Hotel Britannia by Jamie Dunford Wood

A hotel of just 33 rooms, the Britannia is a quiet hotel close to a busy street, and is not for lovers of minimalism. As befits what they describe as the former 'antique noble palace of Prince Orsini', the decor is colourful, busy and heavy in the typical Roman fashion. Steps down from the street give the reception a womblike feel, with its multi-colored marble flooring, while a dark bar and electrically lit wall frescoes lend a sanctuary air. Perhaps this was the servants entrance, for a small padded lift gives access to the upper quarters, like a cell in a luxury asylum - complete with piped music. Staff ratio is about one to four guests.

There, the busy-ness is carried on with the help of bowls of apples - where a design hotel would choose apples of all one variety for graphic clarity, here they go for one of each. The rooms also come in a variety of colour flavours - fabric walls, flowery wallpaper, patterned carpets and marble bathrooms. Standard doubles are not enormous. Ornate bedheads in some of the rooms suggest antiquity. The hotel is advertised as four star, but the rates are more three star, so for comfort in this area it looks good value. Three superior doubles have spacious sit-out terraces - the best of them, twin-bedded 402, is worth asking for - as does the single junior suite, good for a family but cramped for four adults.