But also because it all takes place in a 16th-century palazzo where ancient artifacts were found, such as the marble head of Livia Drusilla, wife to the emperor Augustus. Only a few steps away from Piazza del Popolo, on Via di Ripetta, some of the 74 rooms and suites are decidedly futuristic, while others have original frescoes as a counterpoint to the modern bathrooms and the warmth of the Krion, the white material of the freestanding bathtubs in the middle of the rooms. And then there’s Alain Ducasse’s restaurant, the French chef's first major experiment since the launch of the sister hotel in Naples and the only part of the property open to the public.