THDP recently completed DoubleTree by Hilton Rome Monti Hotel. Located in one of the most iconic and ancient neighborhoods of the city, the hotel overlooks Piazza dell'Esquilino, five minutes walk from Termini station, from which you can walk to all the main points of interest of the city, such as Colosseum, Roman Forums or Spanish Steps.
The Monti district and its immediate vicinity offer guests a wide choice of visits and itineraries between the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, the National Roman Museum, the Sciarra Gallery and, sul Colle Oppio Aurea. This atmosphere with a retro flavor, combined with the climbing on the terracotta facades, the pots of plants left simply along the sidewalk of the streets with the typical Roman San Pietrini, was the greatest inspiration for the interior design concept, created for the hotel by the THDP studio, London, but with Italian roots and designers. In addition to the studio owners Nick Hickson and Manuela Mannino, the concept and project were followed by Simone Bretti, a roman product designer who returned to live in Rome after a few years in London, and architect Francesca Benedetti, who lived in Rome nine years, before moving to London.
An accurate philological research has guided the entire project of conversion of the two pre-existing buildings, with the aim of combining the Roman rhythms and lifestyle with the functionality of a hotel and establishing a continuous dialogue with the city. DoubleTree by Hilton Rome Monti is interiors and decorations and the lushness of small oases of greenery - where you can immerse yourself in the light of the eternal city from morning to evening.
The main entrance is located on the main façade of the historic building overlooking Piazza Esquilino, on the corner with Via Urbana. The lobby is an arrival point for the guest, who has the opportunity to find relaxation and receive directions to the room. The contemporary lobby is open and dynamic, no longer a place of passage, but a place of relaxation, a workstation or where you can sip a great drink. The interiors are divided into areas defined by different carpets, lounge seats that form private areas and different natural elements. The style is casual, relaxed and natural. The reception is very suggestive as it refers to the arches of the Termini station. They are seven arches, like the seven hills of Rome, the tallest of which Esquilino is the ground of the hotel.
The hotel includes the 'Mit' bar & café overlooking Piazza Esquilino, with an outdoor seating area, and the 'Mamalia' restaurant equipped with an open kitchen and wine tasting area. The eighth floor features the Mun rooftop bar & panoramic terrace with direct views of Santa Maria Maggiore abbey, as well as three modular meeting rooms and a Technogym equipped fitness room, with natural light and overlooking the inner courtyard furnished with planters.
The colors chosen for the hotel are warm, rich and natural to be also aligned with the Double Tree casual look. The walls are left quite bare, finished with a concrete spatula effect. The flooring is custom-designed with big slabs of walnut antiqued travertine with a central courtyard paved with squared 10x10 cms mixed tonalities of travertines. The orange and ochre fabric shades fade into the delicate travertine to reach the tones of the green of the Tiber River. The red of the facades of the distressed facades, the porphyry of the entrances of the churches and the traditional 'sampietrini' are blinded every day during sunset creating magical effects of light and shadows. The use of these shades creates a link with the external environment, maintaining an internal chromatic continuity with the city on the outside.
The layering of materials and colors inspires the use of neutral but full-bodied colors in interiors characterized by the use of natural materials such as wood, stone, strong plasters, lime plasters, earthy colors, with contemporary accents of brushed metal, bronze and copper for the furniture, which has been designed with a minimalist approach to decoration.
For business customers and for daytime meetings, there are 3 modular rooms, all with natural light lighting overlooking via Torino, which can accommodate up to 60 people. The flooring is custom designed by THDP for Brintons, with shapes of mosaics from the Caracalla baths, continuing the theme of the lobby. The adjacent break-out hub offers a relaxed and informal environment with low seats and armchairs by Saba Italia complemented with the outdoor feel of the Expormim rattan chairs and two beautiful kenzia planters in terracotta on a pedestal.
The colors of the rooms are neutral with touches of dark green and dark bronze, the materials used full-bodied, and the travertine and wood make the environment warmer and more familiar, giving the guest a relaxing stay. The rooms are flooded by natural light, furnished with custom-designed furniture and lighting by THDP, and equipped with a round table to work and have breakfast, a console to drop personal objects, a courtesy line, a Lavazza coffee machine, minibar and Wi-Fi. All the finishes are soft and neutral, the headboard has been designed having in mind the white marble columns scattered in Rome. Above, THDP designed burnt iron shades with cuts with a playful touch reminiscent of the roman helms.
All bathrooms are fully tiled with grès tiles with concrete 'cementine' effect in hexagonal shape typical of a lot of roman floorings by Marca Corona, an Italian maker specialized in decorative tiles to satisfy the needs of interior designers, who many times find some of the collections of the majority of brands too architectural. The shower screens feature a crittall effect, some of which in a green crystal, made by Box&CO. Grohe taps in dark bronze PVD complete the urban look, together with sanitary by Cielo Ceramiche, produced near Rome.
Green is the accent tone to complement the neutral tones, particularly in the corridors, where THDP custom-designed the carpet by Brintons. The walls are finished with a rough plaster effect and a lower level wall covering with straw effect. The doors by Bertolotto are custom designed and so is the signage in brass, lit by a brass tubular led light by Astrolighting.
Photography: Janos Grapow