A Roman Stay, From the First Evening On
*nhow Roma
written ALBAN E. SMAJLI
Rome reveals itself gradually, especially in the late afternoon, when the light begins to fade and the city shifts into evening. The drive along Corso d’Italia passes apartment buildings with warm windows already lit, cafés pulling in chairs and lowering shutters, traffic moving steadily through the dimming street. The trees of Villa Borghese stand dark against the sky, stretching along the edge of the road. The car slows, luggage is lifted from the trunk, and within a few steps nhow Roma stands directly ahead, its façade illuminated against the evening traffic, marking the beginning of the stay.
Lobby and Reception Entrance
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Lobby and Reception Sculptural Art
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Suite, Lounge Area
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Inside, the lobby is already active, guests checking in, suitcases rolling across the floor, staff moving between desk and entrance. On the walls, classical figures appear in bold reinterpretations, their forms integrated into columns and surfaces that continue along the corridors. Fragments of sculpture and graphic details surface near the lifts and along the way to the rooms, appearing again on different floors in new arrangements. We arrive later than expected, so check-in moves quickly, a key card handed over, brief directions given. In the room, the suitcase is placed by the door just as the phone rings. A small welcome gathering is taking place in one of the hotel’s private suites, spaces set up for intimate get-togethers with their own bar and bartender. The suitcase remains unopened as I head back into the corridor and join the group, the first evening in Rome beginning before the room has even been settled.
By the next morning, the breakfast room fills gradually, guests arriving at different times, carrying coffee and small plates of fruit, pastries, and eggs to their tables. Some are still quiet, others already in conversation about the plans for the day.
At one point, a small group of guests begins to sing together, forming an a cappella harmony that spreads across the space. Heads turn, a few people smile, some join in for a line or two, and after a few minutes the singing fades, leaving the room to return to its steady pattern of breakfast and conversation.
Room Premium
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From the hotel entrance, Villa Borghese can be reached within minutes. The path leads past trees and open gravel walkways toward the Galleria Borghese, whose façade appears between the greenery. Inside, painted ceilings and marble sculptures fill the rooms, visitors moving steadily from one gallery to the next. After some time in the museum and the surrounding park, the walk back toward Corso d’Italia follows the same route, the hotel entrance appearing again at the edge of the street.
In the afternoon, we set off in an electric Fiat 500, driving through Rome with the roof open and the engine barely audible. The car moves easily through traffic, passing monuments, residential streets, and small cafés tucked into corners that are easy to miss on foot. The driver talks continuously, pointing out buildings, sharing anecdotes, explaining details that slip by quickly if no one names them. With Facile Tours, the tour lasts around three hours, and by the time we return, many parts of the city have already been seen in sequence, connected through streets, stories, and conversation.
Later, back at the hotel, the lift becomes its own small stage. Inside, a built-in karaoke station invites guests to pick a song while the cabin moves between floors. People laugh, sing a few lines, forget the lyrics, and start again as the numbers above the door light up one by one. The doors open, conversations resume in the hallway, and the evening continues upstairs. Dinner takes us to different places over the course of the stay. At Rosina - Cucina di Casa, the room is arranged like a narrow Roman street, with laundry lines overhead and closely set tables. Plates arrive in large portions, pasta, meat, and vegetables served in quantities that assume no one leaves hungry. When some dishes return half full, the staff laughs and says an Italian mother would insist on finishing everything.
Restaurant LUDO
(c) Minor Hotels
On another evening, we remain at the hotel for dinner at LUDO, nhow Roma’s own restaurant, which is scheduled to open officially in mid-February 2026. The restaurant is already operating in a preview setting, and during dinner the waiter explains the concept behind it: once fully launched, the space will host live music and DJs, turning it into a place where guests come to dine, drink, and spend the evening together. The menu combines Italian and international dishes, from pasta to grilled meats and lighter plates, setting the foundation for a restaurant designed to stay active well beyond dinner hours.
Another night leads into the city to The Appuntamento. The interior is clearly structured, with strong colours, defined shapes, and distinctive tableware chosen to match each course. The design approach connects naturally to the aesthetic direction of nhow Roma, where bold forms and visible details shape the atmosphere throughout the building.
Over several days, the hotel becomes more familiar through repetition. Murals catch attention in passing, reflections shift as daylight moves through the lobby and corridors, and conversations with the staff continue from one day to the next. During one of those conversations, the building’s background comes up: it was constructed between 1968 and 1971 on the grounds of a former Vatican convent. The renovation kept the original structure intact, updating the façade with large solar panels that are clearly visible from the street. Standing again on Corso d’Italia, the earlier framework becomes easier to notice within the current design.
On the final morning, Rome begins as it did on the first, with traffic along Corso d’Italia and early light settling across the façades. The Spanish Steps are still only a short walk away, reachable within fifteen minutes through streets that have already become familiar over the past days. There is time for one more coffee, one more slow walk through Villa Borghese, one more look back at the hotel entrance before stepping into the city again. What remains are the days themselves, marked by rooms returned to at night, streets crossed in the afternoon, and tables shared in the evening.
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all images (c) Minor Hotels