The Westin Excelsior Rome
Via Vittorio Veneto 125, 00187 Rome, Italy
The Story
Ground zero for the dolce vita
Some clever scribe once described mid-20th century Rome as "Hollywood on the Tiber," and the Excelsior sat at the heart of it. When Hollywood decamped to Rome in the 1950s, the Via Veneto became the most glamorous street in Europe — three blocks of legendary hotels, bars, and clubs running between the Aurelian Wall and the US Embassy — and the Excelsior's "magnificent white palace" was its grandest address. The hotel's sidewalk cafe was the celebrity-spangled watering hole that inspired Fellini's La Dolce Vita, in which Marcello Mastroianni escorts Anita Ekberg's character back to the Excelsior after a night of partying. Many of the Via Veneto's old haunts have since closed — the Cafe de Paris was destroyed in an arson attack in 2014 — but the Doney restaurant at the Excelsior is still going strong.
" Its sidewalk cafe was the celebrity-spangled watering hole that inspired Fellini's La Dolce Vita.
Ava, Frank, and a promotional tour that descended into chaos
Ava Gardner's most notable Rome-based indiscretions occurred while she was in town to promote Mogambo with her co-stars Grace Kelly and Robert Surtees. The trio stayed at the Excelsior, from where they enjoyed several boisterous nights out together, the delighted paparazzi following them to a string of bars on the Via Veneto and beyond. It was here, too, that Ava and Frank Sinatra reportedly had their blazing rows. Charlton Heston stayed during the filming of Ben-Hur, and over the years the guest book has run to the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Sophia Loren. The hotel also appears on screen in Plein Soleil, the 1960 Ripley film, in which Alain Delon's character takes up residence at the luxurious Excelsior on the Via Veneto.
One of the world's most extravagant suites
Tucked beneath the hotel's signature dome, the Villa La Cupola suite comes with a private cinema, a wine cellar, a fitness room, and priceless antiques. It is regularly cited as one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world — its nightly rate, as the hotel might put it, a figure best not discussed publicly.
Signature Experiences
The Villa La Cupola suite
Tucked beneath the hotel's signature dome, the Villa La Cupola suite comes with a private cinema, wine cellar, fitness room, and priceless antiques. It is regularly cited as one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world.
The Doney sidewalk cafe
The hotel's sidewalk cafe was the celebrity-spangled watering hole that inspired Fellini's La Dolce Vita. The Doney restaurant is still going strong and remains a good spot for a drink and some dolce vita nostalgia.
Famous Connections
Who Came Here
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Plan Your Visit
Good to Know
- How to Book: Book direct at marriott.com or by phone. The Villa La Cupola suite is available on request — at a figure best not discussed publicly.
- Best Time: Year-round. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times to stroll the Via Veneto.
- Accessibility: Contact the hotel directly to confirm access requirements.
- Tip: You don't need to be a guest to soak up the atmosphere — stop at the Doney cafe on the Via Veneto, the original celebrity watering hole of the dolce vita era, for a drink and some old-Rome nostalgia.
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