Experimental Roma has opened in a former bank in Rome’s Via Veneto district, with chrome tubing and lurex carpets inside and a swimming pool on the roof. The four-star boutique hotel opened on 10 October, bringing 82 rooms and suites, interiors by Rodolphe Parente and a new Experimental Cocktail Club to the capital.
Experimental says its new address also brings chef Giovanni Passerini back to his Roman roots, with culinary direction of the restaurant Ludovisi e Cadore.
A base near Via Veneto
Experimental Roma sits at 46 Via Ludovisi, close to Via Veneto, in a neighbourhood associated with the glamour and paparazzi culture of the 1950s and 1960s, and with La Dolce Vita. The Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese and Trevi Fountain are nearby, giving the address particular appeal for a first visit or a return centred on Rome’s familiar landmarks.
Villa Borghese adds green space to that setting, while the hotel’s own rooftop garden provides somewhere to spend time above the streets. For travellers who want both central sightseeing and somewhere to pause between outings, these are useful parts of the hotel’s appeal.
Italian references, French reinvention
Rodolphe Parente’s interiors draw on Italian design heritage, with 1970s references worked through chrome tubing, disco-inspired accents and lurex carpets. Richly textured materials sit alongside lacquered ceilings and contemporary sculptures, bringing polished surfaces and more tactile finishes into the same spaces.
The palette includes terracotta tones, marble and stainless steel. Parente uses these materials to create contrasts throughout the hotel, with warm colours beside bright metal and a sculpted staircase referencing the great Italian masters. The French influence comes through his contemporary treatment of those Italian references.
Ludovisi e Cadore has its own cinematic character. Enveloping banquettes, quilted drapery and exposed beams bring texture and a sense of enclosure to the dining room. These details make the restaurant an important part of the design story, giving guests another setting to experience beyond their bedroom and the rooftop.
Choosing a room or suite
The hotel’s room collection starts with the 17-square-metre Petite Roma, intended for one guest. It has a queen-sized bed, bold stripes, wood finishes and views of the secret garden. For a solo city break, it offers a compact option with the same attention to colour and materials found elsewhere in the hotel.
The Siena Superior measures 21 square metres, with a king-sized bed and draped headboard. At 23 square metres, the Veneto Deluxe combines burgundy colours and wooden accents, with views of either the Ludovisi Courtyard or the secret garden. The separate Veneto View category looks towards the Swiss Institute.
Private outdoor space is available in three room categories: the 22-square-metre Veneto Balcony, the 24-square-metre Veneto Terrace and the 29-square-metre Ludovisi Balcony Junior Suite. Both overlook the Ludovisi neighbourhood and have king-sized beds and rainfall showers.
The Grande Veneto View Executive provides 28 square metres, stainless-steel details and views of the neighbourhood or Swiss Institute. The Ludovisi Junior Suite moves up to 29 square metres, with a bedroom and living room, mineral patinas, glossy ceilings and city views.
The Ludovisi Balcony Junior Suite also measures 29 square metres, adding a balcony and artworks described by the hotel as inspired by Cy Twombly, Christo and Ugo Ferranti. Its bathroom has either a bath or rainfall shower. At 39 square metres, the Grande Ludovisi Junior Suite Signature is the largest category listed, with a bedroom and sitting room. The useful distinction when booking is between extra indoor space, a particular view and a private outdoor area.
Roman cooking at Ludovisi e Cadore
Giovanni Passerini’s culinary direction gives Ludovisi e Cadore a distinctly Roman focus. Born in Rome and celebrated for his work in Paris, the chef returns here to dishes including trippa alla romana and fettuccine ai regaje. The restaurant takes its name from the Ludovisi and Cadore streets, whose crossroads it occupies.
The restaurant’s approach to Roman cooking gives particular attention to quinto quarto, the animal’s fifth quarter: parts traditionally considered less noble. That focus makes the menu especially interesting for travellers keen to explore the city’s food traditions during their stay.
Passerini’s Paris businesses remain active, including Restaurant Passerini, the Passerina wine-and-dining address and Pastificio Passerini. The latter sells fresh pasta, ravioli, lasagne, antipasti and Italian charcuterie, providing further context for the chef’s involvement in an Italian restaurant in Rome.
Lunch is served from noon to 2.30pm, and dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm. For a larger celebration, Ludovisi e Cadore offers full restaurant privatisation for 80 guests, with bespoke menus. The hotel also offers rooftop cocktail events, giving special-occasion travellers another option alongside a restaurant gathering.
A cocktail club behind a door
Experimental Cocktail Club Roma is hidden behind a door off Via Veneto. Its seasonal menu combines classic cocktails with Experimental signatures, using vintage spirits and local ingredients. That separate entrance gives the bar a tucked-away character within the neighbourhood.
Cocktails have been central to Experimental since its beginnings as a Paris bar in the summer of 2007, before the group expanded into restaurants and hotels. Rome also joins an existing Italian address, Il Palazzo Experimental in Venice, which has its own Experimental Cocktail Club.
At Roma, the bar and restaurant make an evening in-house a practical option: dinner at Ludovisi e Cadore followed by cocktails, without another venue to arrange.
A pool above the city
The rooftop brings together a swimming pool, bar and verdant garden, with views towards Villa Borghese and the Colosseum. Creamy beige sunbeds and tables shaded by striped parasols provide two ways to settle in, with cocktails and wine available upstairs.
The roof offers shared outdoor space alongside the private balconies and terraces available in selected rooms. That matters when choosing accommodation: guests prioritising indoor space can consider a larger room or suite while still factoring the rooftop into their stay. Its combination of planting, pool and city views is one of Experimental Roma’s most distinctive features, particularly for travellers who like to balance sightseeing with time at their hotel.
Booking Experimental Roma
Experimental is advertising a breakfast-inclusive opening offer, with 15% off the nightly rate. The package includes accommodation, breakfast, Wi-Fi and VAT.
For a short stay, the balcony and terrace categories are worth comparing with the larger junior suites: the former prioritise private outdoor space, while the latter provide more room indoors. Reservations should be made for the specific category whose features matter to the trip. City tax is additional to the advertised offer, charged per person per night and payable at the property.
