Where
The Hotel de Russie is a byword for discretion. The unassuming façade – once the Italy’s national broadcasting network – belies the luxurious environs inside. The location is hard to beat: moments from the green sanctuary of the Villa Borghese, the bustling Piazza del Popolo – home to the Santa Maria del Popolo basilica with its famed pair of Caravaggios – and a stroll down the boutique-lined Via Del Babuino to the Spanish Steps. In fact, all the headline acts are a stroll away (Trevi Fountain, The Vatican), but there are electric bikes to borrow if you want to zip around town, Roman Holiday style.
What
From Picasso to Clooney, a roll call of the great and good have called Hotel de Russie their ‘home away from home’ in the Eternal City. A bastion of Italian elegance and refined design, there are 120-rooms, sprawling lush gardens, spa, gym, bar and restaurant – your base in Rome could not be more accommodating nor sumptuous to return to after a day sightseeing.
The Welcome
The Rocco Forte group is renowned for its gold-class, old-school service and the Hotel de Russie’s team is a shining example of the discreet luxury and attentiveness you can expect. Without a hint of stuffiness, there is a warmth and attention to detail that starts with the welcome that you simply don’t get in the usual ‘revolving door’ hotel chains in Rome.
The Rooms
Replete with sumptuous linens, Irene Forte amenities (the daughter of Rocco and Wellness Director) and Roman-style mosaics in the marble-lined bathrooms. Plump for a garden view room, wrap yourself in the cloud-like monogrammed robes and unwind in your own palatial quarters.
The Vibe
Roman refined glamour. With a mix of ancient Roman-style sculptures and Art Deco touches, the eclectic references could jar, but they don’t one bit. Good taste echoes around the marbled reception spaces and Director of Design, Olga Polizzi (Rocco’s sister– it’s a family affair here) has created that hard-to-obtain balance of elegance and comfort.
Food & Drink
The breakfast is nothing short of a Bacchanalian feast, catering to yevery culinary whim. From the fresh juices to the towers of warm-from-the-oven cornetti, delicately smoked fish and the softest eggs, it’s the most sublime way to begin a day of wandering the cobbled streets of Rome. Don’t miss an aperitivo in the torch-lit 19th-century gardens; grab a table for the signature cocktails, but stay for the people watching: the great and the good of Roman tastemakers are here. Slip inside for dinner and order the ravioli cacio e pepe. When in Rome, after all…
Don’t Miss
The bijou basement De Russie Spa reopened in Spring 2025 after a renovation. With a saltwater hydropool, a Finnish sauna and only five treatment rooms, it feels cosseted away from the bustle of the city. All the treatments use Irene Forte products and the Olive Oil Body Ritual uses organic Sicilian oil from Forte’s own grove at Verdura, their island resort. Skin softened and restored like magic.
The Verdict
Utterly decadent, romantic, cosseting Roman luxury. For special trips, it can’t be beaten anywhere in the city.
