Left unfinished by Donato Bramante (chief architect of St. Peter’s Basilica), the 16th-century Palace of the Courthouses has been converted into the contemporary St. George Roma Hotel. At the in-house spa, relax the way the ancients did, in a Roman bath, or unwind with a shiatsu massage beneath one of Bramante’s original arches. Enjoy a handmade cigar in the hotel’s cigar lounge, and listen to nearby church bells from the rooftop bar.

From $380, Via Giulia 62, 39/06-68-6611, stgeorgehotel.it. Photo courtesy of St. George Roma Hotel. This appeared in the May/June 2011 issue.