STAY > Soho House Rome

The Soho House brand has gone global and the once slightly secretive hipster private club now has venues around the world and some of them are excellent hotel choices for those looking for comfort, style and familiarity.

Soho House Rome is a dedicated building 10 floors with a gym, rooftop pool, the Soho House signatory Cowshed spa and the Cecconi’s Terrazza restaurant on the open rooftop. There is no question that this is a very smart and stylish space that becomes its own oasis in the centre of Rome.

Located in the San Lorenzo quarter Soho House is a few minutes walk from Roma Termini the main train station, about forty minutes walk to the Colosseum or the Trevi Fountain, or the Spanish Steps or even Villa Borghese. Then it is about an hour to walk across to Piazza Navona or the Pantheon. So it might not be centre of the main tourist attractions, but nothing is too far away by foot or taxi.

SLEEP >

Rooms range in size from the ‘Tiny” which is 20 square metres, has a king sized bed and is a cozy option for two people up to the “Small” (26 sqm), the “Medium” which is 31sqm and has a balcony (some of these rooms can also be set up to work with twin beds).

The “Big” is 39 square metres and has both a balcony and a free standing bath and the “Large” is 44 square metres and has a sitting area with lounge and tables.

Then there are bigger rooms; the “XXL” which is 114 square metres, the “Studio” which is 33 square metres but does have a fully equipped kitchen, dining and lounge area. Then there are one, two and three bedroom apartments that range from 45 sqm to 130 sqm and have kitchen, dining and ensuite bathrooms.

All Rooms have a rainforest shower, air conditioning, wifi, tea and coffee making facilities and home made biscuits.

Staying in a Soho House ‘Bedroom’ might be a bit smaller than you get in another hotel for a similar price but the style, the incredibly comfortable bed, the ammenities and the rainforest shower more than make this a great choice. Just plan to fit your luggage under the bed!

Image Credit | Soho House, Rome

EAT >

On the rooftop of Soho House Rome you will find Cecconi’s a smart outdoor venue that closes in during the cooler months. It is a place that features the same menu of the Cecconi’s Soho House restaurants from around the world so those who know it will find it familiar.

Think about starters like chilled tomato soup with avocado and basil or burrata with cherry tomatos and basil, vitello tonnato with caperberries or calamari fritti served with lemon, chilli and aioli. Mains include wood fired pizza and home made pasta’s and there are some delicious meat and fish dishes grilled and or roasted in the wood fired oven.

On the ninth floor the Club Lounge serves a menu of classics that ranges from the local speciality of burrata with grilled peach, cherry tomato and sweet chilli to the dirty burger which is a staple for Soho Houses around the world or the fried chicken sandwich which is a Soho House Copenhagen special.

The ground floor has a cafe that is open weekdays for coffee and basic items, if you want to get out for breakfast try any of the small espresso bars only a couple of streets away.

If you want to get out and about Rome is full of amazing places to eat so check for our latest updates in the ALMANAK GUIDE > ROME.

Image Credit | Soho House, Rome

WORK OUT >

Soho House Rome has a great gym with Technogym machines and a good selection of free weights so you can complete what ever type of workout you enjoy most. They also run movement classes multiple times a day with pilates, yoga and HIIT all available.

The rooftop pool is the perfect place for some early laps but be warned it does get a little too busy on a warm day especially a weekend when it transitions from a lap pool to a dip pool for the cool kids and those needing to chill between cocktails.

Image Credit | Soho House, Rome

Because the Soho House members use the gym and it is a key part of the membership they also have personal one on one trainers in the fitness team, so consider seeking some workout advice while you are in town. The gym is open from 7am to 10 pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm on weekends.

Soho House Cowshed is not just a gym and wellness centre its also a spa and the perfect place to get a massage have a spa (facial, lash & brow, waxing) treatment, take a sauna or get some cryotherapy. The Cowshed Spa is open 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 8pm on weekends.

Image Credit | Soho House, Rome

DRINK >

There are plenty of choices for a drink at Soho House whether you visit the Club Lounge on level 9 or the Rooftop Terrace on level 10 you are going to find an atmosphere of smooth tunes, a smart range of wine, beer and cocktails. It just depends on the weather and you.

Image Credit | Soho House, Rome

SEE and DO >

Walking in Rome is fairly easy and some of the Eternal City’s most fascinating sites can easily be reached by foot from the hotel. Starting at the beautiful Piazza del Popolo which is just up the street, you can enter Rome’s most elegant luxury shopping streets (Via del Babuino, Via del Corso and Via di Ripetta), head to the Spanish Steps then the romantic walk on top of the Pincio Hill, with a beautiful view of Rome. From there it is not far to the large Villa Borghese park and its Gallery (why not rent a bike or four wheeler to explore the park), The Borghese Museum houses masterpieces by Bernini, Caravaggio, Antonio Canova and other important Italian and international artists.

The Soho House Rome art collection consists mostly of works created by artists who live and work in Italy, with an emphasis on those who are Lazio-based. In the main club space, there is a curatorial focus on the theme Saints and Sinners; both local and international artists have been invited to create a work that addresses this age-old concept. The idea has been interpreted in a myriad inventive ways; from football ultra-fans to Mary Magdalene, the art investigates good and evil and the space between. Featured established Italian artists include Gianni Politi, Silvia Giambrone, Claudio Verna, Elisa Montessori, Emiliano Maggi, Gabriele de Santis, Micol Assaël, Rä di Martino, Marta Mancini, Manfredi Gioacchini, Andrea Martinucci, and Thomas Braida. 

Image Credit | Soho House, Rome

CONSIDERATIONS >

Soho House is not for everyone, it is not going to be a traditional Italian experience rather it is Soho House with a Rome flavour and being a Soho House it does have some strict rules on use of Laptops in the house so it is worth checking. Laptops can be used in the Club and Drawing Room until 6pm and the Loft until 8pm. They can be used at the Pool Bar in the mornings until 12pm.

The rooftop does have quite a party atmosphere and stays open til 1am which is great if you love that but maybe less so if you were hoping for a quiet place to relax. If you are visiting during warmer months you need to book sun beds by the pool well in advance as they are also used by Soho House Club Members and it can get very busy by the pool.

[note Almanak stayed at Soho House Rome in 2023 at our expense, the review is our independent opinion, we stayed in a ‘Tiny’ room for two days, ate at Cecconi’s ]