Nights In The Past: Historic Hotels in Rome and Lazio

Named after the First Baronet of Bristol and the artist Benini who sculpted the city�s Triton Fountain, the hotel began welcoming guests in October 1874. It benefits not only from its reputation as a luxury hotel, but also its enviable position at the start of the Via Veneto near the Trevi Fountain and The Spanish Steps.

More than a mere handful of European royals have found their way to the Benini Bristol - these include Prussian Emperor Frederick II and Tsarina Catherine of Russia

Without doubt a Roman landmark in its own right, what was once Le Grand Hotel has recently benefited from a $35 million restoration. The 113-year-old hotel now boasts 138 guest rooms and 23 luxurious suites and is a regular fixture in most �best hotels in the world� lists.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain was a permanent resident from 1934 to 1941, while Emile Zola stayed during the autumn of 1894. Leo Tolstoy is another revered former guest, while today one is more likely to bump into members of the Hollywood glitterati.

Situated in the centre of the Eternal City between the Spanish Steps and Via Veneto, The Hotel Eden was founded in 1889 by hotelier Francesco Nistelweck having originally been a private residence in the Ludovisi district. Today it is popular with the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Nicole Kidman.

Both Field Marshall Montgomery and Rommel are said to have stayed at the Hotel Eden (though it�s fair to assume not simultaneously), as certainly did Ernest Hemingway.

Though not necessarily connected to famous figures or events, the following all provide accommodation in period surroundings. Click on the links for further information.

Albergo Cesari. A hotel since 1787, though constructed even earlier. Expedia.co.uk

Albergo del Sole al Pantheon. Rome�s oldest existing hotel dating back to 1467 Hotelbook.com Expedia.co.uk

Colonna Palace Hotel. Sixteenth century building opposite the Parliament.Hotelbook.com Gulliver's Travel Services

Domus Aventina. Set on Aventino Hill and within a mile of the Coliseum, the building dates back to the 17th century. Expedia.co.uk

Grand Hotel de la Minerve Roma. Dating back to the late 1700�s, this five-star hotel is situated close to the Pantheon. Hotelbook.com Gulliver's Travel Services Expedia.co.uk

Hosianum Palace. Late 1500�s residence close to the Piazza Venezia. Hotelbook.com Expedia.co.uk

Hotel Adriano. Centrally located 17th century hotel. Gulliver's Travel Services Expedia.co.uk

Hotel Anglo Americano. Situated less than one hundred yards from the Spanish Steps, the hotel is housed in a building dating back to the seventeenth century. Gulliver's Travel Services Expedia.co.uk

Hotel Antico Palazzo Rospigliosi. Now a four-star hotel, the building was formerly a renaissance palace built in 1585. Expedia.co.uk

Hotel Cecil. Ideally located for the sightseer, the hotel has been welcoming guests for well over 300 years. LateRooms

Hotel Columbus. A 15th century building in the historical centre of the city. Expedia.co.uk

Hotel d�Inghilterra. Centrally located luxury hotel situated in a 17th century palazzo. Formerly a guesthouse for Torlonia princes. Citalia Expedia.co.uk

Hotel Fontana. Operating as a hotel since the late 1700�s, it is said that the building itself could date from as far back as the 13th century. Located opposite the Trevii Fountain.Citalia

Hotel La Fenice. Centrally located 17th century townhouse. Expedia.co.uk

Hotel Teatro di Pompeo. The building may be seventeenth century, but it is located on the site of the remains of the ancient Roman Pompey Theatre. Expedia.co.uk

Nazionale A Montecitorio Hotel. A former 18th century palace located close to both the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps.Expedia.co.uk

St. George Hotel Roma. Housed in a sixteenth century building on the Via Giulia. Expedia.co.uk