Occupying a quintessentially Roman setting in the city’s historic heart, Orient Express La Minerva sits on Piazza della Minerva, with Bernini’s iconic elephant obelisk overlooking over the front door. The Pantheon is on the opposite corner of the square, while next door, Michaelangelo’s little-known Risen Christ sculpture is in the Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, Campo de’ Fiori, Via del Corso, and the Tiber are all within a 10-minute walk, yet they recede the moment you step inside this refined retreat.
Hugo Toro’s immersive interiors recall the golden age of train travel, the 93 rooms and suites echoing first-class compartments through glossy woods, richly veined marbles and bespoke pieces such as travel trunks moonlighting as nightstands. Beds are dressed in Rivolta Carmignani linens, once used on Orient Express trains, and many rooms look out over the Pantheon and piazza, while others open onto private terraces. Four signature suites provide an opulent upgrade with sumptuous living spaces, frescoed ceilings and some of the hotel’s most sought-after views.
Head up to the cinematic rooftop terrace for drinks in the intimate Bellini Bar and Roman- and Italian-inspired cuisine in Gigi Rigolatto Restaurant, served alongside far-reaching vistas over terracotta rooftops and the dome of the Pantheon. In the lobby, La Minerva Bar, watched over by a marble statue of Minerva, runs from coffee and pastries to cocktails and Mediterranean-inspired meals beneath its grand glass ceiling.
After days exploring Rome’s historic attractions, retreat to the subterranean spa, where a marble hammam blends Roman bath culture with Ottoman rituals, echoing the original Orient Express route between Paris and Constantinople. Beauty treatments, fitness sessions and personalised yoga and Pilates invite you to end the day on a restorative note.
