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Hotel & Other Overnight Accommodations

Hotel Maalot: hats off to RPM Proget’s home from home in Rome

The project recalls the atmospheres of an English residence from the fabric wallcoverings, the carpet flooring, the furnishings, the lamps and the colours of the 30 rooms

by Georgina Johnston 25 February 2021

This personality is completed with details such as the choice of physical keys instead of magnetic cards to create the feeling of a manor, rather than a hotel. Precisely for this reason, comfort is at the core of the project, from the rooms to the common areas, from the soft textiles to the smooth and harmoniously mixed colours.

The building, within which the Maalot Hotel is housed, features four floors with an estimated 3,000 sq m, and mimics an elegant ‘palazzo’ of the 19th century. The hotel overlooks the Via delle Muratte, along the path connecting the Pantheon with the Parliament and the Trevi Fountain, boasting the record as the busiest pedestrian area in Europe; formerly called 'The street of artists', it’s where the painters' ateliers lived together with antique dealers' shops and quality craftsmanship workshops. 

When in Rome, it is quite unusual to enter the restaurant area to access the hotel rooms, at the Maalot Hotel, a hostess recognises the guests, accompanying them to the table if they have booked at the restaurant, or addressing them to the hotel area, if guests want to retire to their room.

The rooms are classified according to useful surface, from the classic 16 sq m with a double bed to those between 25 and 27 sq m, from rooms with living areas to more important spaces in the form of mini-apartments with a small living room and a library, or with spectacular stone fireplaces.

A common feature of the rooms is the presence of a walk-in closet made-to-measure in Daniela walnut wood with an area for hangers and shoe racks and one for the chest of drawers with the refrigerator and a shelf for the built-in safe inside.

Bathrooms are divided into two separate areas covered in open-scrub arabesque Calacatta marble, like the countertop of the washbasins. The two rooms in the attic feature precious Portoro marbles with black background and gold veins giving a refined and relaxing atmosphere, also due to the Daniela wood, a very blond walnut used in the bathroom, that blends with Portoro marble and its black and gold background.

Special attention has been paid to the textiles in the rooms, where fine fabrics cover the walls with a harmony of colours pleasantly coordinated with other textile elements such as the curtains, the padded headboards and the upholstered chairs, armchairs and sofas. A carpet in different colours different from room to room has been used for flooring.

The paintings inside the rooms are inspired by a song by Marvin Gaye, 'Wherever I lay my hat, that’s my home'; this concept is widespread in the interiors to communicate the idea of being at home and for this reason, the hat is the main actor of the graphic illustration inside the rooms, resulting in a coherent story that also continues in the restaurant, to follow the theme of the 'art gallery' in line with the artistic soul of via delle Muratte.

All the aspects that have inspired the genesis of this project by RPM Proget ideally converge in the design of the restaurant, a location with about 60 seats designed for a niche clientele.

The choice of colours has been oriented towards soft tones, where greens and beiges prevail, with lush plants that descend from a closed skylight, while the flooring is made up of an aged oak parquet in a warm honey tone.

This space expresses the 'green' vision that never fails in RPM Proget's works and that has found here the right conditions to create a unique and evocative environment and a fully immersive experience that blends historical charm and elegance.

The restaurant is like a living room surrounded by green curtains, a secret garden in the heart of Rome. The restaurant rooms are designed as an elegant art gallery where painters exhibit their evocative paintings, as it happened when this was the 'street of artists'.

Exploring the main restaurant room and the lounge, where the cocktail counter is located, one almost accidentally runs into the reception, housed in a refined study showcasing a rich selection of books available to guests.

Lighting is a point of pride in this project, because each single lamp in the bedrooms (table lamps, reading lamps, frame lamps, abat-jour) and in the common areas, was designed by RPM Proget in a full creative expression and on own design, particularly impressive is the chandelier in the restaurant which is 180 cm width by 180 cm high.

The theme of acoustics is about the whole project, having seen an overall structural intervention both on the floorings and on the walls with the application of gypsum fibre and Silent Diamond panels that reduce noise. The idea of 'dressing the rooms in fabric' further contributes to lower the noise, instinctively inviting to keep the volume of voice down, the carpet floor and the padded fabric coverings create a muffled effect that leads to the maximum soundproofing effect.

All fabrics are fireproof in compliance with the standards. To overcome the limited variety of colours and decorative motifs of this type of product, custom-made fabrics from Italian manufacturers have been used, taking advantage of charming and original decorations combined with the requested flame-retardant performance.

The hotel offers a gym of almost 100 sq m, whilst many hotels offer classic equipment and anonymous spaces, a 'furnished' gym has been created here with mirrors and ebonised wood panelling giving an effect of great comfort. An ‘Omnia’ machine has been installed in collaboration with Tecnogym, a mix of free body and tools introducing a new philosophy that makes the environment fresh and exciting. 

RPM Proget
Italy Rome

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