This year, the iconic fivestar Hotel Hassler Roma marks its 125th anniversary. Since its opening in 1893, Hassler Roma has always enjoyed the coveted position as the most prestigious hotel in Rome, commanding one of the most exclusive views in the world over the churches, domes and rooftops of the Eternal City. Set theatrically at the top of the Spanish Steps, next to the magnificent 16thcentury Trinità dei Monti church, Hassler has attracted royalty, celebrity, writers, artists and musicians, opinion leaders from all over the world with its oneofakind status. The hotel acted as Eisenhower‘s HQ before the war, the place that Audrey Hepburn called home while filming Roman Holiday, and the honeymoon spot for Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier.

The Hassler Roma is owned and managed by Roberto E. Wirth, fifth generation of the famous Swiss hotelier family. The dynasty of Roberto E. Wirth‘s hotelier family began with FranzJosef Bucher, now considered one of the pioneers of the hotel industry in Europe. In the 1870s, Bucher bought and developed the Trittalp area of Switzerland, and within a couple of years, he built several hotels and specialized in a new field, that of transportation and lift facilities, building funiculars. However, FranzJosef Bucher‘s real passion was the hotel business. Therefore, in 1890 he sent his soninlaw, Heinrich Wirth, to Rome to become the manager of the Hotel Minerva, in the city center. In 1921, Oscar Wirth, Heinrich‘s youngest son, followed in his family‘s footsteps and became partner with a German hotelier, Franz Nistelweck, soninlaw of the Swiss Hotelier, Albert Hassler. Together they managed the Hassler hotels until 1964, when Oscar became the sole owner of the prestigious Hassler hotel. In 1939, Oscar demolished the building almost entirely in order to rebuild it. Thereafter the hotel was requisitioned by the U.S. Air Force to serve as their Rome headquarters during World War II. The new Hassler was finally opened to the public in 1947.