The St. Regis, Rome

Rome knows grand hotels, and The St. Regis is very good at being one.

The location is excellent, the lobby is reason enough to come downstairs early, and the breakfast buffet deserves more time than you’d think.

Lumen Bar has nightly live music and is an easy stop before or after dinner. At Christmas, the entire lobby gets dressed for the occasion and we’ve happily stayed put longer than planned.

Skip the elevators and take the staircase at least once. You’ll recognize it from The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Use the concierge. Dinner reservations, private Colosseum tours, the harder-to-arrange things—they can make it happen.

Book a corner suite if you can. Some overlook Santa Maria della Vittoria, where you can walk in and see Bernini’s The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (for free).

Are you a Bonvoy Platinum member? Complimentary afternoon snacks with tea or coffee can be delivered to your room daily by your butler. Yes, butler.