The Grandeur that is Rome at the St. Regis Grand Hotel, Rome
On the north side of the piazza are the Diocletian Baths, largest and most beautiful of Imperial Rome. Michelangelo converted part of the original structure into St. Mary of the Angels Church in the 1560’s; the National Roman Museum with its incomparable collection of classical antiquities is on this site as well. And just beyond, fronting the adjacent Via Orlando and overlooking the piazza, stands a graceful white building that appears to be a nineteenth century Italianate palazzo but is actually the twenty-first century St. Regis Grand Hotel.
They marveled not only at the palatial environs and sumptuous furnishings but at an array of technological wonders. Electric lights, a lift, central heating, and rooms with private baths all seemed advances heralding the century ahead. e Grand Hotel lived up to the promise of its debut becoming a storied destination for kings and queens, diplomats and heads of state, movie stars, financial scions, even literary lions like Leo Tolstoy and Emile Zola. Two years short of its one hundredth anniversary, it was taken over by Starwood Resorts and Hotels Worldwide who thought to bring an American entrepreneurial spirit and know-how to the legendary property. In March, 1999, the hotel was closed down for a nine month-renovation project that cost $35,000,000 and involved 450 workers who labored in round-the-clock shifts. Reopened in time for the turn of a new century, new millennium, and start of Jubilee 2000, the Holy Year declared by the Pope, it was now the St. Regis Grand, the first St. Regis property in Europe. Still an enchanting late 19th century palazzo, it was as technically au courant at the dawn of the 21st century as its earlier self had been at the dawn of the 20th century.
He is still smitten with the adventure of restoration. “The architecture, symmetry, proportions, even acoustics of this place are spectacular,” he told us animatedly when we met for drinks on the balcony overlooking the circular expanse and arched recesses of the Grand Hall off the lobby. Thousands of tiny crystals glittered with reflected light from an array of Murano chandeliers and sconces that ranged from antique to brand new. An enormous fixture from the 1940’s, made of a series of circles of crystals in vertical and ray-like formation, hugged the domed ceiling, a kind of inversion of the traditional hanging variety. Walls were paneled in shades of gold, floors were an intricate swirl of red and yellow marble, furnishings a blend of crimson and gold sofas and chairs from the Regency and Empire periods. Corinthian pillars led the eye to a soaring hexagon-shaped ceiling; beneath it a rim of windows was set into ornate recesses. Spectacular, indeed.
“When we decided on the renovation, our guiding question was ‘What would Cesar Ritz have done?’” Alden said. “We stripped away much that had been added on by other management companies in the hotel’s nearly one hundred year history, but we kept the original architecture and retained everything from the past that was rich, that made the hotel special. “These floors were covered with wood parquet which is difficult to maintain. When the workers removed the wood, they discovered the original marble floor beneath, in perfect condition. All it needed was polishing. Marble withstands traffic much better and also looks very palatial. Hot water pipes under the floor provide a heating system – just like in the Roman baths. And in warm weather, marble gives a cool, fresh feeling. “A tremendous amount of research went into the renovation,” the affable Stephen Alden added. “Our contractor had access to the best craftsmen. They restored the murals, paintings, mosaics, frescoes; they refinished the wood, polished the marble. There are people here in Rome who can do this kind of work. Surrounded by so much art, they have the sense of what needs to be done.” We were in the lobby now where black and white marble were the predominant surfaces. A breathtaking abstract sculpture of a horse made of alabaster stood on a black marble table opposite the concierge’s desk. Such objects and materials so foreign to a classical Roman settings prove to be a rich addition. “We wanted to maintain the feeling of a Roman palazzo,” Alden noted, “but at the same time we decided to do some provocative things, to include contemporary touches that would project the hotel into the next 100 years. “This hotel is only 161 rooms. That’s not very big in terms of rooms, but the feeling is very spacious and palatial. I fall in love with it again and again. I never get tried of it.” He stopped, amused at his own exuberance, then added “I think I have the best job in the world.” The general manager’s infectious attitude has apparently permeated the premises, setting a tone that was picked up by everyone we met in the St. Regis Grand family all of whom projected a pride and pleasure in being associated with a place that beyond being a luxurious hotel, is part of the larger Roman story. “There are so many great museums throughout Rome, yet the Grand holds its own,” Federico Versari, the front office manager, told us. Nimble as a dancer and possessed of an impish sense of humor, Federico offered to be our private docent in a mini tour of the St. Regis Grand. We began with the Salone Ritz, Rome’s first ballroom which, in its refurbished state, continues to be the site of lavish affairs, but also hosts events unknown a century ago.
Little has been altered in the Salone Ritz. The mirrored walls, marble pillars, brilliant pair of Murano chandeliers and sconces, ceiling frescoes are all original. “Look at the chandeliers,” Federico said. “They appear similar, but each one is hand made and individual. The crystals are in the shape of roses and flowers. When they were taken down to be cleaned, they seemed so fragile. Yet how well they hang together. “Originally they were candle-lit,” he added, “and the smoke from the candles darkened the frescoes on the ceiling to the point where they could barely be seen.” In a repeat of the maneuver we’d undergone at the Sistine Chapel the day before, we leaned backwards -- this time to see the idyllic Arcadian scenes painted by Mario Spinetti which have been restored to their original clarity. Straightening up, we followed Federico beyond the ballroom and down a chandelier-lit corridor at the back of the hotel where we took an old fashioned cage elevator to a brand new fitness center, a feature emblematic of the modern St. Regis Grand. But from there, we found ourselves cast back in time to an era pre-dating even Cesar Ritz as we descended a narrow spiral staircase off the lobby to a darkened subterranean chamber where a single rustic dining table was set for eight, and floor-to- ceiling shelves were lined with bottles of wine. “You know, the buildings of Rome have such interesting stories,” Federico said. “In most cases, it’s easy to find out about the last one hundred years, but not what happened before. It’s believed a Benedictine monastery once stood here, and this was its wine cellar. When it was discovered during renovations, it was in a state of total disarray; the bottles were lying around everywhere. “But they had the brilliant idea to create a tiny restaurant here. The basic structure of the wine cellar was retained; it was organized, and a dining table was placed in the middle. The old brick floors and terra cotta walls keep temperatures consistent for more than 20,000 bottles of wine of 350 labels, more than half of which are Italian.” We would sample three of them at Vivendo, whose entrance is but several yards from the stairway leading to the wine cellar but whose mood is centuries into the future. (Our St. Regis Grand experience, we were beginning to think, was taking on the dimensions of a trip through time. But then again, this was the Eternal City.) This award-winning restaurant is decorated in a style Stephen Alden would undoubtedly term ‘provocative.’ “Before renovations it looked like the rest of the hotel, very ornate and rich,” Federico had told us. “Then it closed down, and when it reopened it was completely new and different.” For “new and different,” read cool and contemporary in a sophisticated palette of silver, lavender and burgundy, with furnishings that suggest the 1930’s and 40’s. As much as the St. Regis Grand largely reflects classical, renaissance, and baroque Rome, Vivendi plugs into modern Rome and its connection to the fashion world. This is a theme subtly realized in the carpet’s design borrowed from a high-fashion scarf’s pattern, and framed sketches from 1930’s issues of Vogue Magazine and pieces of ancient dresses that decorate the fabric-covered walls. “There’s rich wood paneling beneath the fabric,” Stephen Alden said. “We left it for the next generation of restorers to discover.” Umberto Vezzoli, Vivendi’s Brescian-born executive chef, has a low-keyed and modest demeanor that belies such culinary accomplishments as winning a gold medal at the European Championships in Salzburg. He prepares dishes largely in the Mediterranean tradition relying on local products as much as possible, but not without some unexpected combinations. We pondered a menu that offered some half dozen choices in each category: appetizers, pasta/soups, fish, meats, even – and we made a note to tell our sons -- vegetarian dishes, and then throwing caution to the wind, decided to rely on Umberto’s and restaurant manager/sommelier Federico Galligani’s advice. It was a wise choice to the very end which came in the form of a surprise (how did they know?) and sublime “Happy Anniversary” cake filled with ice cream and covered with leaves of bittersweet chocolate. But we are getting ahead of the story. A glass of Braidealte, a Gran Cru produced by Livon from the Piedmont region, began our meal. This deeply yellow and fruity wine, which blends Chardonnay, Picolit, Sauvignon, and the perfumed Moscata Giallo grapes, is often served with desert. But it proved a lovely accompaniment to our antipasti: a filo pastry roll filled with Osetra caviar, strips of celery, carrots and red pepper and an incredibly light mousse made of Sake – a touch of the unexpected alluded to above, and a terrine of prawns with spinach salad. To go with the second course, we drank a Chardonnay Planeta from Sicily. This new wine, full-bodied and golden, is a copy of the California Chardonnay. “It has great, great potential --you can taste the sun of Sicily in it,” we were told, which made its pairing with pasta just perfect. Umberto’s pastas were irresistible. The linguini came with lobster from Sardinia and pieces of a Granny Smith apple(!), the taglioni was served with tangy sea bass fishballs, and the risotto with a red wine sauce, chunks of monkfish and the unexpected but delightful addition of tart red currants. Our third wine was the award winning Avvoltore, a Tuscan blend of 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and to add a touch of spice, 5% Syrrah grapes. Ruby-red and soft on the palate, it had a deep, long-lasting finish and was well partnered with salmon sautéed with pistachios, sesame seeds and asparagus -- a wonderfully novel combination of flavors and textures, and entrecorte seasoned with four peppers and served with a terrine of potatoes with black truffles in a wine sauce. A selection of Italian cheeses preceded the surprise dessert which arrived just as we were about to follow the lead of the American woman in the picture hat at the next table who proclaimed her berry ice cream “the best dessert I ever tasted!” She and her husband, who were seated before we arrived and were lingering over their Sambuca when we were done, are New York transplants, living in Rome now for half a dozen years. They dine at Vivendo regularly, they told us. It’s one of their favorite Roman restaurants in Rome. “People often come here and spend an entire evening,” Stephen Alden said. “About one third are guests at the hotel, another third are from other luxury hotels, and yet another third are Romans. As our diners are varied, so are our hotel guests. We have international delegations that are visiting for state affairs, individual travelers from North America and Europe, people from the fashion and movie industries. It’s a very healthy mix, and it gives us an obligation to innovate.
Early each morning, we woke to café au lait, croissants and the day’s copy of the International Herald Tribune, courtesy of Maurizio. Late each afternoon, we’d return from a day of sight-seeing and find delectable marzipan tarts waiting for us – treats from Martin. Our anything but silent butlers attended to our dry cleaning, kept the flowers fresh, and were able to provide information about any sites we wanted to see. But we demurred when Maurizio offered to unpack for us. “Instead,” we said, “we’d like to see the Royal Suite.”
It seemed to us these suites also represented, each in its own way, the heritage of art Stephen Alden spoke of. The St. Regis Grand is part of a continuum in a city steeped in artistic creation from ancient through modern times. Natale Mastrantonio, the head concierge who sees his role as being “a friend to the guests,” was around before the renovations. “We were all sent to work elsewhere during the nine month period,” he told us. “Some went to Sardinia, some to Venice, some to the Excelsior in Rome. We were all happy to go out and have a new experience knowing we would come back to the same job. “The hotel needed to change. It needed to be cleaned and brought up to date; it needed a facelift. After we reopened, we had a wonderful New Year’s Eve party in the Salle Ritz. The hotel was full. It was a great moment, a new beginning. People were curious because the name Grand is so famous. They came to see what had been done. “What has changed most is the guests. There are more Americans now because of Starwood.”
All Photos by Harvey Frommer * * * The St. Regis Grand – Rome Phone: (39) 0647092736 About the
Authors: Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer are a wife and husband team who
successfully bridge the worlds of popular culture and traditional scholarship.
Co-authors of the critically acclaimed interactive oral histories It Happened in
the Catskills, It Happened in Brooklyn, Growing Up Jewish in America, It
Happened on Broadway, and It Happened in Manhattan, they teach what they
practice as professors at Dartmouth College. This Article is Copyright © 1995 - 2011 by Harvey and Myrna Frommer. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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