Rooms

A modern take on traditional Trieste

THE MODERNIST HOTEL

Italy’s liminal city, tucked up in the northeast corner on the Adriatic Sea, has long seemed wedded to a bygone era. Until 1918, this was the main port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; today, it’s an alluring combination of Italy and Vienna, with frothy Habsburg buildings swaggering onto the ever-blue Gulf of Trieste, and Viennese-style coffee-houses.

So this hotel, which opened in August 2019, is something of a departure for the city. Bright colours, contrasting shades and ceilings emblazoned with literary quotes — none of these fit with local tradition. But

Trieste is also known for its small jewel-box hotels, and this 56-room venture — the latest property for the people behind the more traditional Hotel Continentale — is a daring evolution.

As the name suggests, what’s on offer are retro-chic rooms. Headboards might be leather-bound or door-like blocks of canary yellow wood; walls are subtly striped with the individual colour palettes; bathrooms decked out with brick-like white tiles. Downstairs, meanwhile, the restaurant serves classy business lunches on midcentury-style armchairs and mustard-yellow banquettes.

The hotel is a brave reimagining of a 130-year-old palazzo in Borgo Teresiano, the Austrian-planned neighbourhood, and there are hints of its decadent past everywhere. Still, instead of pausing the past, this new property takes it forward. From £114. themodernisthotel.it

RESIDENZA LE 6 A

This lovely hotel has just six rooms, each named after a female character in the works of local novelist Italo Svevo. The annexe, La Settima A, has another five rooms with kitchenettes, named after James Joyce characters. Guests also get a free coffee at the historic coffeehouse Caffè San Marco.

From £74. residenzale6a.it

L’ALBERO NASCOSTO

Tucked behind the Piazza Unità d’Italia is the unassuming little ‘Hidden Tree’, whose simple rooms give a hint of the countryside in an 18th-century city house. Want more privacy? The hotel has four apartments nearby, including one overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. From £115. alberonascosto.it

PALACE SUITE

This art nouveau palazzo in the fancy part of town off the main drag of Corso Italia is home to 16 swish, modern suites, from the mini, sofa-studded studios with kitchenettes to a bilevel, balcony-fringed family one. It’s actually the annexe of the Hotel Continentale across the street, where breakfast is served. From £91. palacesuite.com JULIA BUCKLEY

FROM LEFT: Modernist L room; stairwell, The Modernist Hotel