An urban resort in the heart of the ETERNAL CITY

The original owner of this piece of paradise on the Colle del Gianicolo, overlooking the heart of Rome, was Nero’s mother Agrippina. It’s an unbeatable location for one of Europe’s most acclaimed urban resorts, and here we’ll tell you why.

Atouch of Bali right by the Vatican. It may be a surprising combination, but it’s certainly a very pleasant one, especially in the spring and summer when the heat suffocates Rome. After a long day of getting lost in the city ’s streets, it’s lovely to take a dip in the pool and relax on a lounger. Finding yourself in a bubble of paradise away from the commotion and tourists, yet still steps away from the centre of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is truly unique. That's the Agrippina’s year-round allure. There’s no other luxury hotel in all of Rome where you can enjoy breakfast in a garden of lemon trees, walk to the Vatican in five minutes, admire the Sistine Chapel and then retire to a five-star hotel for a delicious dip in a pool with views over the Castel Sant'Angelo, followed by a rest on a Balinese bed surrounded by pines and fruit trees. With places like this, you can dare to visit the Eternal City on even the warmest Ferragosto.

It’s also nice to make the most of this paradise when the summer heat has passed, and you’re looking to soak in some autumnal sunshine in the city ’s gardens and patios. With so much to see, so many streets to roam, cobblestones to step on, hills to climb, museums to visit and history to explore, Rome is perhaps one of the cities where an urban resort makes the most sense. The idea of creating a small oasis of luxury in one of the most beautiful and highly visited cities in the world is the seed from which the Gran Meliá’s flagship hotel sprouted in 2012.

Over the last six years it has confirmed its place as a benchmark for luxury in the Italian capital, with features and attractions that can’t be found anywhere else in the city. Its Balinese beds by the pool—in a vast garden of over 6,000 square metres—really stand out, and create the feeling that you’re lounging in a large Roman villa. It’s perhaps not surprising, considering that the resort stands in what was once the palatial residence of Agrippina, Emperor Nero’s mother, for whom it’s named. A vast garden lies beyond its gates, surprising visitors with a pool lined with Balinese beds and tall, svelte centenarian pines, like the ones that can occasionally be spotted in the city. There’s no other capital in the world where you’ll find trees like these right beside the very stones that form the foundation of history, and no other hotel in the city with such credentials for relaxation and indulgence.

The Gran Meliá Rome is located in Gianicolo, an historic area at one of the highest points in the city. You can look out onto some of Rome’s most emblematic buildings from its large windows and balconies, including the Castel

ITS BALINESE BEDS BY THE POOL—IN A VAST GARDEN OF OVER 6,000 SQUARE METRES—REALLY STAND OUT, AND CREATE THE FEELING THAT YOU’RE LOUNGING IN A LARGE ROMAN VILLA

Sant’Angelo and the superb dome of St. Peter ’s Basilica in the Vatican. The hotel is close by the Vatican, in fact, and this advantageous location is another major part of its allure. ‘With the Vatican on one side and lively Trastevere on the other, guests can visit many of the most interesting parts of the city on foot, which is definitely part of our unfaltering appeal’, explains Francesco Ascani, General Manager of the hotel. ‘If our guests don’t feel like doing something touristic, the hotel also offers many dining options, or they can choose to simply relax in this exclusive atmosphere right in the heart of the Eternal City’, he adds. The Gran Meliá Rome Villa Agrippina also offers exclusive RedLevel services.

The hotel reflects all the historical and artistic wealth of its surroundings, while using art to tell its own stories. Its 116 rooms and suites are spread over eight themed floors with replicas of works from the city ’s museums, allowing travellers to continue their cultural experience of Rome in the privacy of their own rooms. Each floor revolves around a certain universal theme that artists from different periods have dealt with: nature, love, femininity, self-discovery, beauty, masculinity, great heroes and

The RedLevel Grand Suite has 360º views of Rome.

At the resor t’s pool,you can relax and unwind after a longday of sightseeing and walking around the Eternal City. Onthe opposite page, the Supreme Room’s terrace with a hot tuband private garden.