Hotel de Russie

The Verdict

A private garden at the top of the Corso

Hotel de Russie occupies a Giuseppe Valadier building on Via del Babuino, the street that runs from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza di Spagna. That geography is the whole proposition: you are between two of the great Roman squares, on the city's best antiques and gallery street, and thirty seconds from a metro station — and yet the moment you pass reception, the noise stops entirely.

The reason is the garden. Valadier terraced the hillside behind the hotel into an amphitheatre of orange and lemon trees, box hedging, umbrella pines, gravel paths and small fountains, climbing toward the Pincio and the Villa Borghese above. Rocco Forte restored it as the hotel's living room. In April it is one of the most agreeable places to sit in Europe; in July it holds shade when the streets outside are unbearable.

Rooms and suites

One hundred and twenty keys, designed by Olga Polizzi in a restrained contemporary-classical register: neutral grounds, strong architectural lines, generous marble bathrooms and a notable absence of heavy period furniture. Ask specifically for a garden-facing room — the difference between a Babuino-side room and a garden-side room is considerable, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

• Classic Room (22–26 m²) — street or internal outlook, well-priced entry level.
• Superior / Deluxe (28–36 m²) — several with garden view and small terraces.
• Junior Suite (45–60 m²) — the sweet spot; garden-facing versions are excellent.
• Nijinsky Suite (~240 m²) — private terrace with hot tub over the garden; among Rome's largest.

Dining and the Stravinskij Bar

Le Jardin de Russie serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on the garden terrace under the trees — Mediterranean, produce-driven, and one of the few hotel restaurants in Rome that locals actually book. Stravinskij Bar, spilling into the courtyard, is the more famous room: art-world regulars, faultless classics, and a level of people-watching that justifies the price of a martini. Aperitivo begins at 18:00 and the courtyard fills by 19:15 from Thursday onward.

De Russie Spa

The largest spa footprint among the five hotels and the only one with a genuine indoor pool. There is a well-equipped gym, sauna, steam room, a hydro-pool and treatment rooms using the Irene Forte Skincare range, which is produced on the family's Sicilian estate. For families, this single facility often decides the booking.

Indicative pricing

Category	Size	Low / shoulder	High season
Classic Room	22–26 m²	from €820	from €1,090
Deluxe Room	28–36 m²	from €990	from €1,320
Junior Suite (garden)	45–60 m²	from €1,650	from €2,200
Nijinsky Suite	~240 m²	from €11,000	on request

Excludes €10 pppn city tax. Rates indicative, February 2026.

Getting there

Flaminio metro (line A) is three minutes away, putting Termini within twelve minutes by rail. Fiumicino is 40–50 minutes by car. Piazza del Popolo has legitimate drop-off space, which makes arrival here easier than at any other hotel in this guide.