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Hotel de Russie: Ancient Beauty Restored

Hotel de Russie, located in the heart of Rome just next to Piazza di Spagna, features a new interior design which blends classic and contemporary style. Discover more about the history of this noble palace tracing back to the 19th century and be inspired by its new stunning guise.

Situated between two of Rome’s most famous piazzas, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo, Hotel de Russie boasts an incomparably central position for visiting the city’s main sites and monuments. Its idyllic beauty and taste of history make it one of the most magnificent buildings in the Eternal City. This noble palace features a long and vibrant history that traces back to the 19th century. Through time, the estate has been passed from hand to hand to different owners, but nearly always played the same role. It was born with the name Albergo di Russia during 1820s, because of the many international aristocrats and Russian intellectuals frequenting the hotel. Alongside its constructing, a superb, terraced garden all’italiana was designed by architect Giuseppe Valadier.

As time went on, this luxurious destination acquired more and more notoriety to the point of hosting not only aristocrats, but also celebrities and well-known painters, such as Spanish Picasso and French poet Jean Cocteau, who described the hotel as an “earthly paradise”. After a renovation in the mid-fifties, the building became then the headquarters of Rai offices, the most prominent Italian Radio and Television network. In 1999, the structure was then taken over by Sir Rocco Forte, who restored it to its ancient beauty and hospitality function.

Today, Hotel de Russie is still owned by Forte and his wife Olga Polizzi. The couple fostered some important interventions to restore the building in and out. With the oversight of Polizzi, architect Tommaso Ziffer conceived and developed an eclectic interior design scheme – inspired by various international styles – which plays out as a unique fusion between history and modernity.

Our project came to life with the hope of allowing guests to feel immediately at one with the Eternal City thanks to an original design and a classic, contemporary style which has always distinguished this hotel.

Olga Polizzi

As you step into the hotel lobby, rich in warm shades of brown, orange, green and ochre, you will be immediately embraced by the welcoming atmosphere of an elegant Roman living room. This space features a blend of elements from the early 20th century and furnishings from contemporary times. The leitmotif uniting past and present runs through every room, bringing the utmost in classical luxury alongside distinctive contemporary design.

Discover the enchantment provided by lounges and common rooms, just like the 120 guestrooms, all tinged with pastel tones from bluish green to sandy off-white, accented by sophisticated shades of amethyst. Be inspired by the immersive art for interiors created by Gio Bressana in the restaurant Le Jardin. The restyling project expanded also to the outside. The historic garden was restored to its original layout. Now as then, it is characterised by elements belonging to neoclassical architecture such as terraces, balustrades, caves, basins, nymphs and statues, all inserted in a rich botanical patrimony. Each element is part of a dance, brought to life on the notes of a symphony of water fountains.