Detailed Review
Under the shadow of the Colosseum, the Hotel Capo d’Africa offers a fizzy and cool atmosphere. Inside, the decor is a blend of sobriety and modern elegance smartened by the important Contemporary Art collections too. The 65 Rooms are stylishly decorated. The exclusive Studio Suite has a large private terrace that affords splendid vistas on the Imperial Rome. Panoramic Roof Top Terrace, gym with personal trainer and meeting facilities are available.
Press Quotes
"...its high-ceilinged rooms are a lesson in cosy modernism, with brightly-hued paintings, bedspreads and furniture pumping life into otherwise neutral furnishings." Independent 05
Independent Reviews
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"Crisp designer boutique close to the Colisseum - one of the best boutiques in Rome"
Hotel Capo d’Africa
By Jamie Dunford Wood
The Capo d’Africa is a real gem. Bright and clean, it provides a welcome alternative to the usual heavy Roman fare without the price tag of the de Russie or the pretensions of the Alephi or the ES. A former school, the hotel is located on a quiet residential street just east of the Colosseum, a few paces from the magnificent and under-visited San Clemente church - in fact a ticket to the archeological crypt of this church should be included in the room rate. Two palms guard wide steps set back from the street. Inside, a series of black rubber roses stapled to the wall - an installation by Paolo Canevari - sets out their stall. However, for the design-weary, this is as far as they go, for inside the tone is one of understated elegance. Splashes of colour - primary colours, in paintings, furnishings and fresh flowers, brighten the neutral tones of the walls and floor. In the hallways and up the stairs, they have mixed up a magical and luminous lilac paint scheme which wafts you up to your room. Here, high ceilings and the judicial use of linear elements in the design of the modern furniture and side tables gives the whole ensemble a balanced, formal feel, while managing to retain a softness often lacking in design hotels elsewhere. Honey coloured wood is used throughout - both for the furnishings and the doors - with single prints or modern paintings. About a third of the rooms have independent power showers, with the others having good wall mounted models. The doubles seem large, largely a result of the high ceilings. A highlight of the hotel is the large and meandering roof terrace - impossibly romantic at night, when candles flicker on the tables, and the neighbouring medieval church of Santissimi Quattro is lit to perfection - this is what Rome is all about. The terrace is draped with honeysuckle and peonies and other greenery in season, and opening up onto it is a bright breakfast room. Next door, a junior suite boasts its own private terrace - perfect for honeymooners. The one drawback people may infer is the location - but frankly there is no such thing as a perfect location in Rome, since this is a city of so many centres. If you overlook the Pantheon you are mobbed by crowds all day; if you’re on the Via Veneto, the traffic is relentless; here, a five minute stroll to the Colosseum, you have a quiet location with more than its fair share of Roman magic, packaged up in the best of modern design. This is a classic that will last well beyond the next fad.
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