The recently opened Orient Express La Minerva, is the company’s first hotel in Rome.

Anchored in history and emblematic of a refined approach to travel, Orient Express La Minerva embodies a fresh vision of hospitality defined by the depth of experience.

Located at Piazza della Minerva 69, in the very heart of the city, Orient Express La Minerva lies just steps from the Pantheon and within easy walking distance of Rome’s cultural treasures. The hotel houses 93 rooms and 36 suites – each space entirely singular in scale, in layout, and in spirit.

The Spa

Orient Express La Minerva’s new Spa draws directly on the legacy of Roman thermae and the Ottoman hammam.

Designed by Artist-Architect Hugo Toro and conceived as a place of transformation, The Spa offers a journey through baths and treatments following ancient Rome’s complex bathing regime, where each stage prepares the next.

This approach also echoes the spirit of the Orient Express journey, understood as a passage, a crossing, and a fully immersive sensory experience.

The Spa’s essence is structured around steam and a sequenced spatial progression inspired by the three stages of the ancient thermal ritual: the Tepidarium, a temperate space of gradual acclimatisation; the Calidarium, a warm environment combining pools and steam; and the Frigidarium, the final invigorating cold bath.

Spaces alternate between shared relaxation areas, and single and double treatment rooms.

Hand-blown Murano glass fixtures cast a soft, candle-like glow, heightening the tactile atmosphere.

Brown travertine, red and veined marble, Roman-style plaster and stained oak create a powerful dialogue of textures.

The contrast of stone, wood and richly woven textiles, including the canopy beds in the relaxation area, anchors the space in a distinctly earthy, elemental sensibility.

A finely crafted marble hammam rises as the heart of The Spa, surrounded by delicate fountains resembling Triton basins, echoing those found in the hotel’s guest rooms.

Contemporary moucharabieh screens filter sightlines, deepening the exploration of light and texture.

The hammam, an ancient Ottoman purification ritual, integrates Roman influences, establishing a dialogue between East and West, recalling the historic route of the Orient Express linking Paris to Constantinople.

Among the treatments offered, the signature rituals Dea Minerva and Stop Constantinople invite guests on a complete sensory journey: rose-infused foot baths, aromatic steam, kassa exfoliation, ghassoul clay wraps, foaming massages, and face and hair treatments.

Raxul rituals leave guests feeling refreshed, with their senses awakened and skin radiant.

Passed down from Byzantium to Istanbul, these experiences celebrate the regenerative power of water, heat, and touch.

Furtuna Skin

Furtuna Skin, the Italian luxury skincare house rooted in regenerative agriculture and clinically proven performance, is the exclusive skincare partner of The SPA at Orient Express La Minerva.

Formulated using ingredients cultivated on the brand’s 800-acre organic estate in Sicily, La Furtuna Estate, its products harness extra-virgin olive oil, wild-foraged botanicals, and medicinal herbs grown in accordance with biodiversity- led restoration practices.

“At Furtuna Skin, our philosophy has always been rooted in the idea that true beauty is born from ritual, heritage, and a deep respect for the land. Partnering with The Spa at Orient Express La Minerva felt like a natural extension of that belief.

“The Spa’s reverence for ancient purification traditions, historic elegance, and holistic restoration aligns with our own commitment to botanicals and transformative wellness.

“Together, we are crafting immersive rituals that nurture the skin, restore the spirit, and invite a sense of renewal befitting one of Rome’s most storied destinations.”

– Agatha Relota Luczo, Furtuna Skin Founder & CEO

Obsidian treatments, including the signature Furtuna Skin x La Minerva Exclusive Vibrancy Facial, have been developed for The Spa, combining manual techniques, beauty tools such as an obsidian Gua Sha, and natural active ingredients.

The treatments by Furtuna Skin include many of nature’s most potent skin-reviving ingredients, and awaken the senses with unique combinations of circulatory stimulation and detoxifying techniques.

Accessible at all hours, The Gym and The Kinesis Room complete the experience.

Equipped with Technogym Artis and dedicated functional training tools, each session may be guided by a personal trainer upon request, with programmes in fitness, yoga or Pilates tailored to individual goals.

The Spa at Orient Express La Minerva is a coherent architectural ensemble, where space, ritual, and movement converge in a holistic path to regeneration, inspired by the ancient healing traditions of the East.

The Hotel

The opening of the hotel marks the breathtaking revival of a 17th-century palazzo situated on Piazza della Minerva, where illustrious travellers and artists such as Stendhal and Melville once sought inspiration and refuge.

A must-stop of the Grand Tour, Rome has long been a destination for cultural connoisseurs drawn to its art, history, and timeless grandeur.

Since 1883, the Città Eterna has been an essential destination for Orient Express travellers, offering an encounter with a past that continues to shape the future.

Meticulously restored by Hugo Toro, the hotel blends Rome’s heritage with new sophistication, offering guests an authentically refined Roman experience.

Each room is an homage to the golden age of travel, featuring bespoke bedside trunks, rich wooden detailing reminiscent of the legendary carriages, and luxurious bedding crafted by Rivolta Carmignani, the same linens once gracing Orient Express sleeper cars.

The hotel’s corridors recall the polished elegance of the luxury train, while its lounges and public spaces invite guests to indulge in a Voyage of textures and perspectives.

Hugo Toro conjures the imagery of an ideal journey, inviting guests into the home of a refined aesthete gently transformed into a hotel.

A masterful interplay of textures, tones, and light reveals itself in every detail.

Temporal and stylistic references ripple throughout the space, animating it with quiet complexity, such as the hand-painted evocation of Rome’s sky above each bed.

Suites at Orient Express La Minerva have been crafted as soulful escapes by Rome’s eternal allure, including that of the Stendhal Suite – named after the French realist writer, one of La Minerva’s more notable former guests and a testament to the fascinating voyagers who have walked the hotel’s historic halls.

Orient Express La Minerva hosts three exceptional dining venues – a testament to the connecting spirit and culinary curation of Orient Express.

La Minerva Bar, situated in the heart of the hotel’s lobby, provides a serene haven amid the vibrant pulse of Roman life.

Gigi Rigolatto will bring the spirit of la dolce vita to life from dawn to dusk at every table on the iconic Roman rooftop.

A standout concept by Rikas Hospitality Group and Paris Society, it provides a vibrant energy above the Eternal City – paired with panoramic views of the city’s rooftops and monuments, including the Pantheon, the Vittoriano and the majestic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

With its Riviera-inspired elegance and vibrant atmosphere, Gigi Rigolatto offers an elevated dining experience.

Gigi is developed in collaboration with Rikas Hospitality Group.

Gigi’s design concept has also been developed by Hugo Toro, drawing on historical references that have shaped Italy as we know it today.

Mimi Kakushi, is an award- winning restaurant, and aims to transport guests to the Osaka of the 1920s, an era of the creative clash between Western modernism and traditional Japanese values.

Mimi Kakushi captures this transformative moment complete with the boundary breaking jazz age, offering a fusion of Far Eastern flavours tempered with Western influences.

Since its debut in Dubai in 2021, Mimi Kakushi has garnered numerous awards, including The World’s 50 Best Bars recognition for Best Bar in the Middle East & Africa in 2024.

The Mimi Kakushi concept is curated by Rikas Hospitality Group.

Standing in quiet majesty, the statue of goddess Minerva watches over it all, a marble masterpiece sculpted in 1854 by Rinaldo Rinaldi, a disciple of Canova.

Goddess of wisdom, arts and craftsmanship, she remains the silent guardian of the stories etched into these walls.

Photography: Alexandra Tabaste