Situated in the historic Piazza della Minerva in Rome, and just steps from the Pantheon, Orient Express La Minerva is set to open in spring 2025 as the first hotel under the Orient Express brand. The property, formerly known as Palazzo Fonseca, dating back to the 17th century, occupies an entire island site and was acquired in 2021 by Arsenale SpA. Following a comprehensive renovation, the building’s interiors and historical features have been redesigned and restored under the direction of Franco-Mexican architect and interior designer Hugo Toro.
Built in 1620 as the residence of the aristocratic Portuguese Fonseca family and later acquired in 1811 by the French Sauve family who first transformed it into a hotel. Orient Express La Minerva will house 93 rooms, ranging from 270 to 2,530 square feet, including 36 suites, with four Signature Suites framing views of the Pantheon and the Piazza della Minerva with its characteristic Bernini elephant. Food and beverage outlets at the hotel include La Minerva Bar, which houses the building’s historic skylight, and Voliera, the rooftop restaurant and bar, which offers Mediterranean cuisine and craft cocktails against a panoramic backdrop of the domes of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza and Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Altare della Patria and the tower of the Quirinal.
The hotel’s wellness offerings include a spa, which evokes the atmosphere and rituals of Roman baths. Additionally, meeting and event spaces at Orient Express La Minerva include three meeting rooms and the Olimpo Ballroom, decorated with Murano chandeliers and 12 marble statues by Rinaldo Rinaldi.
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