Orient Express La Minerva is the latest five-star hotel to open in Rome.

The first Orient Express Hotel in the world has opened in the historic heart of Rome, a stone's throw away from the Pantheon, amid a boom in the capital's luxury hospitality sector.

The five-star hotel, named La Minerva after the piazza where it is located, was inaugurated by Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri and the CEO of Arsenale Group, which owns the hotel, Paolo Barletta.

The hotel, linked to the Orient Express brand best known for luxury rail travel, is housed in the former La Minerva hotel which first opened to guests, including Stendhal, in 1811.

The building, which dates to the 17th century, has been completely renovated by the French-Mexican architect and designer Hugo Toro in a style that combines art deco with contemporary elegance.

The hotel in Piazza della Minerva hosts 93 rooms and 36 suites, with each room described as a "homage to the golden age of travel", equipped with bespoke bedside trunks and wooden details "reminiscent of the legendary carriages".

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Orient Express La Minerva will offer three dining venues: La Minerva Bar, beneath a glass roof in the lobby; the rooftop Gigi Rigolatto, opening to the public in May; and Japanese restaurant Mimi Kakushi set to open in the coming months.

The new hotel opens following the recent launch of La Dolce Vita Orient Express and comes ahead of the opening of the Orient Express Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice later this year.