Museum Quality

There have been countless exhibitions devoted to the genius of Italian designers, but it’s rare that you have the opportunity to bed down among their works. An impressive interactive take on a design museum, the recently opened G-Rough hotel in Rome does what Italians do best—it combines design, history, and luxury under one roof. Housed in a seventeenth-century Roman bourgeois building a few steps from the famous Piazza Navona, the hotel retains the structure’s original wooden ceilings and patinated walls, as well as the Latin inscription on its facade.

But the hotel’s interiors highlight a more recent history. Works from iconic Italian designers and brands from the 1930s to the 1950s are showcased throughout the property, including tables by Ico Parisi, chairs and a dressing table by Giò Ponti, a Sputnik chandelier by Gino Sarfatti, and Venini appliqué lamps. The hotel’s owner, Gabriele Salini, and his late business partner, Emanuele Garosci—who together did the interior design—also created several custom pieces for the space.

To ensure that the legacy of Italian design lasts well into the future, G-Rough’s combined café and gallery will showcase the talents of emerging roman artists.