Our Story

In the heart of Rome, the Best Western Plus Hotel Universo is not just a place to stay, but a fascinating piece of history that chronicles the evolution of Italian hospitality. Founded in 1900, the hotel emerged as a luxury establishment frequented by artists and aristocrats who sought high-end hospitality.

The story of the Roscioli family begins in the 1920s in Milan, where a chance meeting between Anna Maria Pallavicini and Giuseppe Roscioli, maître of the Vagoni Letto company, begins a great love affair. After opening a small pensione in Nice and with their first child, they decided to return to Italy to seek their fortune in Rome.

In 1932, after a chance meeting at the Grand’Italia bar, they discovered a small boarding house for sale in a 19th-century building: thus Hotel Universo was born. This establishment is immediately distinguished by the presence of hot and cold running water in all rooms.

During World War II, in 1943, the hotel is occupied first by the Germans, who turn it into the base of the German troops’ stage command, and later by the British. The Roscioli family is forced to abandon the building and, upon its return, finds it severely damaged. Reconstruction work begins immediately after the end of the war and, in 1947, the hotel reopens its doors, resuming its path of growth.

In 1953, the Universo became Rome’s first three-star hotel with air conditioning and automatic elevators, also opening the city’s largest conference hall, with 300 seats.

Over the years, the hotel has undergone expansions and renovations, creating a fascinating architecture composed of several buildings. This variety is not only a sign of the times, but an opportunity for guests to discover unique corners and different stories. Thanks to this continuous path of evolution and improvement, Hotel Universo has been awarded its fourth star, consolidating itself as a reference point of Roman hospitality.