Rhinoceros

On the edge of the Palatine Hill, where the Arch of Janus catches the afternoon light, Rhinoceros is part hotel, part art experiment. Conceived by the Alda Fendi Foundation and shaped by architect Jean Nouvel, the 17th-century palazzo has been stripped back to its bones—raw plaster, steel, and glass framing fragments of Rome’s ancient past. Outside, a life-size resin rhinoceros stands sentinel, lit at night like a scene from a Fellini film; inside, the building hums with galleries, installations, and the quiet drama of its own design.

The 24 apartments, known as The Rooms of Rome, feel more like live-in art pieces than hotel suites—pared-back concrete surfaces, custom furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows framing the city’s ruins. Guests can step from their private space into an exhibition, a rooftop aperitivo overlooking the Forum, or the restaurant and caviar bar upstairs. Staying here is less about ticking off sights and more about inhabiting Rome itself, where every wall, window, and sculpture plays its part in the city’s ongoing performance.