Design destination: Hotel de Russie, Rome

A poet once described this stylish Italian hotel as 'paradise on earth'. Sunday Times Home editor Leana Schoeman agrees with his assessment

10 June 2018 - 00:00 By Leana Schoeman

On what was my first visit to Rome, I was quite delighted to have the opportunity to experience the pulse of the Eternal City from the Hotel de Russie, said to be one of the best hotels the metropolis has to offer.
The hotel is situated between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna, offering an oasis of greenery, tranquility and luxury that is true to French poet Jean Cocteau's description of the hotel as "paradise on earth" in 1917.
Being a bit of a garden fanatic and in an effort to escape the fancy crowd, I was immediately drawn to the incredible garden. I was so astounded by its scale and the birdlife within that I was instantly glued to the garden bench with a cold Aperol in hand.
The interiors of the hotel are a charming fusion of old and new, with modern accents skilfully positioned within the classical architecture of the building reflecting Italian aesthetic in its truest form.
One of many great memories from my stay would have to be the welcoming cocktail kit left in my room by the wonderful guys from the Stravinsky in-house cocktail bar, to prepare my own rather pleasant gin martini, followed by flopping on their super-comfy queen-size bed after a long day of touristing!..

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