The first Orient Express hotel opens in Rome

The story of Orient Express has come a long way since American shipping container magnate James Sherwood first revived the trans-European train route that came to embody the belle époque years of continental travel in the bleak, downturn days of the 1970s. Growing to encompass hotels (including the Cipriani in Venice and the Splendido in Portofino) as well as river cruises, in the past few years the business has bifurcated, with LVMH taking the original Venice-Simplon-Orient Express business under its Belmond brand and hospitality group Accor rolling out Orient Express, a new entity responsible for the recently launched La Dolce Vita trains and, since May last year, the first Orient Express hotel.

La Minerva in Rome has a history no less storied than OE itself: an imposing block-wide presence on Piazza della Minerva that overlooks the Pantheon. The 17th-century palazzo became one of Rome’s first grand hotels, opening in 1811 to accommodate the ‘influencers’ of their day – young aristocrats conducting a Grand Tour of Europe’s classical highlights – and later welcoming the likes of writers Stendhal, George Sand and Herman Melville. Today, La Minerva gleams again following a full restoration under the guidance of Franco-Mexican designer Hugo Toro.

Taking as his cue the all-eras architectural pile-on that Rome represents to the awed visitor, a seasoned hand in creating historically resonant hospitality sites (including at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and London’s St Pancras) Toro has brought a mix of atmosphere, warmth and refinement to La Minerva’s stately rooms: a blend of bespoke comfort and ageless elegance transmitted through a thoughtful use of colour and textures. Bathrooms boast pink marble and bedrooms are bedecked in the accoutrements required of stress-free travel – from voluminous wardrobes to the thoughtful placing of a writing desk beside the minibar. The public spaces are no less auspicious, the ground floor comprising, for the main part, a glass-ceilinged all-day dining and cocktail lounge, replete with harp accompaniment. The stellar backdrop of Rome’s inimitable skyline is best enjoyed from Gigi Rigalotto rooftop bar and restaurant, serving quintessential Italian cuisine in an environment that is both lively and laid-back. With 93 rooms and suites (including the frescoed Stendhal Suite) and a subterranean spa and hammam, La Minerva doesn’t lack for either scale or substance, but it’s perhaps the sublime setting that ensures its newly restored regal status in a city not short on lofty landmarks.