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Via Veneto, Rome: the upcoming hotellerie through renewable energy and waste reduction programs

With their Belle Arti-approved restorations, the 5-stars hotels in Via Veneto are pursuing programs of waste reduction, km0 products, energy consumption reduction and renewable energy usage

Via Vittorio Veneto, in Rione Ludovisi, Rome internationally known thanks to the 1960 film by Federico Fellini. La Dolce Vita, which won the Palme d’Or at the 13th Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for costumes. The neighborhood has been – in the ’50s and ’60s – the center of Roman social life. It houses some of the most well-known 5-stars hotels in Rome; still today the emblem of the Dolce Vita. Now a commonly used saying to define a rich and luxurious lifestyle, such in the homonymous film by Federico Fellini.

After the post-war period, Via Veneto was known for celebrities and artists. Ava Gardner, Sofia Loren, and Cary Grant, who could be seen in cafes like Harry’s bar, the Caffè Strega, and the Café de Paris.

A 5-stars hotel neighborhood – Via Veneto, Rome

Today many of these historical locations have closed. However the neighborhood is still famous for its 5-stars hotels. The Hotel Excelsior, from the early twentieth century, and the Hotel Palace, built by the architect Marcello Piacentini in 1926. Or the Hotel Baglioni Regina with Art Deco interiors, and the Savoy; housed in a historic building dating back to the end of the 19th century.

New hotels are opening their doors, to revamp the neighborhood of Via Veneto. Such as the 5-star hotel, the Rosewood Rome, which will open its doors in 2023. Located in the former headquarters of Italy’s Banca Nazionale del Lavoro; housed in three historic buildings originally built in the early 1900s.

The renovation will be managed by Colliers International; led by the architecture and engineering firm Jacobs, and Australian interior design firm, BAR Studio. For instance, the design will take influence from the hotel’s location overlooking Via Veneto; with interiors that will mix the traditional architectural elements with modern décor.

New hotels opening their doors

Upon completion, Rosewood Rome will offer 157 accommodations, with 44 suites. Also, it will house an Italian bistro; a lobby bar; a café; a rooftop bar with a terrace; and a spa located on the rooftop. 

Or the Hotel Splendide Royal, converted from a 19th-century monastery and restored in 2001 when the hotelier Roberto Naldi decided to renovate part of the monastery and give life to the new Hotel Splendide Royal in Rome.

Here they recreated architectural elements inspired by the rococo style in the lobby. With coffered ceiling and vintage wooden furnishings from Venetian artisans and lighting in the Louis XVI style. Many original elements have also been included in the project. Among which the Murano glass chandelier used for the Luchino Visconti movie Il Gattopardo. After 20 years with the original project, which consisted of 69 rooms and suites; the owners decided to launch the renovation projects of many of the original rooms and the restaurant and launch the new Splendide Boutique hospitality concept. The property expanded by another 16 suites, inaugurating the boutique wing, a small hotel within the hotel.

W hotel opened in 2021

Among these hotels, there is the W Hotel, newly renovated, that opened to guests in autumn 2021; close to the Piazza di Spagna and the boutiques of Via Condotti; the W Rome is built on two adjacent 19th-century buildings facing Via Liguria. Initially used for residential purposes, the two structures have previously housed a hotel, government ministries, and private companies. As Christian Zandonella, General Manager at W Hotel, explains, the Roman hotel culture and, more generally, the Roman and Italian spirit are part of the W Hotel «haute hôtellerie can be informal and inclusive in Rome». 

Renovation of the building

The properties have been restored by the New York-based Meyer Davis Studio. Rethought to enhance the historic details protected by the Belle Arti and, at the same time, convey the design of the W brand. «The re-design came to terms with the city’s architectural legacy and that of the two buildings of the hotel. A balance between tradition and modernity, celebrating the Eternal City through materials, lines, and colors».

Being Rome the largest open-air museum in the world, with over 3000 years of history; the choices of the Meyer Davis studio for the 147 rooms and the 15 suites of the hotel, are a juxtaposition of old and new, historical and contemporary, where the marble stands out, and so does the furniture in the rooms. «The headboard of the bed inspired by the concentric lines of Carlo Scarpa; the lamps influenced by 20th-century Italian design; the color blocking of the closets, the Missoni chairs, and the velvet curtains», names Zandonella.

Lampoon, W Hotel, courtesy of Lampoon Magazine
W Hotel, courtesy of Lampoon Magazine

W Hotel sustainability

Still, taking care of the interior design is not enough; as Zandonella states, «sustainability is a priority for new luxury travelers. 87% of global travelers say they want to travel responsibly, and 53% are willing to pay more to do so. Our guests want to know about the impact their stay has and trust that the hotel has a structured strategy when it comes to sustainability». 

Zandonella continues, «W’s environmental standards include the elimination of single-use items: from toiletries to straws, made from natural materials; as well as, of course, the usual recycling procedures and the elimination of polystyrene». Furthermore, these global waste reduction programs, including guest room recycling and residential amenities, are expected to prevent about 500 million single-use toiletry bottles annually from going to landfills.

When it comes to sustainability, the main focus is the collaboration with the two-Michelin stars, chef Ciccio Sultano: «we work with zero kilometers food products and the reduction of food waste and selecting suppliers who stand out for their environmental credentials and avoid using disposable materials. Also, we grow our own herbs on the hotel’s fifth floor», says Zandonella. 

Digital food waste tracking solutions at W Hotel

In addition, according to the Marriott 2020 sustainability report, the group of which W hotels are part of launched manual and digital food waste tracking solutions to track food waste generation and diversion. Therefore, this tracking system resulted in a 64% reduction in annualized food waste across the hotels over four months.

Again, the sustainability report states that newly built hotels that opened between 2012 and 2019 had an energy intensity value 6.68% lower than that of new-build hotels that opened before 2012. These good renovation practices led in 2019 to a 9.96% energy consumption reduction, an 18.14% carbon consumption reduction and a 7.9% water consumption reduction in their hotels in Europe, compared to 2016. The goal is to achieve a minimum of 30% renewable electricity use by 2025 for the hotels of the group.

At the base of Ciccio Sultano’s cooking, there is traditional Sicilian cuisine contaminated with Roman food tradition. «Our Aperitivo Eterno combines the arancini; sfincione and bread and panelle typical of Sicilian street food; with the concept of the aperitivo, among with the Otto Rooftop. Completes the offer, on the top floor of the hotel, pizza by Pier Daniele Seu. Paired with raw fish and cocktails, part of the identity of the W. brand», concludes Zandonella. 

LGBTQ+ – inclusiveness as a value

Also, the social aspect of sustainability is considered. Inclusiveness is a founding value of the brand, with guests and with the staff. «the power of travel has always been a tool to open a dialogue and break down definitions. We are platforms that serve LGBTQ+ travelers so that they can connect with the places they visit and build a label-free community together»

With historical-accurate and Belle Arti-approved restorations; the 5-stars hotels in Via Veneto neighborhood are opening their doors to environmentally-conscious tourism. Pursuing programs and approaches like waste reduction; refurbished furniture and materials; km0 products; energy consumption reduction and renewable energy usage.

W Hotel

Part of the Marriott group, has opened in Autumn 2021 in Via Liguria, close to the popular Via Veneto. With its informal service and accurate renovation, it makes available to guests 147 rooms and the 15 suites, a 2 Michelin-stars restaurant, a rooftop lounge and a fitness center.

Maria Bellotto

The writer does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article.

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