Hotel Pulitzer - Rome

Elegance and quality shine through at the Hotel Pulitzer Rome, the sister hotel to the Pulitzer Barcelona (Sleeper March/April 2008) Both are part of the Spanish group, Grupo Regina Hotels, and Catalan interior designer, Lázaro Rosa-Violan has again conjured up a pleasingly urbane mix of contemporary European style with Oriental touches. Against the wenge-stained American oak casework, white walls, leather and fabrics are decorative, high sheen and natural elements plus ancient and modern Asian pieces.


Stepping down into the lobby from the traffic heavy Viale Marconi provides a sanctuary of peace and serenity from the rush of Rome outside. The same issue unfortunately makes the balconies of the street facing guestrooms somewhat redundant. The hotel’s location in the Ostiense district is by no means central but it is convenient for the Fiumicino airport and is only a 10-minute subway ride from the Coliseum. The EUR moniker also given to the district in no way refers to any European Union quarter. Rather it is a reference to the neighbourhood projected for the Esposizione Universale Roma (World’s Fair) that was scheduled for 1942 and of which the main legacy is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, the cubic coliseum that can be seen on the way from the airport.


Easy but attentive service starts by being shown to your room with bags following. “Of course the design of the hotel is a highlight and makes us unique in the city,” explains affable GM Maritxell Bañon, “but the high levels of service are the most important to us.” At 83 rooms the Pulitzer is far from boutique yet delivers well with friendly, personable service.
The interior design displays similar levels of detail and quality. Leather door pulls, small leather pouches on the swing-back doors of the desk armoire, bright chrome studwork on the white leather headboards and unique art pieces in every room typify the attentiveness. The materials used are “noble” with tropical woods, marble, mother of pearl, linen curtains, merino wool and silk carpets. Soft furnishings are by Spanish supplier Pepe Peñalver.


As a former private hospital, the building clearly provided some challenging space planning issues and in keeping with Rome, bathrooms are modest. Even those in Junior suites that somehow manage to incorporate a bidet and tub are cramped. This is not helped by poor lighting at the mirror and sharp cornered basins without overflows and therefore no plug.


Better use is made of the semi-basement Visit restaurant. The predominantly white volume is flooded with brightness from the light well beyond the high, curtained windows. White leather banquettes and Stant chairs, piped with black, by Rosa-Violan for Contemporain Studio surround Iroko wood tables draped with linen clothes. Atmospheric lighting comes from oversized, cylindrical dark brown pendant lampshades, mosaic patterned shades and burnished chrome, Anglepoise-style lamps. The menu is a combination of Catalan and Italian dishes and breakfast is a treat – it’s not often you’ll have the choice of pizza and pastries.


Off the lobby with its Eastern vases and artefacts is the Visit cocktail bar. This airy lounge space is accessed through double doors with heavy dark wood architrave that is typical of the hotel. White linen curtains and white leather sofas give on to slate slabs on wrought-iron frames and low Balinese carved wooden tables. A small central bar is surrounded by such island seating areas, defined by thick, beautiful rugs to provide good separation which combine to create the bar’s atmosphere. An unusual touch is the fronting of the walls beneath the windows with framed, facetted mirror panels serving to leave hardly any wall space untouched yet not in any way being overbearing. More furniture from Rosa-Violan, this time the Flamart bar stools, join with other unusual furnishings (tree trunk and glazed ceramic low stools) and light fittings to build the sophisticated aura. The rear wall is covered with a glazed wooden bookcase making plain the literary associations of the hotel’s name. The lounge looks onto a small courtyard, where opposite is the compact gym with Kinesis equipment from Technogym.


A common thread throughout the hotel is the artwork. All works have been produced by Rosa-Violan, the customisation seen in the exact fit of four- or five-panel assemblies above beds, in alcoves and so forth. Usually framed in burnished brass, the simplistic style has a largely geometric and abstract flavour following in the footsteps of the Gio Ponti school and the Futurist art of post-war Italy. The range of inspiration for the artwork is indicative of the mélange of styles across time and geography (Europe and Asia) that have nevertheless been combined to express a coherent design style for the Hotel Pulitzer.


Hotel Pulitzer Roma
Via Marconi, Rome, Italy
Tel +39 065 985 91
www.hotelpulitzer.it


Rooms  83 Guestrooms (64 standard, 15 single, 4 superior)
Dining  Visit Restaurant
Drinks  Visit Cocktail Bar
Facilities  Meeting rooms & gym