Hospitality in Rome: An Ever-Evolving Art

Rome isn’t just a city to visit — it’s a place to live. For first-time arrivals the beauty of the monuments is striking, but what truly makes the Roman experience unique is hospitality: an age-old art, built on welcome, attention and human warmth.

A new way of living hospitality

In recent years the concept of hospitality in Rome has changed deeply. Today’s travellers seek not only a place to sleep, but an authentic, personalized experience rooted in the local environment.The ecosystem of accommodation in Rome has become more diverse, more segmented, and more dynamic than ever.

Rome as a record-breaking tourist destination

Rome is recording unprecedented numbers of visitors. In 2024 the city reported about 22.2 million arrivals and 51.4 million nights — a historic high. Spending by tourists has also grown sharply: visitors to Rome in 2024 spent approximately €13.3 billion, up ~16% from 2023. This resurgence is amplified by major upcoming events (such as the Jubilee 2025), meaning infrastructure, regulation and the accommodation market are under strong pressure.

The accommodation offer: from hotels to short-term apartments

Rome’s hospitality sector is broad: luxury hotels, boutique properties, B&Bs, holiday apartments, hostels, religious guesthouses and more.Some key numbers show the shift toward extra-hotel accommodation: a large share of the city’s supply is now made up of non-traditional hospitality formats.

The rise of short-term rentals and platform‐based supply

Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, Booking and others have become central in Rome. For example: Rome reportedly welcomed ~29,000 listings on Airbnb in recent analyses, with often high occupancy and revenue levels.This growth has transformed entire neighbourhoods and challenged both the hotel industry and municipal regulation.

Urban impact: opportunities and challenges

The economic benefits are clear: revenue for owners, new income streams, jobs in hospitality, food & beverage and services.But there are also serious questions: pressure on housing, rising rents, certain districts becoming dominated by tourists, and resident dissatisfaction. The term “Disneyfication” of the historic centre is increasingly used. Regulation and balance thus become key issues for the city.

Regulation, control and taxation

Rome (and Italy more broadly) has responded with several regulatory measures:

• stricter guest check-in rules (identity verification for short-term rentals),

• implementation of the national Registry of Accommodation Structures and the CIN (identification code) to monitor tourism rentals,

• tax measures aimed at short-term rentals (e.g., increase in flat tax rate for holiday rentals).These changes affect every operator in the hospitality market and shape strategic decisions.

  
  

Accommodation types and market trends

Visitors to Rome today can choose from a wide spectrum of stay-options:

• Hotels (2-5 stars): full service, professional hospitality, often chosen by business travellers or higher-end tourism.

• Boutique hotels / guesthouses: smaller, more intimate, design-oriented, often in historic buildings.

• B&Bs / guesthouses: family-run, local character, good value, strong presence across central and semicentral areas.

• Holiday apartments and short-term rentals: increasing in popularity for families, groups of friends, long stays; autonomy, kitchen, space.

• Hostels / budget accommodation: geared towards students, backpackers, younger travellers; often in well-connected zones like Termini or outskirts.

• Religious guesthouses / houses of hospitality: a peculiarity of Rome and Italy; often in convents or religious institutions; demand spikes in pilgrimage and event periods.There is a clear segmentation of demand and supply; the “experience” is now as important as the “place”.

  
  

Emerging trends in Roman hospitality

Looking ahead:

• Growth of regulated extra-hotel accommodation (B&Bs, holiday rentals) with formalization and registration.

• Further segmentation: from micro-apartments for digital nomads to premium apartments for luxury travellers to family-friendly stays in residential districts.

• Experience-rich stays: travellers expect more than a bed — local services, curated experiences, multilingual support.

• Sustainability and resident impact: the balance between tourist influx and quality of life for locals is pressing; conscious tourism models will become more important.

• Digitalization and smart hospitality systems: online platforms, mobile check-ins, tailored concierge services, data-driven pricing.

• Spread of supply beyond the historic centre: encouraging decentralization of flows into lesser-known districts to ease pressure and diversify guest experience.

  
  

Conclusion

Hospitality in Rome in 2025 is an ecosystem in motion:

• It is shaped by record-breaking visitor numbers,

• by a strong and growing extra-hotel component,

• by regulatory and fiscal change,

• and by the challenge of aligning economic opportunity with sustainable urban life.

For the traveller: Rome offers more accommodation choices than ever.For the hospitality operator: the city offers potential, but also demands professionalism, agility and strategic vision.Rome is not simply a destination — it’s a dynamic, living market of hospitality where the game is changing fast.