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The hotel’s curvaceous coffee bar has a touch of theatre about it. -
The hotel is furnished with a mix of carefully selected vintage pieces and custom designs. -
The lush planting on the terrace offsets the pink stonework of the building’s façade. -
Luxe banquette seating in the lounge area is complemented by bespoke chandeliers. -
The marble main bar features large, dramatically arched bottle displays on the rear wall. -
The layout of the lounge areas has been designed so each space flows into the next. -
In the coffee bar, Fettle drew inspiration from a typical Roman apartment.
WORDS Robyn Alexander PHOTOS The Hoxton/Heiko Prigge
“Only in Rome is it possible to understand Rome,” wrote the German poet Goethe – and the Eternal City must surely be on almost every traveller’s bucket list. Now there’s a new reason to plan your visit.
Developed mostly in the 1930s and bordering the beautiful gardens of the Villa Borghese, Rome’s Parioli area is discreet, affluent and the location of a number of embassies. It’s a little like the Roman equivalent of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, with tree-lined streets, smart shops and well- heeled locals. Parioli sports a number of art galleries, as well as being home to the collection housed in the 17th-century Villa Borghese and Italy’s National Gallery of Modern Art, which is situated near the Villa’s world- renowned, 60-hectare gardens.
New to these under-the-tourist-radar environs is an eye-catching design hotel, The Hoxton Rome. It’s the 10th hotel in The Hoxton portfolio, and the interiors of its public areas were designed by Fettle, an interior architecture firm that specialises in hospitality design, in collaboration with Ennismore Design Studio. Using the building and its locality as reference points for the interior spaces, Fettle drew on the aesthetic already synonymous with The Hoxton brand – which combines comfort with an inviting yet understatedly stylish feel – to create interiors that feel residential in scale, with layered accessories and lighting.
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The building in which The Hoxton Rome is located was constructed in the 1970s, and so the interiors take inspiration from mid-century Italian design, pairing this with some of the classic architectural details found in the neighbourhood’s more traditional buildings. “We had to ensure that we created a space that worked for both the surrounding community as well as hotel guests,” says Andy Goodwin, creative director and co-founder of Fettle. “So, understanding the local culture played a huge part in the design process. We took inspiration from the location as well as cues from the building’s original details.”
Many of the furniture pieces in the hotel were designed specifically for the project, from the mid-century-inspired sofas and banquettes to the dining and lounge chairs. The introduction of vintage Italian decor complements these bespoke furnishings. For example, vintage floor and table lighting has been skilfully deployed to provide a soft glow at low level around the public spaces.
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The interiors incorporate a variety of seating arrangements, which cater for guests at all times of the day, whether they’re socialising, working or relaxing. A few of the noteworthy, almost theatrical elements are The Hoxton Rome’s curved coffee bar, its main bar, and an open kitchen in the restaurant.
One of the standout aspects of the decor here is the lighting. In addition to the vintage lighting pieces already mentioned, the hotel features sculptural chandeliers that run throughout the main lobby, with brass and smoked- glass globes. Custom-designed, Murano-inspired ceiling lights are used to illuminate the bar and to help direct circulation routes through the space. Fettle also designed wall and bar lighting fixtures especially for those spaces, and placed vintage pendants over the coffee bar.
Architecturally, a natural palette creates an elegant backdrop, with finishes including timber-clad columns, patterned brickwork and textured plaster walls. This sophisticated yet approachable framework is finished off with rich upholstery fabrics, statement rugs, quirky decor objects and colourful artworks.
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