Less than 5 minutes from the Trevi Fountain and a few steps from the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Spanish Steps, the newest Bulgari Hotel opened on June 9, in Piazza Augusto Imperatore, in the center of Rome.
It is the ninth unit of the renowned jewelry and accessories brand’s hotel chain and the second in the “Eternal City”, as the Italian capital is known (and which also houses the brand’s headquarters). The building, signed by the architect Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo, was built between 1936 and 1938 and inaugurated in 1950, represents an important example of rationalist architecture.
The work on the new hotel is signed by ACPV ARCHITECTS by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, one of the most renowned architecture firms in Italy, responsible for the interior design projects for the entire Bulgari hotel chain.
“Our objective was to recreate the beauty and sophistication, as well as the elegance and refined craft techniques of the Emperor Augustus. architect Patricia Viel, CEO of ACPV ARCHITECTS. The result is proven in the harmony between the aesthetic rigor of the materials – such as natural stone from the Roman Empire – and the essential architectural style of the building through the use of textures.
Four chromatic palettes were chosen to decorate the suites: white, yellow, red and green. In the bathrooms, marble and quartzite in different colors, many of which were selected from around the world, such as yellow marble from Iran, red “red jasper” marble from Sudan, green quartzite and white quartzite Taj Mahal from Brazil.
The same tones are repeated in the choice of fabrics and accessories and furniture, all supplied by Italian companies: sofas and beds by B&B Italia and Maxalto, silk carpets by Altai, marble tables by Mangiarotti, by Agapecasa, and lighting pieces by Flos and FontanaArte.
For the first time, the iconic Arco Flos lamp, by Achille Castiglioni, from 1962, had its original base in Carrara marble altered, being replaced by the same natural stones used to finish the bathrooms, all with the blessing of the designer’s foundation.
The hotel has 114 rooms plus a suite measuring 300 m², including a kitchen, and overlooking the Mausoleum of Augustus.
A wide range of services are also available to guests, including a 1,500 square meter spa that evokes the atmosphere of ancient Roman baths, with marble columns, stained glass and a 20 meter indoor swimming pool, with mosaics inspired by the famous Baths of Caracalla. , the second largest public bath complex in ancient Rome.
The new Bulgari also offers a reading room and library equipped with a collection of precious volumes of art, design, history and Roman architecture that will be open not only to guests but also to the general public, by appointment. “We want the hotel to become a focus of innovation, a laboratory of creativity, an atelier for new services and projects”, says Silvio Ursini, executive vice-president of Bulgari and head of the Hotels and Resorts division. “Here we interpret the territory, exalt the local culture and celebrate the Italian and Roman art of living, in what is the eternal city”.
On the fifth floor, a spectacular terrace houses the Niko Romito restaurant and the Bulgari Bar. The first has a menu that exalts contemporary Italian cuisine, created exclusively by the star chef for the Bulgari Hotels & Resorts chain. An elegant and luxurious environment with mahogany walls and an exclusive private room (for more than 12 people), entirely decorated in silk tapestry. The bar, meanwhile, is characterized by a large black marble counter decorated with iconic Murano glass elements that reflect light. On the ground floor there is the first “Bulgari Dolci” boutique-confectionery shop, which offers an exclusive selection of chocolates and traditional Italian sweets, always prepared by the multi-starred Italian chef Niko Romito.
