The Westin Excelsior Rome
Sub-brand
UnclaimedHistoric luxury hotel on Rome's Via Veneto, opened in 1906 and operated under the Westin brand.
Last updated August 25, 2026
Overview
The Westin Excelsior Rome is a historic luxury hotel on Via Veneto in central Rome. The property opened as the Hotel Excelsior on 18 January 1906 and became one of the landmark grand hotels associated with the street's international reputation. Its original design was produced by Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini for the Schweizerische Actiengesellschaft für Hotelunternehmungen, a Lucerne-based hotel company. The hotel has repeatedly changed operating and ownership affiliations while retaining its historic identity. It was acquired by CIGA, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, in 1923. During the First World War, two floors were converted into a military hospital operated by the Italian Red Cross. During the German occupation of Rome in the Second World War, the building served as the residence and offices of Kurt Mälzer, the German military commander in the city. Following the Allied liberation of Rome in 1944, it was used temporarily as the headquarters of General Mark Clark. The hotel resumed guest operations in 1947. CIGA substantially enlarged the property in 1953 by acquiring the adjacent Banco di Napoli building, reconstructing its facade to harmonize with the original hotel, and adding a sixth floor across the building. The ownership chain later moved from CIGA, acquired by the Aga Khan IV in 1985, to ITT Sheraton in 1994. Under ITT Sheraton, the hotel was included in the company's Luxury Collection. After Sheraton was sold to Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1998, the property moved to Starwood's Westin division on 1 March 2000 and adopted the name The Westin Excelsior, Rome. A full renovation was carried out in 2000. Starwood sold the hotel to Qatar-based Katara Hospitality in 2015 for €222 million. The property nevertheless continued operating within the Westin system and is now marketed through Marriott International, which acquired Starwood in 2016. Its offer combines luxury accommodation, restaurants and bars, wellness and fitness facilities, event spaces, and a prominent historic setting. The property is especially recognized for its cupola and the two-level Villa La Cupola suite, located beneath it on the fifth and sixth floors. The suite is decorated with hand-painted frescoes and can include as many as seven bedrooms and a private cinema. The hotel also has a significant cultural and media profile. It hosted the cast and crew of Ben-Hur during filming in 1958, appeared in or around several film and television productions, and has been associated with the international image of Via Veneto established by postwar cinema. Its history includes wartime administrative and medical uses as well as decades of use by travelers, public figures, and film productions. It remains an active luxury hotel in Rome.
History
The Westin Excelsior Rome began as the Hotel Excelsior, opening on 18 January 1906 on Via Veneto in Rome. Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini designed the building for the Schweizerische Actiengesellschaft für Hotelunternehmungen, a hotel company based in Lucerne. From its beginning, the property was conceived as a grand urban hotel serving international visitors to the Italian capital. Its early history was interrupted by the First World War, when two floors were converted into a military hospital operated by the Italian Red Cross. In 1923, the hotel was sold to CIGA, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, which operated a network of prominent Italian hotels. The property later acquired an important wartime role. After the German invasion of Rome in 1943, it was used as the residence and offices of Kurt Mälzer, the German military commander responsible for the city. When Rome was liberated by Allied forces in 1944, the hotel became the temporary headquarters of General Mark Clark after the United States Army entered Rome. It reopened to ordinary guests in 1947. CIGA expanded the building in 1953. It purchased the adjacent Banco di Napoli building on the northern half of the block, rebuilt its facade so that it matched the original hotel, and added a sixth floor across the property. This expansion helped create the large and architecturally distinctive complex associated with the hotel today, including the prominent cupola and the spaces beneath it. Ownership changed again in the late twentieth century. The Aga Khan IV acquired CIGA in 1985 and sold the chain to ITT Sheraton in 1994. Under ITT Sheraton, the Excelsior was assigned to the Luxury Collection. Sheraton was subsequently sold to Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1998. On 1 March 2000, Starwood transferred the hotel to its Westin Hotels & Resorts division, renamed it The Westin Excelsior, Rome, and completed a full renovation. In 2015, Starwood sold the property to Katara Hospitality, a Qatar-based hotel owner and operator, for €222 million. The hotel remained associated with the Westin brand. Marriott International's acquisition of Starwood in 2016 subsequently brought Westin and the property into Marriott's wider hotel system. The hotel's architectural identity is central to its current luxury positioning. Its cupola shelters Villa La Cupola, a two-story suite extending across the fifth and sixth floors. The suite is known for hand-painted frescoes, a possible configuration of up to seven bedrooms, and a private cinema, making it one of the property's most distinctive accommodations. Other operations include guest rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, fitness facilities, meeting rooms, and event services. The Excelsior has also been used by the film and entertainment industries. The cast and crew of Ben-Hur stayed at the hotel during filming in 1958. Scenes connected with La Dolce Vita were filmed around the property in 1960, and Two Weeks in Another Town used the hotel in 1962. The building later appeared in the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War and in a scene from the 2009 musical film Nine. The 1973 film The Exorcist also refers to the Hotel Excelsior in Rome. These appearances reinforced the property's association with Via Veneto and Rome's postwar cinematic culture.
- 2016
Westin enters Marriott's portfolio
[3]Marriott's acquisition of Starwood placed the Westin brand and the Rome property within Marriott International.
- 2015
Sale to Katara Hospitality
[1]Katara Hospitality purchased the hotel from Starwood for €222 million.
- 2000
Transfer to Westin and renovation
[1]Starwood moved the property into its Westin division on 1 March 2000, renamed it, and completed a full renovation.
- 1994
ITT Sheraton acquires CIGA
[1]The property entered ITT Sheraton's Luxury Collection after the company acquired CIGA.
- 1985
CIGA acquired by the Aga Khan IV
[1]The Aga Khan IV acquired the CIGA hotel group, including the Excelsior.
- 1953
Major expansion
[1]CIGA expanded the complex by acquiring the neighboring Banco di Napoli building, matching its facade to the hotel, and adding a sixth floor.
- 1923
Acquisition by CIGA
[1]The hotel was sold to the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi.
- 1914
Part of the hotel becomes a military hospital
[1]During the First World War, two floors were converted into a military hospital operated by the Italian Red Cross.
- 1906
Hotel Excelsior opens
[1]The hotel opened on 18 January 1906 on Via Veneto, using a design by Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini.
Products and positioning
Historic grand hotel combining Roman heritage, luxury accommodation, distinctive architectural interiors, and the service platform of the Westin brand.
Accommodation · 1906
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's principal offering is luxury accommodation in a historic central-Rome setting. Rooms and suites combine the property's grand-hotel character with Westin guest-service standards and access to dining, fitness, concierge, and event facilities.
Signature suite
Villa La Cupola
Villa La Cupola is a two-story suite located on the fifth and sixth floors beneath the hotel's cupola. It is distinguished by hand-painted frescoes, a configuration of up to seven bedrooms, and a private cinema, positioning it as the property's signature ultra-luxury accommodation.
Food and beverage · 1906
Dining and bar services
The hotel provides restaurant and bar services for resident guests, visitors, and private events. These operations form part of its full-service luxury-hotel proposition in the center of Rome.
Events and business hospitality
Meetings and events
Meeting and event facilities support conferences, receptions, private functions, and other group occasions. The scale and historic character of the property allow it to serve both business travelers and ceremonial or social events.
Wellness
Fitness and wellness facilities
Fitness and wellness services complement the accommodation offer and reflect Westin's broader emphasis on guest well-being. The facilities are designed for hotel guests seeking exercise and recovery during a stay in Rome.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Nine filming
International cinema
A scene from the period musical Nine was filmed at the hotel.
Outcome. The appearance extended the hotel's screen presence into contemporary international film.
- 1983The Winds of War filming
International television
Portions of the television miniseries The Winds of War were filmed at the hotel.
Outcome. The property continued to function as a recognizable setting for period screen productions.
- 1962Two Weeks in Another Town filming
International cinema
The hotel was used as a filming location for Two Weeks in Another Town.
Outcome. The production added another international film credit to the property.
- 1960La Dolce Vita filming association
Italy · International cinema
The hotel and its surrounding Via Veneto setting appeared in connection with the filming of La Dolce Vita.
Outcome. The association strengthened the property's link with Rome's postwar cinematic image.
- 1958Ben-Hur production stay
International film production
The hotel hosted the cast and crew of Ben-Hur during filming in 1958, contributing to its visibility within the international film community.
Outcome. The stay became part of the property's entertainment and film history.
Brand decisions
2016
Bring Westin into Marriott InternationalM&ABackground
Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, including the Westin brand.
Action taken
The hotel became part of Marriott's global commercial and distribution platform while remaining associated with Westin.
Aftermath
The property continued to be marketed as The Westin Excelsior Rome through Marriott's hotel system.
2015
Sell the hotel to Katara HospitalityM&ABackground
Starwood divested the property as part of its ownership strategy for individual hotel assets.
Action taken
Starwood sold The Westin Excelsior Rome to Qatar-based Katara Hospitality.
Aftermath
Katara Hospitality became the property's owner, while the hotel continued operating under the Westin brand.
Reported sale price. €222 million (2015 transaction)
2000
Transfer the property to WestinStrategyBackground
After Starwood acquired Sheraton, the company reorganized the property's brand affiliation within its hotel portfolio.
Action taken
On 1 March 2000, Starwood transferred the Excelsior to its Westin Hotels & Resorts division, renamed it The Westin Excelsior, Rome, and completed a full renovation.
Aftermath
The hotel entered the Westin luxury-hospitality system while retaining its historic name and location identity.
1953
Expand the hotel complexStrategyBackground
CIGA sought to enlarge the established grand hotel while preserving a coherent architectural appearance.
Action taken
The company acquired the adjacent Banco di Napoli building, rebuilt its facade to match the hotel, and added a sixth floor to the property.
Aftermath
The expansion created the larger building complex associated with the hotel and its distinctive upper-level spaces.
Recent events
- 2016
The hotel becomes part of Marriott's global hotel platform[3]
M&A
Marriott International's acquisition of Starwood placed the Westin brand and the hotel within Marriott's portfolio.
- 2015
Katara Hospitality purchases The Westin Excelsior Rome[1]
M&A
Starwood sold the hotel to Qatar-based Katara Hospitality for €222 million. The hotel continued operating under the Westin flag.
- 2000
Excelsior transfers to Westin and is renamed[1]
Product generation
On 1 March 2000, Starwood transferred the property to its Westin Hotels & Resorts division. The hotel was renamed The Westin Excelsior, Rome and underwent a full renovation that year.
- 1994
The property moves into ITT Sheraton's Luxury Collection[1]
M&A
After ITT Sheraton acquired CIGA, the Excelsior was placed within its Luxury Collection portfolio.
- 1994
Kurt Cobain overdoses in a hotel suite[1]
Other
Kurt Cobain overdosed in one of the hotel's suites on 3 March 1994 while in Rome awaiting medical treatment. According to Courtney Love, the incident was a suicide attempt. Cobain died by suicide at his Seattle home the following month.
- 1953
CIGA expands and rebuilds the property[1]
Other
CIGA acquired the neighboring Banco di Napoli building, rebuilt its facade to match the hotel, and added a sixth floor to the combined structure.
- 1947
The hotel resumes guest operations[1]
Other
The property reopened to hotel guests after its wartime uses.
- 1944
Allied headquarters established at the hotel after Rome's liberation[1]
Other
Following the Allied entry into Rome, the hotel was temporarily used as the headquarters of General Mark Clark.
- 1943
The hotel serves wartime military functions in Rome[1]
Other
After the German invasion of Rome, the hotel became the residence and offices of Kurt Mälzer, the German military commander of the city.
- 1923
CIGA acquires the hotel[1]
M&A
The property was sold to CIGA, the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi, an Italian grand-hotel company.
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