Qatari group buys iconic Westin Excelsior Hotel in Rome

Excelsior became a symbol of Italian elegance and opulence in the 1960s when it became synonymous with the film La Dolce Vita and a hotspot for celebrities

One of Rome’s most iconic treasures, the Westin Excelsior hotel, has been sold for €222m to a Qatari hotel group that already owns two big luxury hotels in Italy.

The Excelsior opened on Via Veneto in 1906 but became a symbol of Italian elegance and opulence in the 1960s, when it became synonymous with Federico Fellini’s landmark film La Dolce Vita and a hotspot for celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who were often photographed by paparazzi exiting the glamorous hotel.