Villagio Boutique Hotel opened in June 2025 inside Allegheny West's 1870 Rhodes Mansion, reworking the former Parador Inn bed-and-breakfast into a nine-room, Italian-city-themed hotel under owner Ed Taimuty. Rocco's Ristorante and the 1864 Club cigar lounge share the building, named for and inspired by Taimuty's Italian family history.
The essentials
Group Independent (owner Ed Taimuty)
Opening June 2025
Rooms & suites 9 rooms
Segment Boutique
Designer NC
Entry rate From $130 Learn more → The place The hotel occupies 939 Western Avenue in Allegheny West, a Victorian-era North Side neighborhood of restored mansions near Allegheny Commons and the Mattress Factory art museum, a short walk from the T's Allegheny station.
The concept The building is the 1870 Rhodes Mansion, built for Joshua Rhodes (a produce merchant turned brewer, banker and railroad executive) then owned for roughly 60 years by the Knights of Columbus, who added a ballroom in the 1930s. It later operated as The Parador Inn of Pittsburgh, a Caribbean-themed bed-and-breakfast, before Pittsburgh native and real-estate developer Ed Taimuty bought the property in December 2024 and reopened it in June 2025 as Villagio, a nine-room boutique hotel with each room themed after a different Italian city or region (Venice, Rome, Florence, the Alps) with matching artwork and décor.
The reopening is a full concept change rather than a light refresh: the Caribbean-inflected Parador Inn gives way to an Italian identity across the building, tying the hotel to a restaurant, cigar lounge and whiskey bar under the same roof.
Dining & wellness Rocco's Ristorante by Villagio, named for Taimuty's great-grandfather, occupies the ground floor with a chef-driven, multi-course Italian menu from chef Zachary Galante; the 1864 Club, a cigar-and-whiskey lounge in the rear of the building, is also available for private events.
Our take At nine rooms, this is one of the smallest properties this guide tracks anywhere (closer to a themed inn than a hotel by scale) but the full changeover from a Caribbean-styled B&B to an Italian-family concept, paired with a genuinely destination-worthy restaurant, is a real reinvention of the building rather than a coat of paint.
Google guest reviews 4.5/5 · 37 reviews
We booked this hotel sight-unseen on Expedia, knowing nothing about the property. This was one of the most delightful surprises we've ever encountered while traveling. The decor was stunning, our room was huge, the restaurant was amazing- just everything about it was top notch. From the outside, it's a very unassuming building on a fairly nondescript street, but once you step inside, you're in a time machine that evokes the Gilded Age, in a really good way. I can't say enough good things about the property, the staff, or the owners. Anytime I visit Pittsburgh in the future, this is where I'll stay.
We needed to stay in Pittsburgh for 2 days for an event. Hotel rooms downtown and Oakland were pricey. I did a search for a more affordable property and the Villagio showed up and we reserved a room. What a great choice! We loved this hotel. The building has been meticulously restored to its Gilded Age grandeur. It is more of a B&B than a hotel - without the breakfast. We stayed in the Amalfi room and enjoyed the historic details from the black marble mantle to the large closet with original "shirt" drawers. Sipping a martini in the lobby was a step back in time. We had dinner plans both evenings so we did not have a chance to eat in the onsite restaurant, Rocco's. It was always full and the menu looked good. There is a diner nextdoor for breakfast. I moved from the city over 40 years and this neighborhood has transformed - now full of restaurants, brew bars, coffee shops, and bookstores. We like to use public transportation and the hotel is about a 10 minute walk to the Allegheny T station - which is in the free zone to downtown. You can also easily walk to the Steelers stadium, casino, and science center. A few cautions - this is not a traditional hotel or for the Marriott crowd. There is no passenger elevator. Think a creaky staircase, stepping in an out of claw foot bathtub, and no blackout curtains. We need to return to Pittsburgh in October for a wedding and tried to reserve a room - but, unfortunately, the hotel is sold out that weekend.
If I could give this place 100 stars I would! We originally booked one night in the Calabria suite. We had such an incredible experience that we ended up booking an additional night in the Rome room. The ambiance throughout this hotel is an experience in itself! We were greeted with soft music playing throughout common areas as soon as we entered the foyer. The restoration of this building is top notch and the accommodations are lux. We ate at Rocco's - every bite was delicious, service was impeccable, and atmosphere was great. We shared a bottle of wine at the bar prior to dinner, and my husband was able to enjoy a cigar and a cocktail in the cigar bar also. The hotel is in close proximity to all the fun downtown attractions, but there is no need to leave as the hotel is an attraction in itself and a total experience. We travel frequently and our stay at The Vellagio is at the top! We enjoyed meeting Eddie and his sister, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Top notch and a true value for such incredible luxury!
Parking lot is very small, which they do warn you about prior to check in...However, when we arrived at check in time, it was impossible to park as a car was parked on the side of the building making manuvering into any space impossible. We left for about an hour and when we came back the car was gone so we were able to park. Honestly terrible timing, but the first impression was not great. The building is a beautiful historic home and upon walking in you're greeted by gorgeous decor but there is no front desk, so if you arrive late and have no idea where your room is you might have to hunt for it as there is no directory online or in the foyer. Fortunately we arrived during the restaurants opening so we were greeted by the owner and they showed us to our room. We stayed in the Naples room and it appears to be the old servant's quarters of the original home. A very large 2 floor room with a separate living area. First thought was how hot the entire room was, and the bedroom which is situated upstairs was even hotter. This is even with the two portable AC units going at 62 degrees non stop. The location and decor of the place is lovely, but they really need to not rent this particular room until they figure out the temperature. It got so hot in the bedroom we almost left at 2am as it was impossible to sleep. It's a shame because this room has a lovely potential to be a cute 2 bed suite or lovely large suite but the temperature regulation in the summer months is miserable. Definitely not what I expected when 'luxury' is mentioned in the description.
Positives: Easy to check in and out. Stunning theme rooms, comfy beds, boiling hot shower, Keurig/microwave/mini fridge/iron/tiny lavender mint soaps/fluffy towels & robes. Like just the most amazing looking place I ever stayed in. And the room was spotless. I could even walk across the floor barefoot and not have a single speck on my soles. Easy to get Doordash delivered here as well.
Things wished I considered: Giant Windows over busy street= noise (like horns/semi trucks/street sweepers), giant wooden doors = sounds for every one openning and slamming shut on multiple floors, wooden stairs = no quiet way to up or down (people's voices travel), and the zero sound proofing between rooms. I found all the noises very triggering. It was a stay for my honeymoon so we also had be quiet just like at home.
P.s. Giant gash in sofa was hard to ignore. I didn't get to sit that couch and read my book like I had planned.
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