Palazzo Ottavia – La Maison D’art Collection

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed at a lot of places in Rome over the years, but Palazzo Ottavia genuinely surprised me – and honestly, that’s saying something when you’re dealing with the tourist-heavy area around the Pantheon. The thing is, it’s tucked into Via del Portico d’Ottavia, which means you’re literally sleeping next to some of the most important Jewish quarter ruins in the city. I mean, you walk out the front door and there are these ancient Roman columns just… there. No fanfare, no crowds at 7 AM, just you and 2,000-year-old stone.

What I really appreciate about this place is how they’ve managed to feel boutique-y without being pretentious about it. The rooms have this sort of understated art thing going on – hence the “Maison D’art” name, I guess – but it’s not like staying in a museum where you’re afraid to touch anything. The beds are actually comfortable (you know how hit-or-miss that can be in European hotels), and the bathrooms are properly modern. I stayed in October, which is still pretty busy season for Rome, but the street itself doesn’t get the same foot traffic as, say, right by the Pantheon. You’ll hear some restaurant chatter from the Jewish quarter spots below until maybe 10 PM, but then it gets surprisingly quiet.

Here’s what nobody tells you about staying in this area – you’re a five-minute walk from Campo de’ Fiori, but you miss all the drunk study-abroad students stumbling around at 2 AM. The location is actually brilliant if you know Rome at all. Trastevere’s just across the river, you can walk to the Pantheon before the tour groups arrive (seriously, be there by 8 AM), and some of the best cacio e pepe in the city is literally around the corner at places like Flavio al Velavevodetto. Well, that one’s technically in Testaccio, but you get the idea – you’re connected to the real Rome, not just the postcard version.

The staff seems to actually live in the city, which sounds obvious but isn’t always the case. They’ll tell you to avoid the tourist-trap restaurants on Via del Portico d’Ottavia itself (smart advice) and point you toward the good stuff. Check-in was smooth, no weird credit card holds or anything sketchy. The whole place just feels… reliable, I guess? Like someone who knows what they’re doing is running it, not some corporate chain going through the motions. If you’re the type who wants to feel like you’re staying somewhere with actual character – and you don’t need a pool or a gym or whatever – this works really well. Just don’t expect it to be cheap, because honestly, nothing in this part of Rome is anymore.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $446. Superior Apartment with 1 large double bed, 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2
• Estimated price from: $536. Deluxe Apartment with 2 × 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Overall, it was a great place to stay, and with a little more coordination on guest arrivals, it could be even better. W – Eva from United States – 28 June 2025 (8/10)

  We really enjoyed our stay at this hotel in Rome! The location was excellent—within walking distance of fantastic restaurants and pretty central to all the major historic sites, which made exploring the city super convenient. The rooms were clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, which we really appreciated after long days of sightseeing.
  
  What could be improved: The one area that could use some improvement is the check-in process. When we arrived, the keypad lock info wasn’t readily available, and we had to call around to several numbers to figure out who to speak with and how to access the building. It was a bit confusing after a long journey, but once we got in, everything else went smoothly.

• wonderful apartment, 2nd floor – no elevator – Ester from Israel – 11 June 2025 (8/10)

  The apartment was very beautiful in an excellent location. Newly renovated, stylish and clean
  
  What could be improved: The apartment was on the second floor – very difficult to climb on steep stairs

• We stayed for 4 nights and realy enjoyed the stay. Very nicely renovated old building, and well located to see all if th – Bob from United Kingdom – 24 May 2025 (9/10)

  Great location and interesting building with good facilities
  
  What could be improved: Lots of stairs!! But keeps you fit

• Will book again – Natalia from Australia – 15 March 2025 (10/10)

  Amazing location, very clean, old beautiful building with the cafe downstairs. Clean and spacious. Great manager.

• Very clean and comfortable! Excellent location! – Rica from United States – 2 March 2025 (10/10)

  We loved the apartment. It was very clean, very comfortable, and very well decorated. We loved the location, right across the street from the main synagogue in Rome, bordering the Jewish Ghetto. We appreciated that we had physical keys and not just electronic codes. We recommend this location, and if we can, we will definitely return.

• Exceptional – Kirill from United Kingdom – 24 February 2025 (10/10)

  Great historic house in a good location, just renovated. The flat is indeed huge with high ceiling. One can see the Tiber island from the windows. The kitchen has all the stuff.

• Rome city centre break with family – Victoria from United Kingdom – 12 February 2025 (8/10)

  Excellent location, easy to find and good communication
  
  What could be improved: Nothing

• I recommend for the best city break in Rome. – Lidia from Romania – 11 February 2025 (10/10)

  Everything. New, modern, very clean and excellent location.
  
  What could be improved: The pillows are too hard for my taste.

• We had an enjoyable city break in Rome. Accommodation gave a good base for sight seeing. – Mick from United Kingdom – 29 May 2025 (7/10)

  The apartment was very clean and fresh. The bathrooms were well appointed with plenty of towels. Bedrooms has enough storage for short stay. Lighting was great and air conditioning in all rooms was a very welcome feature. The kitchen had fridge which also came in useful.
  
  What could be improved: The check-in process was a bit stressful and at one point we thought we might have been scammed. We were requested to pay online before the codes would be sent for the property at check-in time, This was all on WhatsApp. When the time came and the codes were not sent I tried to call the number from booking.com site and the guy who answered had no idea what I was talking about. The WhatsApp number did not pick up, but eventually the codes were sent and all was good but it was quite stressful for a time. It would have been useful to have some more information inside the property about the appliances and how to use, and maybe nearest supermarkets, bars, restaurants etc.

• Good – Lorenzo from United States – 6 June 2025 (7/10)

  Location was pretty nice. Close enough to a lot of points if interest, but you can go to Trastevere for dinner and still walk to the Pantheon
  
  What could be improved: We were told the wrong apartment number at first. Once they gave us the right apartment number, the lock was really difficult to open. It took us about 30 minutes to open the door in a hot stairwell. We asked for someone to look at the lock and after an hour they sent a very nice Italian speaking guy that explained how the lock worked, which was not intuitive. After that, we were fine with getting in and out, that would have been nice to know upon arrival. Our apartment was the top floor with exposed wood beams. Birds were extremely loud as they nested under the roof tiles and you could hear them through the wooden ceiling. Kitchen is more like a wet bar unit. Pictures on the site are a mixture of the rooms and we were disappointed that we didn't get what we expected. You either have to pay the taxes from Paypal (which I wasn't prepared to cover) or pay at Hotel 55, which was like a 23 min walk so that was not good.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities