Review: Experience opulence at Rome Cavalieri

In the second series of the television series Mad Men, set in the early 1960s, advertising maven Don Draper and his wife, Betty, are taken to Rome by Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton Hotels group, to promote the latter's new hotel – the Cavalieri Hilton. Admittedly, the series was shot on a Hollywood set, but it is worth visiting the real-life Cavalieri Hilton – today the Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel – to find out for yourself why it is regarded as the company's flagship hotel.

Rome Cavalieri is situated on Rome's highest hilltop, from which you can enjoy panoramic views of the city. Rome is, of course, famous for its many galleries and museums. But you don't even have to step outside the hotel to enjoy art and culture. Close to a thousand treasures, owned by the hotel's owners, are on display throughout the corridors and lobby. It is perhaps the best art collection displayed in any hotel anywhere in the world. The masterpieces to be found adorning the walls include Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's Odysseus finds Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes, painted around 1725. The array of sculptures, tapestries and antiques include some unexpected surprises – ranging from costumes once worn by the acclaimed ballet dancer and choreographer Rudolf Nureyev to a commode that was owned by the king of Poland, Augustus III (1733 to 1763).

Inside the luxurious Rome Cavalieri

You are, of course, welcome to admire the artworks at your leisure. But the hotel also offer the option of joining a guided tour with an art historian. And while the paintings are special, they aren't the only things to give Rome Cavalieri its style and swagger. There's the sweeping spiral staircase in the lobby for starters and the upmarket wallpaper. Everything, in other words, that signifies wealth and opulence. But beneath the Italian glamour you will find an American dedication to detail, service and hospitality. The seventh-floor room in which I stayed was large, bright and it had a balcony that afforded a wonderful view over the Eternal City.

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I also took full advantage of the fact that my room gave me access to the Imperial Club. This is a drawing room intended as a place of respite for a select number of the hotel's guests. Here, I was able to have breakfast as well as curl up with a good book, while sipping complimentary drinks on the sofa. All the rooms are not just comfortable, but outright luxurious as you would expect. But the cream of the crop are Rome Cavalieri's split-level penthouse suites. They are filled with their own artworks, including limited-edition Andy Warhols, and the living room is furnished with couches and other items that were designed for his own apartment by the late fashion-design icon Karl Lagerfeld. Perhaps the biggest attraction are the large terraces on the upper floor of the suite. As well as a covered area, ideal for dining, these contain Jacuzzis for lounging in while you admire the beauty of Rome.

Dine at Rome's only three-star Michelin restaurant

As well as the outstanding accommodation, the Rome Cavalieri has a lot to offer lovers of great food. The rooftop restaurant, La Pergola, is Rome's first – and only – place to be awarded three Michelin stars. This restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday and it is in such high demand among Rome's cognoscenti that it is typically booked two to three months in advance – although hotel guests can pop in outside dining hours for an aperitivo.

The hotel's other restaurant, L'Uliveto, also offers a wide range of top-notch food and I particularly enjoyed the grilled Mediterranean octopus.

The pool bar where tennis legend Serena Williams found love

The facilities at Rome Cavalieri are extensive. There are two swimming pools – one indoor and an outdoor pool that is open in the spring and summer. The hotel also has a gym, tennis courts and various walking trails.

The latter is a favourite with the multitude of tennis stars who stay at Rome Cavalieri during the annual Rome Masters tennis tournament (the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, as it is officially known), which is typically held in May every year. Both tennis stars and fans appreciate the fact that the hotel offers them easy access to the Olympic stadium where the event is held – along with the possibility of other unexpected surprises. Tennis legend Serena Williams first met her future husband, the technology investor and co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, at Rome Cavalieri's pool bar, while Williams was competing at the 2015 Masters. So, it was perhaps not surprising that when Ohanian proposed 18 months later, during a surprise trip to Rome, he booked the pool and the bar, as well as arranging for the staff to strew the entire area with rose petals.

Matthew was a guest of Rome Cavalieri, where rooms start from €330 a night. For more information, visit romecavalieri.com or call +39 06 3509 2031.

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