Orient Express La Minerva opened last week in the heart of The Eternal City.

The Orient Express brand’s first hotel in the world, its opening follows the launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express, the first Italian-made luxury train. Later this year, Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, which is being developed in partnership with Arsenale Group, will debut in Venice.

Located on Piazza della Minerva, Orient Express La Minerva is housed in a 17th-century palazzo, which has been meticulously restored by artist-architect Hugo Toro.

The hotel offers 93 rooms and 36 suites. Each room is a homage to the golden age of travel, featuring bespoke bedside trunks, rich wooden detailing reminiscent of the legendary Orient Express carriages, and bedding crafted by Rivolta Carmignani – the same linens once used on Orient Express sleeper cars.

Food and beverage available at the property is handled by three dining venues.

• La Minerva Bar is located in the heart of the hotel’s lobby. It features a grand glass roof and the preserved statue of Minerva.
• Opening to the public in May, Gigi Rigolatto is a rooftop concept by Rikas Hospitality Group and Paris Society. It offers elevated dining with views of many of Rome’s rooftops and monuments, including the Pantheon, the Vittoriano, and the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.
• Mimi Kakushi, opening later this year, is an award-winning restaurant that transforms diners to the Osaka of the 1920s. Curated by Rikas Hospitality Group, the restaurant concept debuted in Dubai in 2021 and has garnered a number of awards, including the World’s 50 Best Bars recognition for Best Bar in the Middle East & Africa in 2024.

Orient Express La Minerva also has five event venues:

• Olimpo Ballroom (1,775+ square feet) adorned with eleven marble sculptures by Rinaldo Rinaldi, symbolizing the seasons, elements and continents.
• Rinaldi Meeting Room (580+ square feet) designed in homage to the interiors of vintage Orient Express carriages.
• Alfieri Meeting Room (300+ square feet), an intimate enclave with vaulted ceilings.
• Bernini Meeting Room (275+ square feet)
• The Gallery (805+ square feet), a space located on the ground floor adjacent to La Minerva Bar with ceilings inspired by the Pantheon.

“Opening the doors of Orient Express La Minerva marks a powerful moment in our journey,” said Gilda Perez-Alvarado, CEO, Orient Express. “A city of layered beauty and bold character, Rome offers the perfect canvas to reimagine the legacy of Orient Express through new purpose and experience – where Romans gather, and international aesthetes unite. In partnership with Arsenale Group and through the visionary work of Hugo Toro, we have the privilege to breath new life into a heritage property deeply rooted in the fabric of this timeless city.”