Orient Express La Minerva, Rome, Italy

Guestrooms

Balancing heritage and modernity with masterful precision, Orient Express La Minerva was awarded the Guestrooms award at AHEAD Europe 2025.

Once a storied Grand Tour stop, the revived hotel in Rome reimagines its historic setting with a sense of intimacy and refinement. Designed by Hugo Toro for Accor and Barletta Group, the guestrooms are crafted as sensorial sanctuaries — each one bespoke, with 97 unique layouts shaped by heritage constraints and artisanal precision. Roman plaster walls, travertine, blown glass and warm leathers evoke a narrative of travel and time, while custom furnishings and hand-painted headboards transform each stay into a personal journey.

Judges commended the project’s “extraordinary use of geometry and pattern” and “convincing blend of historic references.” They praised its materiality, authenticity and meticulous craftsmanship — calling it “authentic and unmistakably Italian,” a “rich, coherent” design where every detail, texture and colour contributes to a layered sense of place.

Winners
Global Headline Sponsor
 
RH

Trophy Sponsor
 
Preciosa

Global Sponsors
 
Kaldewei
 
Laufen
 
Lutron
 
Roca
 
Villeroy&Boch

Event Sponsors
 
Alarwool
 
Franklite
 
Hansgrohe
 
Interdecor Design
 
Magnovent
 
Northern Lights
 
Occhio
 
Preciosa
 
Starpool
 
TECE

Organised By
 
Sleeper
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Top Hotel Projects

Partners
 
HIX
 
Music Concierge