Bill Gates plans to rebuild 17th-century palazzo into Rome's first six-star hotel

The first six-star hotel will soon appear in Rome, according to The Daily Beast. It will be located in Palazzo Marini, a 17th-century building that occupies an entire side of Piazza San Silvestro in the center of the Italian capital. Just a few blocks away - the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and Via Condotti with the most expensive shops.

The new hotel of the Four Seasons Hotels chain is a project of Bill Gates. Recently he was denied an attempt to acquire the historic Hotel Danieli in Venice, but the authorities of Rome were more accommodating, and now Gates is processing documents for the purchase of the Palazzo Marini and, along with his partner, the nephew of the King of Saudi Arabia, billionaire investor Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud. They have already made a down payment of $21 million out of a total of $170 million.

The construction of the palazzo began in 1650 by the famous architect and sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini. The building was the home of noble families, then it housed the Papal Tribunal. The rooftop offers panoramic views of Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, the Spanish Steps and the gardens of Villa Borghese. In recent years, a small IKEA showroom has been operating on the ground floor of the palazzo, and a cafeteria for employees of the lower house of the Italian Parliament, which is located nearby, has been operating on the upper floors. Now the building is to be turned into a luxury hotel with 100 rooms. The reconstruction budget will be $120 million.

Gates' partner in the deal is called the Saudi Warren Buffett. The 67-year-old nephew of the current king owns a fortune of $17 billion.

As for the Four Seasons, Gates' hotel chain now has 122 hotels and resorts and 48 residential properties in 47 countries around the world. 50 new projects are under development.