Ivy-clad luxury off Piazza Navona

The Hotel Raphael, just off Piazza Navona in Rome, Italy

Hotel Raphael

(Tiber Bend)

Even from the outside, you just know this place will be special: an ivy-covered palazzo snuggled into the tangle of medieval, lightly-trafficked streets just off elegant Piazza Navona. I passed by it for years, gazing at that mighty ivy wall covetously, before I finally nabbed a travel writing assignment that allowed me the luxury of booking a room and spending the night.

I was not disappointed. The Raphael does, indeed, make for an excellent plush choice, with well-appointed contemporary bedrooms and a terrific view from the roof terrace. It has amenities and facilities galore (including a fitness room), but be warned: a few of the rooms are quite small. Other guest quarters, on the other hand, have columns dividing them into multiple rooms, as if you were staying in your own, private Roman flat. The Raphael was worth the wait.

Largo Febo 2, just off the northwest corner of Piazza Navona
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