The Westin Excelsior Rome

The Westin Excelsior Rome is a historic luxury hotel on Via Veneto in central Rome. The property opened as the Hotel Excelsior on 18 January 1906 and became one of the landmark grand hotels associated with the street's international reputation. Its original design was produced by Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini for the Schweizerische Actiengesellschaft für Hotelunternehmungen, a Lucerne-based hotel company. The hotel has repeatedly changed operating and ownership affiliations while retaining its historic identity. It was acquired by CIGA, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, in 1923. During the First World War, two floors were converted into a military hospital operated by the Italian Red Cross. During the German occupation of Rome in the Second World War, the building served as the residence and offices of Kurt Mälzer, the German military commander in the city. Following the Allied liberation of Rome in 1944, it was used temporarily as the headquarters of General Mark Clark. The hotel resumed guest operations in 1947. CIGA substantially enlarged the property in 1953 by acquiring the adjacent Banco di Napoli building, reconstructing its facade to harmonize with the original hotel, and adding a sixth floor across the building. The ownership chain later moved from CIGA, acquired by the Aga Khan IV in 1985, to ITT Sheraton in 1994. Under ITT Sheraton, the hotel was included in the company's Luxury Collection. After Sheraton was sold to Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1998, the property moved to Starwood's Westin division on 1 March 2000 and adopted the name The Westin Excelsior, Rome. A full renovation was carried out in 2000. Starwood sold the hotel to Qatar-based Katara Hospitality in 2015 for €222 million. The property nevertheless continued operating within the Westin system and is now marketed through Marriott International, which acquired Starwood in 2016. Its offer combines luxury accommodation, restaurants and bars, wellness and fitness facilities, event spaces, and a prominent historic setting. The property is especially recognized for its cupola and the two-level Villa La Cupola suite, located beneath it on the fifth and sixth floors. The suite is decorated with hand-painted frescoes and can include as many as seven bedrooms and a private cinema. The hotel also has a significant cultural and media profile. It hosted the cast and crew of Ben-Hur during filming in 1958, appeared in or around several film and television productions, and has been associated with the international image of Via Veneto established by postwar cinema. Its history includes wartime administrative and medical uses as well as decades of use by travelers, public figures, and film productions. It remains an active luxury hotel in Rome.

The Westin Excelsior Rome began as the Hotel Excelsior, opening on 18 January 1906 on Via Veneto in Rome. Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini designed the building for the Schweizerische Actiengesellschaft für Hotelunternehmungen, a hotel company based in Lucerne. From its beginning, the property was conceived as a grand urban hotel serving international visitors to the Italian capital. Its early history was interrupted by the First World War, when two floors were converted into a military hospital operated by the Italian Red Cross. In 1923, the hotel was sold to CIGA, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, which operated a network of prominent Italian hotels. The property later acquired an important wartime role. After the German invasion of Rome in 1943, it was used as the residence and offices of Kurt Mälzer, the German military commander responsible for the city. When Rome was liberated by Allied forces in 1944, the hotel became the temporary headquarters of General Mark Clark after the United States Army entered Rome. It reopened to ordinary guests in 1947. CIGA expanded the building in 1953. It purchased the adjacent Banco di Napoli building on the northern half of the block, rebuilt its facade so that it matched the original hotel, and added a sixth floor across the property. This expansion helped create the large and architecturally distinctive complex associated with the hotel today, including the prominent cupola and the spaces beneath it. Ownership changed again in the late twentieth century. The Aga Khan IV acquired CIGA in 1985 and sold the chain to ITT Sheraton in 1994. Under ITT Sheraton, the Excelsior was assigned to the Luxury Collection. Sheraton was subsequently sold to Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1998. On 1 March 2000, Starwood transferred the hotel to its Westin Hotels & Resorts division, renamed it The Westin Excelsior, Rome, and completed a full renovation. In 2015, Starwood sold the property to Katara Hospitality, a Qatar-based hotel owner and operator, for €222 million. The hotel remained associated with the Westin brand. Marriott International's acquisition of Starwood in 2016 subsequently brought Westin and the property into Marriott's wider hotel system. The hotel's architectural identity is central to its current luxury positioning. Its cupola shelters Villa La Cupola, a two-story suite extending across the fifth and sixth floors. The suite is known for hand-painted frescoes, a possible configuration of up to seven bedrooms, and a private cinema, making it one of the property's most distinctive accommodations. Other operations include guest rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, fitness facilities, meeting rooms, and event services. The Excelsior has also been used by the film and entertainment industries. The cast and crew of Ben-Hur stayed at the hotel during filming in 1958. Scenes connected with La Dolce Vita were filmed around the property in 1960, and Two Weeks in Another Town used the hotel in 1962. The building later appeared in the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War and in a scene from the 2009 musical film Nine. The 1973 film The Exorcist also refers to the Hotel Excelsior in Rome. These appearances reinforced the property's association with Via Veneto and Rome's postwar cinematic culture.

• 2016

  Westin enters Marriott's portfolio

  [3]Marriott Internationalen.wikipedia.org

  Marriott's acquisition of Starwood placed the Westin brand and the Rome property within Marriott International.

• 2015

  Sale to Katara Hospitality

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  Katara Hospitality purchased the hotel from Starwood for €222 million.

• 2000

  Transfer to Westin and renovation

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  Starwood moved the property into its Westin division on 1 March 2000, renamed it, and completed a full renovation.

• 1994

  ITT Sheraton acquires CIGA

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  The property entered ITT Sheraton's Luxury Collection after the company acquired CIGA.

• 1985

  CIGA acquired by the Aga Khan IV

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  The Aga Khan IV acquired the CIGA hotel group, including the Excelsior.

• 1953

  Major expansion

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  CIGA expanded the complex by acquiring the neighboring Banco di Napoli building, matching its facade to the hotel, and adding a sixth floor.

• 1923

  Acquisition by CIGA

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel was sold to the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi.

• 1914

  Part of the hotel becomes a military hospital

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  During the First World War, two floors were converted into a military hospital operated by the Italian Red Cross.

• 1906

  Hotel Excelsior opens

  [1]The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel opened on 18 January 1906 on Via Veneto, using a design by Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini.

Historic grand hotel combining Roman heritage, luxury accommodation, distinctive architectural interiors, and the service platform of the Westin brand.

• Accommodation · 1906

  Guest rooms and suites

  The hotel's principal offering is luxury accommodation in a historic central-Rome setting. Rooms and suites combine the property's grand-hotel character with Westin guest-service standards and access to dining, fitness, concierge, and event facilities.

• Signature suite

  Villa La Cupola

  Villa La Cupola is a two-story suite located on the fifth and sixth floors beneath the hotel's cupola. It is distinguished by hand-painted frescoes, a configuration of up to seven bedrooms, and a private cinema, positioning it as the property's signature ultra-luxury accommodation.

• Food and beverage · 1906

  Dining and bar services

  The hotel provides restaurant and bar services for resident guests, visitors, and private events. These operations form part of its full-service luxury-hotel proposition in the center of Rome.

• Events and business hospitality

  Meetings and events

  Meeting and event facilities support conferences, receptions, private functions, and other group occasions. The scale and historic character of the property allow it to serve both business travelers and ceremonial or social events.

• Wellness

  Fitness and wellness facilities

  Fitness and wellness services complement the accommodation offer and reflect Westin's broader emphasis on guest well-being. The facilities are designed for hotel guests seeking exercise and recovery during a stay in Rome.

• 2009Nine filming

  International cinema

  A scene from the period musical Nine was filmed at the hotel.

  Outcome. The appearance extended the hotel's screen presence into contemporary international film.

  Source
• 1983The Winds of War filming

  International television

  Portions of the television miniseries The Winds of War were filmed at the hotel.

  Outcome. The property continued to function as a recognizable setting for period screen productions.

  Source
• 1962Two Weeks in Another Town filming

  International cinema

  The hotel was used as a filming location for Two Weeks in Another Town.

  Outcome. The production added another international film credit to the property.

  Source
• 1960La Dolce Vita filming association

  Italy · International cinema

  The hotel and its surrounding Via Veneto setting appeared in connection with the filming of La Dolce Vita.

  Outcome. The association strengthened the property's link with Rome's postwar cinematic image.

  Source
• 1958Ben-Hur production stay

  International film production

  The hotel hosted the cast and crew of Ben-Hur during filming in 1958, contributing to its visibility within the international film community.

  Outcome. The stay became part of the property's entertainment and film history.

  Source

• 2016

  Bring Westin into Marriott InternationalM&A

  Background

  Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, including the Westin brand.

  Action taken

  The hotel became part of Marriott's global commercial and distribution platform while remaining associated with Westin.

  Aftermath

  The property continued to be marketed as The Westin Excelsior Rome through Marriott's hotel system.

  Source

• 2015

  Sell the hotel to Katara HospitalityM&A

  Background

  Starwood divested the property as part of its ownership strategy for individual hotel assets.

  Action taken

  Starwood sold The Westin Excelsior Rome to Qatar-based Katara Hospitality.

  Aftermath

  Katara Hospitality became the property's owner, while the hotel continued operating under the Westin brand.

  Reported sale price. €222 million (2015 transaction)

  Source

• 2000

  Transfer the property to WestinStrategy

  Background

  After Starwood acquired Sheraton, the company reorganized the property's brand affiliation within its hotel portfolio.

  Action taken

  On 1 March 2000, Starwood transferred the Excelsior to its Westin Hotels & Resorts division, renamed it The Westin Excelsior, Rome, and completed a full renovation.

  Aftermath

  The hotel entered the Westin luxury-hospitality system while retaining its historic name and location identity.

  Source

• 1953

  Expand the hotel complexStrategy

  Background

  CIGA sought to enlarge the established grand hotel while preserving a coherent architectural appearance.

  Action taken

  The company acquired the adjacent Banco di Napoli building, rebuilt its facade to match the hotel, and added a sixth floor to the property.

  Aftermath

  The expansion created the larger building complex associated with the hotel and its distinctive upper-level spaces.

  Source

1. 1The Westin Excelsior Romeen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Westin Excelsior Rome official overviewmarriott.com
3. 3Marriott Internationalen.wikipedia.org