Last Word: Enduring Favorites

Clearly, one of the chief purposes of a newsletter is to report on things that are new. I keep a lengthy list of openings around the world, and each month, I write about those that I think you will find the most interesting. The downside to this continual search for the next new thing is that I seldom stay in, or write about, the hotels that have been among my favorites for years. For example, June will see the opening of J.K. Place Roma, close to the Via condotti. Having greatly enjoyed the J.K. Place hotels in both Florence and Capri, I shall undoubtedly find time to check into the new Rome property. But over the years, one of the pleasures of my existence has been staying at the Hassler, the grandest of Rome’s grande dames. What could be more delightful than to stroll out of the Hassler’s lobby on a mild spring morning and to wander down the Spanish Steps into the lovely Piazza di Spagna? Or to have an early dinner in the rooftop restaurant while golden sunlight still washes over the dome of the Pantheon? Anyway, I have decided that henceforth, I will reserve a narrow column in each issue to describe one of my enduring favorites. I begin this month with the Hotel & Spa Rosa Alpina in the Italian Dolomites, which I first visited in 1989. I am pleased to say that 24 years later, it is better than ever.

– Andrew Harper