Rome's luxury hotel market continues to expand at a remarkable pace, with 14 new high-end properties expected to open by 2027, adding around 1,500 rooms to the Italian capital's premium accommodation offering. Among the most anticipated openings are the Bulgari Hotel in Piazza Augusto Imperatore and the Nobu Hotel, backed by actor Robert De Niro, on Via Veneto, where the new Ambasciatori Palace recently celebrated its opening. Other flagship properties include Palazzo Naiadi in Piazza della Repubblica, Six Senses on Via del Corso, the Orient Express Hotel in Piazza della Minerva, as well as a growing collection of boutique design hotels and carefully restored historic residences. Over the past decade, Rome has attracted more investment in five-star hotels than any other European destination, although many of these projects are still awaiting completion. Just two months ago, the Corinthia Hotel opened in Piazza del Parlamento after a seven-year restoration of the former Bank of Italy headquarters, a landmark building designed by architects Pio and Marcello Piacentini. The hotel also features a restaurant led by acclaimed Italian chef Carlo Cracco. Elsewhere in the city, work is well advanced on the Mandarin Oriental, which is transforming the former UniCredit villas on Via Boncompagni, while the Rosewood is under development in the former BNL headquarters opposite the US Embassy in the heart of the city's famed Dolce Vita district. Rome's luxury hotel sector is also undergoing significant rebranding. The historic Majestic Hotel has been acquired by private equity fund Edmond de Rothschild and will be redeveloped as the Baccarat Hotel. The capital now ranks second only to London in Europe for the number of ultra-luxury hotel rooms. Another notable addition will be Palazzo Sanzio, which is scheduled to open this summer as a Radisson Collection Hotel. The early 20th-century riverside building overlooking the Tiber will offer 70 rooms and suites. Luxury hotels also recorded the strongest growth in visitor numbers last year, welcoming 1.4 million guests, up 5.9 per cent year on year, while overnight stays approached three million, an increase of 5.6 per cent.