Hotel de Russie by Rocco Forte

Hotel de Russie by Rocco Forte

Breakfast at Hotel de Russie means eating under palm and orange trees in a walled garden that has been growing quietly behind the building since 1837, an oasis most luxury addresses squeezed between Via del Corso and Piazza del Popolo simply do not have room for. The hotel sits close enough to the Spanish Steps and Villa Borghese that neither is more than a short walk, yet the garden means the outside world's noise, and its heat, stay outside. Rooms across the six floors lean into pastel tones and either look over that garden or across Roman rooftops; a handful of suites, among them the Nijinsky and Picasso, add private terraces for anyone who wants the view without leaving the room. Le Jardin de Russie serves food from a kitchen with two Michelin stars, overlooking the same garden, while Stravinskij Bar handles the evening. The de Russie Wellness Zone, with its marine hydropool, Turkish bath, sauna, and gym, covers the rest of the day for guests who would rather not go looking for a spa elsewhere in the city. This suits someone who wants to walk to the Spanish Steps in the morning and disappear from the crowds by afternoon, and who does not mind paying for what that costs: parking runs 59 euros a day, breakfast is not included in every rate, and a 100-euro daily deposit is taken on arrival. It will not suit anyone travelling with a pet, or anyone who wants their luxury spend to stretch further outside central Rome. What stays with you afterward is not the address but the garden, still doing exactly what it did in 1837. Behind Piazza del Popolo, Hotel de Russie has kept its own walled garden since 1837, with a two-Michelin-starred restaurant serving onto it and suites adding private terraces. It suits travellers wanting central Rome without the crowds, not those on a budget or bringing a pet.