DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste

Situated on Piazza della Repubblica, steps from Piazza Unità d’Italia and the Trieste seafront, the DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste occupies Palazzo RAS, a landmark early twentieth-century building designed by architects Ruggero and Arduino Berlam — central figures of Italian eclecticism — and constructed between 1911 and 1913 as the headquarters of the Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà. Part of the HNH Hospitality S.p.A. portfolio and protected by Italy’s heritage authority, the Soprintendenza Archeologica Belle Arti e Paesaggio, the four-star property is the result of a major conservation restoration that transformed the palazzo’s original executive offices into a hotel while safeguarding its architectural and artistic integrity.

The building’s historical character permeates every corner of the interior. Original stucco work, decorative mosaics, period fireplaces, monumental staircases, and stained-glass windows coexist alongside considered contemporary design. The dramatic entrance lobby is anchored by a monumental marble fountain depicting Mercury with three lions, a reference to Trieste’s commercial and maritime heritage. On the first floor, the palazzo’s original early twentieth-century elevator — still in operation — stands beside the sweeping staircase, while the guest rooms retain wooden floors, ornamental ceilings, and decorative fireplaces that speak directly to the building’s distinguished past.

The hotel’s social spaces extend this dialogue between history and the present. The Berlam Coffee Tea & Cocktail bar, named in honour of the building’s architects, offers a setting for aperitivo and after-dinner drinks that evokes the tradition of Trieste’s celebrated literary café culture. The city’s broader legacy — its Mitteleuropean atmosphere, its associations with writers such as James Joyce, Italo Svevo, and Umberto Saba — remains close at hand, making the DoubleTree by Hilton Trieste a natural base for travellers drawn to one of Europe’s most culturally layered port cities.