Lining the ivy-framed streets of Monti, the very first neighbourhood of Rome, stands this shiny new hotel creatively designed by Laura Gonzalez, designer and architect renowned for her inventive use of rich patterns, textures, and joyful details. Casa Monti is the first of the Leimotiv hotel porfolio to land in Rome, and this certainly won’t be the last Italian destination in the cards.
A stones throw away from one of the wonders of the world, the Colosseum, Monti is one of the city’s oldest and most historically rich districts with roots tracing back to ancient Rome. What used to be a densely populated neighbourhood inhabited by the working class, merchants, and artisans, is today a trendy, bohemian enclave, still known for its creative spirit. Casa Monti is a reflection of this spirit, reinterpreted by Gonzalez throughout each space with a profusion of colours, creative influences and noble materials.
An exciting venture in which each space tells a story from the moment you walk through the ethereal entrance, adorned with frescoed pine trees and swallows hanging from the ceiling that feels as though you’re strolling through the city’s Villa Borghese park. Each room (there are 36 in total) feature distinct colour themes presented in the form of wallpaper and textured upholstered beds that create a dynamic, playful atmosphere. This is enriched with a selection of illustrations, ceramics and sketches by local artists.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner take place in the ground-floor restaurant where, each morning, a delightful spread of food is laid out on the curved marble counter. Take a seat, indoors, in the quiet internal courtyard or in the small terrace outback, and prepare to be spoilt by the Chef. For lunch and dinner, the menu is curated by Sicilian-born chef Umberto Tuccio, whose culinary identity embraces Roman cuisine with a few adopted recipes from neighbouring regions, all served on pretty Bitossi ceramics.
Before sitting down for dinner, take a trip to the sixth floor rooftop bar where a terrace overlooking the rooftops of Rome awaits. The drinks menu is a tribute to Roman professions and key figures like the ‘nonna’ or the ‘florist’. Taste Il Girovago (the wanderer) where a sweet and sour combination is enhanced by an unexpected surprise ingredient: dried yellow pepper.
Tucked away on the fifth floor is the spa, curated by Gonzalez with an ethereal, warm ochre palette that flows across the mosaic-tiled flooring, the hand-painted ceramics on the walls and the lemon-coloured pinstriped cornice. There’s a roman bath which interestingly overlooks the roman forum, three treatment rooms and extensive holistic rituals that feature Kaufmann’s deliciously scented natural products.
