Callie in Rome: Hotel Hassler Interview
Callie Frye, Daily Moth Reporter: This is a bathtub with a view of the city of Rome. Incredible. A dream.
[Video clip from top of the Hassler Roma hotel that shows sweeping views of the Rome skyline. A second video clip shows an ornate wooden suite with Roberto Wirth walking and showing the room]
Callie: How many rooms does the hotel have?
Roberto Wirth, Hassler Owner: In the past, there were 108 rooms. But now there are 87. It’s because the rooms were smaller in the past. They were smaller with bathrooms in them. It was a four-star hotel and now it’s a five-star. We had to expand them due to competition.
[Video clip of a hotel suite with ornate, patterned furniture, tile floor, and white sheer curtains]
[Image of Spanish Steps in Rome with text that reads: “The Hassler Roma is a five-star hotel located at the top of the Spanish Steps in Rome, Italy.]
Wirth: My brother asked me who would buy the 50%-50% stake in the hotel. It wasn’t good to have it split up as it’s better to have one owner. My brother proposed it and asked whether I wanted to buy it or for him to. This really made me happy and I made an offer. The contracts were signed in 2001 and I became the 100% owner.
[Two images showing a black tiled shower and a tub with a window views of the Rome skyline]
Wirth: The cost for a room at this hotel depends on the level of luxury. Deluxe, super deluxe. The cheapest room is about $750 plus VAT, then it goes up to $900, $1,000, and the most expensive room is at $15,000. For a suite.
[Video clip showing a dining table with a panoramic view of the Rome skyline]
Wirth: Many people have money and they travel. It surprised me. I don’t have that, but they do. For example, I had a very interesting client come in. His name is Tim Cook.
Callie: Yes, he owns Apple!
Wirth: Yes. Before him, It was Steve (Jobs). He would come often. I knew Steve. We had conversations.
[Video clip from the roof of the Hassler showing twin spires of a church and the Rome skyline]
Wirth: A woman named Audrey Hepburn.
Callie: Yes!
Wirth: She is a movie star. She used to be married to an Italian man and they had a son who lived here in Rome. So she would always come here every year and stay at this hotel. It was her “home.”
Movie stars, politicians, writers, musicians, and many other kinds of celebrities come here. For which movie stars, there are so many who came here over time. Tom Cruise, Clooney, Russell Crowe… For film producers, Tarantino is a frequent guest. I’ve seen him working hard on new films. He’s always writing and so focused. He sits at various places and in the living room to focus on writing material. Then we have Martin Scorsese. Tim Burton.
Callie: Yes.
Wirth: Woody Allen.
Callie: Yes.
Wirth: And all the others. So many.
[Video clip of tables in a restaurant with windows showing a panoramic view of the Rome skyline]
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Callie: What impact did the coronavirus pandemic have on the hotel and the business? How did you recover, if not fully?
Wirth: Last year, in February, I started to read about the coronavirus, that a virus was coming. There were people being hospitalized. It caused me concern. The Italian government issued a warning and a quarantine order. January and February were good months with many people coming. But then rooms were cancelled in March. I noticed the cancellations on my schedule. Bookings went down and it was empty. I decided to close the hotel. I do feel disappointed, it’s a big blow to my heart because I’m used to doing this for almost 40 years. A lot of people all the time, business was going good. It made me happy. But for the first time, it became depressing. I realized I was truly in hell. It was worse than wartime. Lights were being turned off. Workers were gone. It was just me and my son here like it was a big house. I couldn’t believe it. But it was a good experience for me. I don’t like it, though. I thought it would last only four months, but it is said that it will finally end in 2024. It’s shocking and I didn’t believe it at first, but it’s true. 2024 is when things will become perfect again with no more virus in the air. It’s said in the papers and I believe it. It’s now 2021 and things are slowly getting better. We do have a good amount of reservations, but it’s not a full house. Maybe 30 or 40 percent. The restaurant here is full, though. We have two restaurants. One is a bistro, which is easy with Italian food. The second is a Michelin-starred restaurant upstairs. It is very successful. Many Italians, all Roman Italians, come upstairs to eat. In the past, it was all foreigners, such as Americans or others. There were a few Italians. But for the first time, all Romans are eating upstairs. Those in Rome who never saw this hotel before now know it. It’s funny how that happened. So, we’ve brought in many Roman people who are local. We are doing well.
Callie: Thank you so much for sharing a wealth of information about your business and your life. It is a very interesting conversation and fascinating, too. Thank you for your time. I truly appreciate it.
Hassler Info: https://www.hotelhasslerroma.com/