Villa Matissa

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed in a lot of places in Rome, and Villa Matissa honestly surprised me. When you first walk up Via Dandolo – which is this quiet cobblestone street that most tourists never find – you’d almost miss it if you weren’t looking. The entrance is understated in that perfectly Roman way, no flashy signs or doormen, just elegant simplicity. But once you’re inside, you get it. The whole place feels like someone’s incredibly stylish Roman aunt decided to open a boutique hotel. The lobby has these gorgeous original tiles (I’m talking 18th century stuff) and the kind of morning light that makes you want to sit there with your espresso way longer than you planned.

What really got me was the location – I mean, you’re in Trastevere but on the quieter side, away from the crowds stumbling out of bars at 2 AM. You can actually sleep here, which is saying something for this neighborhood. Walk five minutes toward the river and you hit all the restaurants and nightlife, but walk the other direction and you’re climbing Gianicolo Hill for those sunset views that locals don’t want me telling you about. The staff clearly lives in Rome – not just works here – because they’ll send you to places like that tiny rosticceria on Via della Lungaretta where the arancini are absolutely ridiculous, or tell you which mornings the market at San Cosimato is worth hitting up. They also sorted out our early check-in without making it feel like we owed them our firstborn, which honestly set the tone for everything else.

The rooms themselves are what you’d hope for but rarely get – actually comfortable beds (not those rock-hard European mattresses), decent water pressure, and windows that open properly so you can hear the neighborhood waking up. There’s this lovely courtyard garden that nobody seems to use during the day, perfect for reading or just decompressing after doing the Colosseum-Forum death march. And you know what? The whole place just feels lived-in rather than designed to death. Sure, it’s polished and the housekeeping is meticulous, but there’s character here. The kind of place where you end up chatting with other guests over breakfast because everyone’s in a good mood. Fair warning though – if you’re coming in summer, book early because word’s getting out about this place, and rightfully so. The 9.6 rating isn’t inflated marketing nonsense; it’s just a really well-run hotel in a neighborhood that still feels authentically Roman, run by people who actually care about your experience rather than just processing you through.

Rooms

• Double Room with Private Bathroom with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Deluxe Double Room with Extra Bed with 1 single bed and 1 large double bed for 3 adults, 2 children

Reviews

• Elad from Israel (10/10)

  Great location next to Trastevere, a very nice garden and awesome stuff, the gets cleaned every day and Silvio is really nice and helpful.

• Juarez from United Kingdom (8/10)

  The strong points were: 1 – The owner / manager of the property was very friendly, efficient in resolving any issues and helped us in any possible way providing us with good transport from / to Fiumucino Airport, good indications for places to eat, instruction about urban transport, among others; 2 – The location is excellent in Via Dandolo.

• Joanne from Singapore (8/10)

  We wanted to stay away from the busy historical city centre and in the trendy Trastevere neighbourhood. Villa Matissa was just a 5min walk away from all the eateries so it was quieter but very convenient. Silvio was attentive yet discreet and very helpful.

• Kylie from Australia (9/10)

  Silvio was a lovely host & the villa was gorgeous and surrounding gardens. The location was very convenient and we loved being able to jump on a tram so easily into the centre of Rome.

• Richard from United States (10/10)

  The property was great with a beautiful garden, location was terrific and walkable to everything, and Silvio is the consummate host. We will definitely return to Villa Matissa on our next trip to Rome.

• Julie from United Kingdom (10/10)

  Great location.. lovely gardens & clean rooms..Silvio was so helpful when we arrived made everything go smoothly. Will defo recommend this villa.. thanks

• Jesus from United States (10/10)

  Ideal location in Trastevere, comfortable beds, well-fitted bathroom, good coffee and a gracious, helpful host. The well-maintained formal garden provides a welcome oasis after exploring the city.

• Emma from United Kingdom (10/10)

  The property is in a great location close to the restaurants and bars in Traveste. Silvio was a fantastic host who communicated with us before and throughout the stay and gave us some great recommendations for restaurants nearby.

• Jenene from Australia (10/10)

  5 min walk to the heart of travestere bakeries restaurants and historic sites
  Loved the clean modern quite room comfortable bed, and gardens its a real gem in rome! Host Silvio couldn’t do enough for us but also left you alone unless u need him! Cleaned our room each day. Highly recommended 10/10

• Sue from Australia (10/10)

  Located in a quiet a part of Trastevere , Villa Matisse was a magnificent villa set in beautifully manicured gardens.
  Our host and owner Silvio was exceptional greeting us warmly and showing us around his family home. He was happy to recommend and book restaurants, taxis and airport transfer. He was always available to answer questions and genuinely interested in his guests.
  We would definitely choose to stay here again

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities