[4] It was designed by Swiss architects Emil Vogt and Otto Maraini[1] and constructed by the Schweizerische Actiengesellschaft für Hotelunternehmungen, based in Lucerne, Switzerland.

[4] During World War I, two floors of the hotel were converted to a military hospital, operated by the Italian Red Cross.

[5] In 1953, CIGA expanded the hotel, purchasing the adjacent Banco di Napoli building on the north half of the block and rebuilding its facade to match the rest of the hotel, and also adding a sixth floor to the entire building.

Portions of the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War were filmed in the hotel,[12] as was a scene in the 2009 period musical Nine.

This suite is noted as one of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world, and includes hand-painted frescoes, up to seven bedrooms, and a private cinema.