Palazzo Talìa, Rome
This was once the dwelling place of Thalia, muse of comedy, hospitality and the arts, and something of that spirit, light, ironic, graceful, lingers in the building today.
The Federici family, restored the palazzo, chose the name deliberately. Their sixteenth century building near the Spanish Steps has genuine form: once the private residence of humanist Angelo Maria Colocci, secretary to Pope Leo X, later the Collegio Nazareno, a school that outlasted Napoleon’s occupation and Nazi rule and drew filmmakers Carlo Verdone and Christian De Sica through its halls. A three year restoration turned it into a 26 room boutique property, shaped by three creative forces: Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name and Challengers, through his studio studiolucaguadagnino, alongside architects Marianna Lubrano Lavadera of Mia Home Design Gallery and Laura Feroldi. Staying here felt like living inside a film I’ll be replaying in memory for decades. A card by the in room coffee machine sums it up: your journey into the muse’s palace begins here, explore, be surprised and enjoy the wonder. Wonder at every turn is exactly how I’d describe it.
Need to Knows
- Address: Largo del Nazareno 25, 00187 Roma, Italy
- 26 rooms and suites, including the Talìa Suite
- Check in: 3pm
- Check out: 11am
- Parking on site is not available. Valet parking is available at a parking facility located close to the hotel.
What’s There
Guadagnino’s studio designed the public spaces, restaurant, bar, spa and the Terrace Suite, the latter finished in peach wood panelling with its own fireplace, an alcove style bed and a 66 square metre terrace over the courtyard.
Furniture is largely one off: Frenesi lamps for Fontana Arte, a 1940s Venetian chandelier by Simone Cenedese, lava stone tables by Sicilian artisan Rosario Parrinello, Gae Aulenti’s Locus Solus chairs at the concierge desk. A monumental staircase carpet by Nigel Peake, in reds, burgundy and blush pink, threads through the hotel toward the Magna Hall on the noble floor is worth appreciating.
The remaining 25 rooms and hallways were designed separately by Marianna Lubrano Lavadera and Laura Feroldi, each room its own art piece in light, volume and colour. Expect Piet Hein Eek pieces, Micheluzzi Glass wall lamps, Dedar fabrics, frescoed bathrooms by Pictalab, Cassina furniture and the odd baldacchino bed. Repeat visitors might find their old room unavailable, and it hardly matters, discovering a new one is part of the joy. Gelato arrives in the room via upside down cones, one of many playful touches weaved into the stay.
The Wellness Area pairs Roman marble with green majolica tiles from Spain. Tucked beside the ancient Aqua Virgo under barrel vaults, it’s easy to miss and worth seeking out. A 33 square metre heated pool anchors the space, with hydro massage jets, a small waterfall and reflective tiling that scatters light across the water. From there, sauna, Turkish bath, an ice shower and what the spa calls an emotional shower, light, scent and water layered into one closing ritual. Two treatment rooms and a small gym for guests aged fourteen and up.
What’s Around
Step outside and Rome’s Baroque centre is immediately on show, with the city’s grandest squares and monuments within easy reach.
What’s Super Special
Bar della Musa sits beneath grotesque frescoed ceilings, in the same tradition later echoed by Raphael in the Vatican apartments. It’s having a real moment in 2026, the place to be and be seen in Rome right now.
The Aula Magna, 248 square metres with eighteenth century frescoes by Gaspare Serenari, hosts private events and forms part of the Talìa Suite.
The inner courtyard, planted by Blu Mambor, doubles as an open air lounge for the bar and restaurant.
The concierge deserves a mention of its own. The team tracked down concert tickets I genuinely didn’t think were findable, nothing felt too big an ask, and their local knowledge runs deep, right down to the city’s best gelato.
Children
No formal programme, but there’s plenty of wonder in the surroundings regardless.
Breakfast
One of the most beautifully composed breakfasts I’ve come across – edited, unshowy and produce-perfect. Bowls of bright caponata sit alongside anchovies, berries and burrata, with baskets of bread rounding it out, less a buffet than a still life you’re allowed to eat. The room carries the same charm with the artwork worth absorbing over espresso.
Eating and Drinking
Tramae Restaurant, under chef Marco Coppola, traces a modern Grand Tour of Italian flavours from Venice to Sorrento, his hometown. Produce comes largely from the Federici family’s own biodynamic farm, and the wine list draws on their vineyard above the Baths of Caracalla, once supplier to the Vatican. In warmer months, garden dining shifts the mood entirely, built around seasonal ingredients rather than a fixed menu.
Bar della Musa is one of the hottest bars in Rome right now. Set beneath the frescoed ceiling or out on the patio, it’s built for new wave mixology, a well chosen champagne list and a wine selection from the in house sommelier, paired with a light, well judged food menu.
Things to Book
A wine tasting at the Federici family’s vineyard above the Baths of Caracalla. A visit to their biodynamic farm outside Rome, source of much of the Tramae menu.
Notes
The hotel holds two Michelin Keys. Staff uniforms are by Claire Crowley, blending British heritage with contemporary flair, and contemporary work by Roman artist Delfina Scarpa runs through the restaurant and common areas.