Casa Monti is equally evident in the rooms and suites located upstairs. Developed by the French designer with "the artist's residence" in mind, these make the perfect retreat for creative wanderers who find joy in being surrounded by unique artworks, mesmerizing upholstery, and some truly extravagant, although ever-stylish, lighting and seating accents. Here, technology is widely present and easy-to-use, but hidden-in-plain-sight with inventive hacks — like the TV-concealing curtains of my Junior Suite — to leave Gonzalez's fairytale world magically undisturbed. The drenched-in-marble-and-ceramic bathrooms, standing out for their Mediterranean, earthy palette of reds and ochre, contribute to the accommodation's luxuriousness, while scenic views of Rome's most historical district fill the rooms with life.

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Asked about the first image that comes to mind when thinking of Casa Monti, the designer doesn't hesitate. “It's its magnificent terrace, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight, with the soft shadows of the sculptural furniture and the sound of laughter and conversation floating in the air," Gonzalez confesses. "It's a place that feels both like a refuge [from] and an extension of the vibrant city surrounding it"; a space that, much like the hotel in itself, "captures the essence of Rome and transforms it into an experience."

Book your stay at Casa Monti.

Want to make your Roman sojourn into a design trail? Spend a night at Casa Monti before moving on to Palazzo Talìa, where more spellbinding interiors await.