With its 15 guest rooms and antique furniture arranged in eclectic fashion, it's obvious the Villa Duse was a private residence until around 2010, when the owners transformed it into an upscale boutique hotel with a garden, small lobby, and breakfast room. The entire hotel is an elegant mix of gaudy antique chandeliers and gold-framed mirrors offset by original contemporary paintings and sculptures. Every corner of the Villa Duse is carefully and stylistically designed. Kids are welcome here, but the majority of guests are couples.

The Villa Duse is located in an elegant residential district of Rome, not far from the Auditorium Parco della Musica, the MAXXI, and a pair of Rome’s most beautiful parks -- Villa Borghese and Villa Ada. The area has plenty of upscale, high-quality (but non-touristy) restaurants. Rome’s historic center -- the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum -- is about 20 minutes away by bus or 15 minutes by taxi. There are frequent buses to the Termini bus/train station from a stop around the corner from the hotel. The tram to the Vatican (15 minutes) leaves from a piazza 10 minutes' walk from the hotel. The No. 360 bus can get guests to Termini station in less than 20 minutes, and from there, a train to the airport is about 40 minutes.

Not one of the Duse’s 15 rooms looks like another in the hotel, although each is adorned with thick curtains and upholstery, and gilded light fixtures that look like something out of a royal chamber. Some rooms are more spacious than others, but none of them are tiny. The beds feature designer Rivolta Carmignani linens, and there are one-of-a kind antique chairs and tables in each room, some dating back hundreds of years. Each room includes a large and luxurious marble bathroom with tub and massage showerheads, bathrobes, and slippers. The bedrooms have a desk and work space, satellite, LCD TV, stocked minibars, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms have lovely terraces overlooking the garden and tree-lined neighborhood.

In addition to the free breakfast buffet that includes freshly baked pastries, local cheeses, and Italian coffee, there's a private garden perfect for sipping a glass of wine. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property and the Duse offers parking (paid) at a nearby garage. Staff can assist at the 24-hour reception desk or provide concierge service for such requests as museum ticket printouts and airport transfers. Laundry service is available for a fee. There isn't an on-site restaurant or bar, though there are several options within walking distance.