Corso 281 Luxury Suites

Standing next to the Trevi Fountain late at night, just before the sky began to pale, I was reminded of Anita Ekberg’s sense of wonder when she accidentally came across the breathtakingly beautiful fountain. “Marcello! Come here, hurry up!” Ekberg’s sensual murmur was a siren’s call to succumb to temptation, in a city where there is no place for half-measures. In Rome, your experience should be luxurious, decadent, glamorous, or not at all.

Customarily, it is me who pleads with my partner to accompany me on work trips; this time, I was being whisked away on a romantic getaway. He had found the ultimate address for a Roman retreat. Housed in an eighteenth-century palace on Via del Corso, the Luxury Suites are perfectly located, just minutes from most of the city’s principal attractions. They are sumptuously decorated, and boast a bespoke customer service.

With just twelve rooms, the Corso 281 Luxury Suites are intimate and exclusive, and the service is unrivalled. A physical trainer at your disposal either in the privacy of your own room or at an exclusive external spa, as well as a shiatsu masseur offering in-room massages, and a personal shopper to ensure tailor-made service at the neighbouring luxury boutiques, the hotel ensures mind, body and soul are truly taken care of. As a special concession to my passion for history of architecture, the concierge created a custom itinerary for me and my partner to follow. The Suites’ staff masterfully strike the delicate balance between being attentive without being overbearing, and I have never felt so indulgently taken care of.

The dramatic entryway evokes the monochrome glamour of Old Hollywood, and we were delighted to discover that our light-filled room was decorated with a similar care. With a range of options on the pillow and mattress menu, and delectable Bulgari toiletries in the bathroom, the attention to detail in the hotel is meticulous. The rooms retain accents of the building’s lustrous heritage, such as the rich parquet and majestic forged iron balconies, but the contemporary interior design reflects the vibrant neighbourhood outside: where ancient monuments stand alongside luxury boutiques and hip nightclubs on Via Condotti.

While I flipped through Architectural Digest, and he flipped through Monocle, an immaculately turned-out staff member arrived to prepare a light breakfast in our kitchenette. The warm sun flooded in through the large window, spilling light across the herringbone flooring.  After a memorable breakfast on our balcony, with the hustle and bustle of Via del Corso and Piazza Venezia below, it was just a few minutes’ walk into the heart of the city, where we spent a long day roaming the streets hand in hand, doing our best to imitate Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.  
As the sun set, warming the rich stones of Rome a decadent gold, and a flurry of starlings wheeled and whirled above the city. From our spot above the city, he began to hum a Dean Martin tune neither of us had heard for years.

“But in Rome do as the Romans do
Will you, on an evenin’ in Roma.
Though there’s grinnin’ and mandolinin’ in sunny Italy,
The beginning has just begun,
When the sun goes down...”