Every May, Rome becomes the capital of clay. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia fills the Foro Italico and half the city seems to carry a racquet bag. Yet very few hotels in Rome have a court of their own: the historic centre is built for palazzi, not baselines. This guide covers the handful that do, in the city and across Lazio, plus the clubs where visitors can book a court and the tournament dates.
This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Quick answer: the best tennis hotels in and around Rome
- Best overall: Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, on Monte Mario, with two floodlit clay courts above the Foro Italico.
- Best for court time: Hotel All Time Relais & Sport, EUR, with eight courts, three indoors.
- Best near the Vatican: Crowne Plaza Rome St. Peter’s, with tennis, a spa and indoor and outdoor pools.
- Best for wellness: Palazzo Fiuggi, a medical spa retreat with a tennis court and a padel court, about 75 minutes from Rome.
- Best by the sea: Hotel Le Dune, Sabaudia, with two floodlit clay courts and a private beach.
If Rome is one stop on a longer trip, our hub on the best luxury hotels with tennis courts in Italy compares the capital with the lakes, Tuscany and the south.
Check prices and availability
Hotels near the Foro Italico sell out early for the two tournament weeks in May. If your dates are fixed, compare rates as soon as the schedule is published.
The best hotels in and around Rome with their own tennis courts
Each hotel below has tennis on its own grounds or at a sports club it runs next door. Rome has few such hotels, so we include upscale four-star sports hotels where the courts are the main reason to stay. Where details could not be confirmed, ask the hotel.
Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel (Monte Mario, Rome)
Rome Cavalieri sits in a private park on Monte Mario, the green hill directly above the Foro Italico, which makes it the natural luxury base for tournament week. The hotel has two clay courts built to Davis Cup standard, floodlit for evening play and open daily from 7am to 10pm, weather permitting. Some booking platforms mention a resident tennis professional, but the hotel does not publish its coaching offer, so ask the concierge to arrange lessons or a hitting partner before you arrive. No padel court is advertised.
Off court there is a main outdoor pool with a bar, two family pools (one only for small children), an indoor pool under a glass dome for the cooler months, a large spa and Heinz Beck’s La Pergola on the roof. Our full Rome Cavalieri review covers rooms and dining in detail.
Best for: tournament week, and city breaks where a morning set on clay comes before the Vatican Museums.
Charlotte’s tip: play at seven, watch at eleven
During the Internazionali, book the Cavalieri courts for 7am. The air is cool, and you reach the Foro Italico in time for the first matches on the outside courts, where week one’s best close-up tennis happens. Reserve the floodlit court for a second hit on a rest day.
LH Hotel Excel Roma Montemario (Monte Mario, Rome)
This four-star hotel stands on the edge of a regional park on the far side of Monte Mario, about ten minutes by car from the Foro Italico. Its sports facilities are run by the sister Excel Sporting Club next door, and court use costs extra. Our research turned up contradictory information on the courts: one hotel review site lists five red clay courts, a booking platform describes a single court in the garden alongside a summary mentioning four courts and padel, and a tennis travel site mentions both covered and outdoor tennis and padel courts. It was not clear to us which applies today, so confirm the number, surface, floodlights and coaching with the hotel before you book.
Otherwise expect a summer lagoon-style pool (extra charge) and a sauna.
Best for: players who want to train seriously during the tournament and are happy to trade polish for proximity.
Check rates at LH Hotel Excel Roma Montemario
Crowne Plaza Rome St. Peter’s, an IHG Hotel (Via Aurelia Antica, Rome)
On the quiet Via Aurelia Antica, a few kilometres southwest of St Peter’s and close to the Villa Doria Pamphili park, this four-star hotel combines tennis with a proper spa. Sources disagree on the number of courts: a tennis travel site lists two on-site courts, while a hotel comparison site describes a single court with lessons on request. It was not clear to us which is current, so ask the hotel, along with the surface and whether the court is floodlit.
The Roman Baths spa circuit has a heated indoor pool, hydromassage, sauna and Turkish bath, and there is a seasonal outdoor pool with a children’s pool and pool bar, open in the summer months. A shuttle runs to the city centre.
Best for: families and couples who want a Vatican-side base with tennis, a spa and a pool, at a lower price than Monte Mario’s grand hotel.
Check rates at Crowne Plaza Rome St. Peter’s
Hotel All Time Relais & Sport (EUR, Rome)
Set in the southern EUR district just inside the ring road, this four-star hotel of around 70 rooms works with the All Round sports centre next door, and the numbers show it: eight tennis courts, three indoor and five outdoor. Surface, floodlights, padel and coaching are not published, so ask the hotel. The sports centre is open to the public, so book evening slots early.
Two indoor pools and an outdoor pool, a sauna, steam bath and whirlpool complete the picture. The centre is about half an hour by car, Fiumicino about 20 minutes.
Best for: tennis-first trips, winter play on indoor courts, and a last night near the airport.
Check rates at Hotel All Time Relais & Sport
Palazzo Fiuggi (Fiuggi, Lazio)
About 75 minutes southeast of Rome, this grand early 20th century palazzo in the spa town of Fiuggi is now a five-star medical wellness retreat. Its UK tour operator lists one tennis court and one padel court, while an older listing from before the relaunch, under the former name Grand Hotel Palazzo della Fonte, mentions two courts. Confirm the count, surface and lights with the hotel.
Expect a 6,000 square metre spa, indoor and outdoor pools fed by Fiuggi’s mineral water, yoga and Pilates, and menus designed by Heinz Beck. Most stays are structured programmes of three nights or more, and the hotel is closed from 10 to 26 December 2026.
Best for: a reset after tournament week, with a daily hit between treatments.
Hotel Le Dune (Sabaudia, Lazio coast)
In Sabaudia, about 90 minutes south of Rome by the Circeo National Park, Hotel Le Dune is a four-star beach hotel with direct access to its own sandy beach and two clay tennis courts with night lighting, so you can play once the sea breeze has cooled the evening. Padel and coaching are not advertised, so ask the hotel.
There is a seasonal outdoor pool, a wellness centre with massages and treatments, a fitness room and a kids club that runs from June to September. The hotel does not publish its opening season: ask the hotel if you plan to travel outside summer.
Best for: combining a few days at the Internazionali with beach and tennis on the coast.
Hotel Villa Clementina (Bracciano, Lazio)
A small four-star retreat near Lake Bracciano, about an hour northwest of Rome, with just seven rooms in a single building. Booking platforms list an outdoor tennis court in the garden, though the hotel publishes no details on surface or lights, so ask the hotel.
The Acquae Spa has a sauna, hot tub, steam room and Turkish bath (under 16s not admitted), the outdoor pool runs from mid-May to the end of September, and DegustARTE serves Italian cooking in the evening.
Best for: couples who want a quiet countryside base with a private feel and a court on the doorstep.
Check rates at Hotel Villa Clementina
Check prices and availability
Want sea air after the clay of the Foro Italico? Sabaudia’s beach hotels make an easy second stop, with summer evenings made for tennis under lights.
Comparison table: tennis hotels around Rome at a glance
| Hotel | Area | Courts and surface | Extras | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome Cavalieri | Monte Mario | 2 clay, floodlit | Indoor and outdoor pools, spa | Tournament week |
| LH Excel Roma Montemario | Monte Mario | Sources unclear: ask the hotel | Sporting club, summer pool | Training near the Foro |
| Crowne Plaza St. Peter’s | Via Aurelia Antica | 1 or 2 courts, surface: ask the hotel | Spa, indoor pool | Vatican side |
| All Time Relais & Sport | EUR | 8 (3 indoor), surface: ask the hotel | 3 pools, sauna | Year-round play |
| Palazzo Fiuggi | Fiuggi | 1 tennis, 1 padel (sources differ) | Medical spa, mineral pools | Wellness |
| Hotel Le Dune | Sabaudia | 2 clay, floodlit | Private beach, pool | Beach and tennis |
| Hotel Villa Clementina | Bracciano | 1 outdoor, surface: ask the hotel | Spa, summer pool | Quiet couples |
The Internazionali BNL d’Italia: dates and where to stay
The tournament is played at the Foro Italico, the 1930s sports complex on the Tiber below Monte Mario, with its marble-statued Pietrangeli court and the Campo Centrale. The 2026 edition ran from 5 to 17 May, with Jannik Sinner and Elina Svitolina taking the singles titles. For 2027, Rome’s official tourism portal lists the event from 27 April to 16 May 2027 and notes the programme may change, so check the official main draw dates before booking flights.
- Closest hotels with courts: Rome Cavalieri and LH Hotel Excel Roma Montemario, both on Monte Mario. The Cavalieri shuttle and a short taxi ride get you to the gates.
- Getting there from the centre: tram 2 from Piazzale Flaminio, beside Piazza del Popolo, to Piazza Mancini, then a walk across the river.
Where else to play tennis in Rome
Rome’s clubs play almost entirely on red clay. Access rules change, so ask your concierge to call ahead.
- Tennis Club Parioli: founded in 1906, with around 20 clay courts, padel and a pool. Visitors usually book directly with the club.
- Circolo Antico Tiro a Volo: four floodlit red clay courts in the north of the city, bookable through Playtomic, which is easy if you do not speak Italian.
- Ponte Milvio Tennis e Padel: clay courts near the Ponte Milvio bridge, with court hire and English-language lessons.
- Centro Sportivo Nicola Pietrangeli: public courts at the Foro Italico itself, bookable on Playtomic outside tournament weeks when available.
- Circolo Canottieri Aniene and Circolo Canottieri Lazio: private clubs on the Tiber with tournament-standard clay. Access is mainly through reciprocal arrangements with your home club.
For non-tennis days, our guide to the best day trips from Rome covers Tivoli, the Castelli Romani and the coast.
When to play tennis in Rome
- April to early June: the best season, and tournament time. Warm days, cool mornings, perfect clay.
- July and August: Rome regularly passes 30°C. Play before 9am or under floodlights, or head to the coast at Sabaudia.
- September and October: my favourite months: warm, golden and quieter, with courts easy to book.
- November to March: mild but often wet. Indoor courts at All Time Relais & Sport are the safest bet. Outdoor pools close, and Palazzo Fiuggi shuts from 10 to 26 December 2026.
Charlotte’s tip: pack clay shoes, and book Playtomic early
Bring herringbone-soled clay shoes, which some clubs insist on. Download Playtomic before you land: evening slots at the city clubs go days ahead in spring. If you want a different surface or a lake view next, compare our guides to tennis hotels on Lake Garda and the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento.
Hotels we looked at but did not include
Hotel Villa Pamphili appears with six tennis courts on an older review site, but its current fact sheet and Rome’s tourism portal mention no tennis at all, so we left it out until the hotel confirms. Castello della Castelluccia and Villa Agrippina Gran Meliá advertise no court, Park Hotel Villa Grazioli lists one only “nearby”, and Sheraton Rome Parco de’ Medici appears with a court on golf sites but not on Marriott’s own page. Heading north after Rome? See our guides to tennis hotels in Tuscany and tennis hotels in Sicily for the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Rome hotel is best for the Internazionali?
Rome Cavalieri, on Monte Mario directly above the Foro Italico, with two floodlit clay courts of its own. LH Hotel Excel Roma Montemario is a simpler option nearby.
When is the Internazionali BNL d’Italia 2027?
Rome’s tourism portal lists 27 April to 16 May 2027 at the Foro Italico, subject to change. The 2026 edition ran from 5 to 17 May.
Can I play tennis in central Rome without a hotel court?
Yes. Circolo Antico Tiro a Volo and the public courts at the Foro Italico can be booked on Playtomic, and Tennis Club Parioli accepts visitor bookings directly.
Where can I play tennis in Rome in winter?
Hotel All Time Relais & Sport in EUR has three indoor courts, which makes it the most reliable choice from November to March.
No court at your hotel? Our guide to where to play tennis in Rome lists the clay clubs visitors can book on Playtomic.
