Fans of Challengers director Luca Guadagnino are going crazy over his latest project: a luxury hotel in Rome.
The Italian film genius, who is behind several major films including Call My By Your Name and I Am Love, starring Zendaya, spent two years renovating a 16th-century university that was in a state of decay.
Through his eponymous design studio, Luca helped transform various parts of Talia Palacegiving the spaces a cinematic quality with period features complemented by modern and elegant touches.
Speaking about his thinking behind the hotel’s aesthetic, he said: FT.com: ‘If you come to Rome, to a hotel like this, you want to be immersed in beauty, comfort and softness. That’s why, for me, everything (colour, light, texture) must convey that pleasure.
‘The aesthetic is maximalist but with the rigor, let’s say, of minimalism. Because if you apply minimalism per se, you lose the thread of pleasure.’
Fans of Challengers director Luca Guadagnino are going crazy over his latest project: a luxury hotel in Rome
The Italian film genius, who is behind several films including Challengers, spent two years working on a project to renovate a former university that was in a state of decay.
Rates at this boutique hotel start at over $670 per night for a superior room, while the top-tier two-bedroom Talia Suite starts at over $18,000.
The property has just 26 rooms spread across two floors, and Luca said he wanted the place to exude an “intimate” and cozy feel rather than making it “exclusive.”
Their design studio was behind all of the hotel’s public areas, including the grand lobby and the sumptuous Il Bar della Musa, which features frescoed ceilings and gleaming metallic tiles on the walls.
Since its opening, fans of Luca and his films have praised Palazzo Talìa and applauded its foray into the hospitality sector.
One X user wrote: ‘If I die, I will be buried in the Italian palace hotel in Rome that Luca Guadagnino built.’
Another mused: “I want to go see every single room, they all look so pretty.”
Travel experts on TikTok have also called the palatial property “literally magical” and “picture perfect.”
Travel writer Marissa Klurstein stayed at the property during its soft launch and called it the “best hotel in Rome” and the first 10 out of 10 hotel she has ever stayed at.
Since its opening, fans of Luca and his films have praised Palazzo Talìa and applauded its foray into the hospitality sector.
Travel writer Marissa Klurstein stayed at the hotel during its soft launch and called it the “best hotel in Rome.”
In a TikTok detailing During his stay, he said: ‘I can’t even describe the feeling of turning the corner and seeing this.
‘The interiors really make you feel like you are living on a Luca Guadagnino film set, many hotels in Rome are luxury hotels but lack a sense of personality and soul.
‘Not here, personality is welcome, in the bar you feel at home.
“I think it’s the most spectacular hotel bar I’ve ever been to. It’s a masterpiece.
‘Plus, fantastic cocktails, a great soundtrack… you really feel like you’re in a jewel box, suspended somewhere between the 17th century and the present day.’
Continuing her review, which she notes she was not paid to make, Marissa says, ‘The craftsmanship is impeccable, the blending of textures and colors.’
During her stay, the content creator also visited the hotel’s Tramae Restaurant, where she said she had eaten the best spaghetti carbonara she had ever had in Rome.
As for the hotel rooms, the interiors were designed by Mia Home Design Gallery and Laura Feroldi Studio.
Like Luca’s design firm, the designers responsible for the rooms opted for an elegant combination of old and new.
The hotel, which ceased to operate as a school in 1999, is now owned by the Federici family.
Breakfast also got top marks: Marissa praised the “soft scrambled eggs with chives” and “perfectly crispy bacon.”
Hotel aside, Marissa praised the staff, who she said were hired “for their personality and are encouraged to be themselves.”
That’s why, he says, “the service is fantastic, really the best I think there could be, so intuitive, so human and with personality.”
As for the hotel rooms, the interiors were designed by Mia Home Design Gallery and Laura Feroldi Studio.
Much like Luca’s design firm, the duo opted for an elegant blend of old and new.
Marissa says the rooms tick all the boxes, from “two sizes of very plush slippers” to two types of pillows to choose from: down and a down alternative.
In addition to a bar and restaurant, there is an underground spa and a leafy courtyard on the premises.
The hotel, which ceased to operate as a university in 1999, is now owned by the Federici family, and Elia Federici told FT.com that a mutual friend introduced him to Luca Guadagnino.
“I thought I could bring an unconventional design to a place full of history and art,” he said of his decision to choose the filmmaker as designer.
Luca founded his design studio in 2017 and has since been responsible for three of his own properties as well as several high-profile private commercial commissions.
