Hotel dei Mellini, Rome (Roma)
Hotel tested in February 2004 by Torge Hamkens
Article added on April 19, 2004; updated on April 21, 2004
 
Located on the right bank of the Tiber between Piazza di Spagna and the Vatican City, the Hotel dei Mellini is strategically positioned in the historic, cultural and business heart of Rome (Roma) and represents an ideal starting point for a leisure or business trip. The superior 4-star hotel is situated in the quiet Prati district - one of Rome’s most elegant residential areas near the majestic Palace of Justice. The building, a late 19th century construction, has served as an apartment house until the hotel was finally opened in 1996. Due to its short history the hotel offers up-to-date amenities with a clear focus on what guests really need and would pay for. The American bar in the lobby offers a menu à la petite carte. Instead of a full-service restaurant and large fitness facilities the hotel offers a solarium on the top floor and spacious rooms that are a delightful exception compared to usual hotel standards in the Italian capital. In fact, the luxury that awaits guests in the hotel is unostentatious, but nevertheless very amenable. The hotel’s well-balanced combination of refined design and comfortable function can be seen as a trendsetter for a new hotel generation.
 
The interior was designed by the reputable London based architect Harry Gregory of Ara Design. His signature can be described as a charming blend of warm colors and cool styling. Copper and Savoy blue are the hotel’s distinctive colors, Art Deco influences and an elegant English style are echoed here and there, and precious materials such as oak and polychromatic Italian marble can be found throughout the building. Pieces of modern art by contemporary Italian artists such as Limoni, Tirelli, Salvatori, Renda, Gallo, Fumasoni, Frongia, Bulzatti and Fiorentino are spread all over the reception area, the lounge and the altogether eighty rooms, including eleven Mellini suites and two junior suites (in one which the author of this article stayed in February 2004). All rooms stick to the same style: refined and elegant design, bathrooms decorated with black marble and the obligatory modern audiovisual equipment including a modem line. The 5th and 6th floors are reserved for non-smokers. During good weather the top floor offers a panoramic terrace overlooking the rooftops and balconies of Rome. Business needs are satisfied through three elegant meeting rooms offering conference facilities with state-of-the art technology for up to seventy people. Meeting rooms like these are still rare in Rome.
 
The Hotel dei Mellini in Rome has attracted a global mix of business and leisure travelers. Besides, the Hotel has hosted a couple of casting sessions for international films. Among the most famous guests have been movie stars such as Matthew McConaughy, Jon Bon Jovi and Penelope Cruz. Anthony Minghella stayed in the hotel when producing The Talented Mr. Ripley, Bill Paxton when the film U 571 was produced and Ridley Scott when casting for Hannibal. David Keith lived in Hotel dei Mellini for three months during U 571. After the production team had moved to a nearby apartment, David Keith inquired for one of the hotel’s mattresses since they were so comfortable. Of course, the hotel crew immediately dispatched one of these fine Italian products to his place.
 
In sum, the Hotel dei Mellini is something of a reality check for the international 4-star hotel development. It is the right place for a new generation of guests that prefer a chic avant-garde style and decent comfort at a worthwhile price to an overload of tradition and luxury.




The Mellini Bar which also offers a menu à la petite carte.
Photo © Hotel dei Mellini, Roma.