Like the poster below, this is also our love letter to The View at the Spanish Steps. We were initially very sticker shocked (appx 600 euro plus for a room??), but everything we read said that The View was worth it. And oh my goodness, was it ever!

We arrived on a rainy Thursday afternoon at the Spanish Steps. We walked down to The Inn at the Spanish Steps, only a few feet away. The View is separate from its owner, The Inn at the Spanish Steps, located on Via dei Condotti, the Rodeo Drive of Rome. You must check in first at The Inn, where we were treated like royalty by Franco, the most friendly and personal hotel staff member we've ever met. We were escorted to The View, which is located in a private building just a few feet away from the Inn. It is located between two Prada stores and across from Gucci. It doesn't get any more glamourous than that, or so we thought. We were led into the building, and onto an old-fashioned elevator (read: seemingly rickety, but altogether charming and solid). We were on the sixth floor and the door was opened onto the most beautiful living room, the first of two. Outside was a beautiful terrace.

Our room was #802, La Scalinata, next to the Keats & Shelley Suite. We only saw one other person the entire time we were there, despite being told that the entire View was booked (4 rooms total, I believe --- you can see a plan of the layout on their website). The public areas were beautifully decorated, but when we entered our room, it took our breath away. We've been in many beautiful hotel rooms around the world, but this one took the cake, by far. The view alone was stunning; at the time, the azaleas were out on the Spanish Steps, and it was truly breathtaking. It was somewhat noisy with the windows open, but not noticeable at night in any way.

The bathroom was enormous; decorated in marble with two enormous pedestal sinks, a toilet, and a bidet. The best part was the freestanding shower, as well as a tub; in the shower, there was a rain showerhead, which made my 6-foot-4-inch husband happy since he didn't have to lean over to get wet!

Breakfast was included, out in the living rooms. It was always a beautiful spread, and we ate out on the terrace.


Our only complaint was that the pillows were very hard. If you need a softer pillow, we would recommend that you take your own. But that's pretty much standard for European hotels; no Heavenly Beds a la Westin here! Otherwise, the sheets were soft and we were very comfortable.

All in all, the location is perfect in town. We could walk easily all over Rome and it is close to the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. Be sure to eat lots of gelato and windowshop on the Via dei Condotti. The restaurants in the area are divine.

It was the most expensive room we've ever been in, but they treat you so well that it is worth every last penny. We would highly recommend it to anyone and we would just love to go back. It was romantic, beautiful, and the most memorable trip we've ever taken together.