San Domenico House

Entrance
A burgundy flag and beautiful carved brick porch mark the entrance to San Domenico House, giving it the allure of a private house. You ring the bell, the door is opened and you are led into a reception area laid out as a lounge.

An elegant portrait of a young woman from another era hangs above the fireplace and the patina of Venetian stucco adorns the walls. Add to this its desk, tawny-coloured sofas, Empire gildings, matt floor tiles and heavy drapes, its antiques and clock, all in soft tones of bronze with black highlights, and the room immediately exudes seduction, the result of a marriage of profusion and rigueur, sensuality and severity, the lure of distant lands and the temptation of peaceful contemplation.

To the right sits a double lounge, symmetrical to the first and equally as elegant, with the only concession being comfort. Deep sofas, a multitude of cushions, a variety of fabrics in different patterns and colours, Empire inspiration, a fireplace and sombre paintings, gilding and embossing, objets d’art and decorative pieces all come together to entice you into their world to partake of afternoon tea in the cosy light diffused through the large pleated lampshades.

The hotel also has a most exceptional rooftop terrace with exotic wood furniture where guests can relax when the weather is fine.

The rooms
The rooms are all different, each expanding a particular theme against a backdrop of numerous small details. Travel to Africa with stuccos bearing a faint pattern almost reminiscent of giraffe skin; step back in time to the Renaissance with walls covered in Italian-inspired paintings of the period; embark on a journey of yesteryear, with an old trunk and other objects to remind you of the scale of such an adventure.

In each room the colours of the stuccos, thick-pile carpets, cushions, bedspreads and curtains are carefully combined with antiques and passementeries, canopies and objets d’art, mother of pearl and feathers, velvet and satin, marquetry and embroidered fabrics, employing all the terms of a decorative language to create a poem of multiple allusions. However strict verse, respecting all the rules of order and symmetry, mean the abundant detail is at no time overpowering.

The high ceilings, the layout of the room (sometimes a small open-plan sitting area or a mezzanine level) and the wardrobes, make for spacious rooms, peppered with a hint of Italian to create an immediately pleasing ambience.

The fairly spacious, predominantly marble bathrooms continue the theme of the bedroom with the same attention to detail and old-style taps.

A nod to the modern world comes in the form of flat screens and DVD players but there is currently no wifi connection. A light room service is available from noon to 9pm.

Room types
The hotel has four types of room: double superior, double deluxe, gallery suite and junior suite.

Although all rooms have a small sitting area, the deluxe, gallery and junior suites are naturally more spacious. The gallery suites are split-level. Entry is via the upper level lounge and the bedroom on the lower floor boasts a four-poster bed.  The junior suites have a small open-plan sitting area and a draped bed head stretching to the ceiling. The deluxe, superior and junior suites are available with twin beds.

The rooms overlook the street or an open courtyard. The rooms overlooking the courtyard are naturally quieter, although the double-glazing goes some way to compensate for the difference. Some of the rooms, those on the first floor overlooking the street, have a small balcony.

Breakfast
Breakfast is served in your room or to order in an extremely elegant basement room. There are three options: continental, English or à la carte. The continental comprises pastries and cakes, cereals and dairy products. The English breakfast is the usual combination of eggs, cooked to your taste, bacon and sausages.

Together with freshly squeezed orange juice and a coffee which pays homage to the hotel’s Italian roots, this is all served on immaculate white tablecloths decked with Chinese porcelain and silver cutlery. English breakfast requires to be ordered in advance to avoid the wait (around 20 minutes).