Six Senses Rome Opens As An Homage To The Italian Capital

Six Senses’ first ever urban hotel connects guests with the heritage and community that give Rome its distinct appeal.

At all Six Senses hotels and resorts, the luxury hospitality brand’s commitment to sustainability is shown through environmental best practices. For some Six Senses properties, this overriding ethos is also shown through conservation of the natural environment. In its first urban location, the resolution to give value to the location it’s become a part of is instead seen in the restoration of this city’s heritage and connections forged with both culture and community.

Before even opening, the March-debuted hotel saw the completion of the first sustainability project to have been sponsored by the hotel, the historic restoration of the façade of its neighboring landmark, San Marcello al Corso Church. And on restoring the building its now occupies, the 15^th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini, the hotel gave visibility to a baptismal bath—now seen through glass floor tiles on the ground floor—dating as far back as the fourth century that had first been uncovered during archaeological excavations at the beginning of the 1900s but until now was hidden from view.

Throughout the restored palazzo, the original structure and architectural details such as pillars, the grand staircase and sweeping arches defining each marble-clad space meets new contemporary detail pairing stylish modern furnishings in natural shades of green, terra cotta and dusky pink with lush greenery and modern artworks that take inspiration from the property’s Roman roots. Architectural elements of the ground floor’s café, restaurant and bar space, like the steel structural elements seen above the indoor-outdoor circular green marble bar, reflect the palazzo’s more recent history as a cinema and then bank.

These themes of giving heritage back to the community, celebrating local culture and promoting green living, run throughout the property. Guests are given an insight into the hotel’s environmental philosophy at Earth Lab, which is the setting for talks and hands-on workshops in making sustainable products, and provenance is given priority in the hotel’s Roman-leaning food and drink program. The interior designer behind this project, Patricia Erquiola, has brought reused materials and traditional Roman artisanal constructions methods into the hotel’s interiors and the spa encompasses the hotel’s take on Roman baths.

BIVIUM Restaurant-Café-Bar, already popular among locals for aperitivos, takes over the sprawling, open-plan space spanning much of the ground floor and running off the gallery that connects the two streets the hotel’s entrances on opposite sides of the building face onto. This high-ceilinged space, broken up by plant-life, laidback seating areas, open kitchens and a bar spilling outdoors to more seating, is the platform for plant-based modern Italian cuisine with a nod to Roman culinary tradition.

Pizzas made using stone-ground flour of ancient grains like Frassinetto, Jervicella and Solina come with distinctly Italian toppings like grappa infused pears, artichokes, mozzarella, taleggio and zucchini flowers. Pasta dishes include fusilli with pistachio, prosecco and red prawns, and responsibly sourced products like porchetta and wild seabass are cooked over the Josper grill.

In the spa, the inspiration this hotel takes from Roman classicism as well as nature is reflected through both the design and wellness offering. Treatments including body cocoons and personalized facials are offered alongside high-tech biohacking tools, sound therapy, a healing herbal hammam and, perhaps most notably, a modern take on Roman baths in a serene space encompassing calidarium, tepidarium and frigidarium baths, a sauna and steam room and experience showers. A yoga and meditation rooms plus boutique and nail bar complete the wellness space, which is also joined in the hotel by a separate fitness area.

Located right in the heart of Rome’s historic center, the hotel provides uninterrupted views over the surrounding streets and landmarks. These views are at their most impressive from NOTOS Rooftop, which is planted with lemon, pomegranate and olive trees as well as herbs for use throughout the hotel and which is opening as a bar and setting for yoga sessions in the warmer months.

The hotel’s Mellini Suite, one of several standout suites in the hotel, comes with a terrace that sits right alongside the grand façade of the neighboring church. Each room and suite fuses the hotel’s heritage-meets-nature inspiration with Six Senses’ sustainability ethos through its design. The hotel’s focus on wellness is then reflected through room amenities like the Sleep with Six Senses bedding designed for a better night’s sleep

Extending the connection guests have to Rome to outside the hotel, the property also curates deeper delving cultural experiences. The hotel has partnered with Imago Travels to offer a series of insider tours affording behind-the-scenes access and giving insight into some of the city’s hidden highlights. Through every aspect of the hotel experience, Six Senses Rome aims to strike the balance between introducing guests to the Italian capital and adding value to the surroundings – an endeavor that began with bringing an historic landmark back to life.