Hotels in Rome by Jamie Dunford Wood

Rome is a hard city to find good accommodation in. Things are changing slowly, but there's not nearly so much choice as in, say, Paris, where hotels have been catering to picky English travellers for centuries. Most in Rome only sprang up in the past 50 years and are firmly aimed at the mass market tour group, still the staple of the Roman tourism industry. The grand old dames of the Via Veneto, meanwhile, continue to be Grand Old Dames, but you get the feeling that fashion has passed them by - this is no lnger where the action is - we now want to be in the heart of the old city overlooking a Roman temple or somewhere happening like the Piaqa del Popolo.

The Roman hoteliers, it seems, have also been consulting the same interior decorator over the past twenty years. Very much a decorator rather than a designer, he has invented a Roman style of heavy stripes, busy patterned fabrics, thick carpets, gleaming marble, gold uplighters and heavy drapes. This fascist style is all certainly 'luxurious', but it has a weary sameness about it, and while baroque Rome might be one layer of this magical city, its modern interpretation in hotel decor lacks character and is especially oppressive in the relentless heat of a Roman summer, smothering us in a city that screams for space and light.

In the past few years there have been glimmers of this space and light. The famous de Russie; the wonderful Capo d'Africa; the trendy Aleph; the industrial ES; the misconceived Art. There is certainly the pedigree in this country of designers to create interesting spaces, but it is no accident that the Four Seasons opened in Milan rather than Rome - that's where the fashion is.

So, they can be found. Even if you don't want the design look, just something well thought out with character in a good position. However, you may need to compromise - either on price, or facilities. Just try not to compromise on position and character. Anything that connects you with the magic outdoors of this city - a balcony, a terrace, a rooftop restaurant - should be prized here more than in any other city in Europe.