De Russie Hotel

, Rome, Italy
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De Russie Hotel

, Rome
5 star

Rooms: 125

9 Via del Babuino - Rome - 00187 - Italy Hotel Website | | 6328881
269 Traveller

Reviews - De Russie Hotel

10/10
All fine
Submitted by: Rauno in 02/04/06
  • Age Group: 41 - 50
  • From: Finland
  • Traveller type: Weekend Breaker
Excellent but very expensive. Great location.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of De Russie Hotel

Great experience but...

from Eurosoccerfan
Great comfort, great location, great staff, but one thing left a bad taste in our mouths. We arrived from the airport around 8 0r 9am. The gentleman checking us in was very nice, and apologized that our room was not ready. Which is understandable being so early, but my experience in Europe is that most hotels of this calibre understand that you just flew all night and will let you check in early if the room is ready. It wasn't which I understand and we hadn't paid the additional to guarantee early check-in.

Here's the problem: They very nicely asked us if we wanted to wait in the garden while we waited ( it would be about 60-90 minutes) We did, the gardens there are very relaxing. The guy who escorted us to a table asked if we wanted anything, I asked for coffee, my wife went to the buffet and got a small plate of fruit. When we were finished we got a bill for approximately $50 for the buffet breakfast. I think that was ridiculous and out of line. Beware!

Incredible Hotel ... wonderful staff, wonderful location

from A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I just returned from a 7 night stay at the Hotel de Russie and it was incredible. One problem with these reviews is that you do not know the "hotel quotient" of the reviewer; thus, I will provide mine and let the reader determine what weight to give my review. I am not a world traveler but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck either. I travel 2 or 3 times a month for business and generally either to NY, DC, or San Francisco. I always try to stay in what I would call the top tier of hotels (i.e. Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons) but have certainly stayed in lesser hotels (Omnis) and not at all opposed to good bargain boutique hotels. I have reasonably high standards for service but also do not expect everything to be perfect ... it is much more important to me that hotels readily correct their mistakes with a good attitude than no mistake be made at all.

As to the Hotel de Russie, it really is a great place to stay. The staff (including all of those serving as concierge) went out of their way to do everything they could to make our stay enjoyable. They did what you expect and more including remembering our names and answering all of our questions promptly and professionally.

We also took several of their restaurant requests and all were wonderful (we eat at a lot of very nice restaurants so I'm not comparing their restaurant recommendations to TGI Fridays or Applebees). We also utilized the concierge for ticket requests (which we made before we arrived) and our tickets/reservations were awaiting us when we arrived.

As to the location, it's three short blocks north of the Spanish Steps, 30 yards from the Piazza del Popolo, and the Borghese Gardens are just up the hill from the rear of the hotel. We walked everywhere and felt incredibly safe doing so (including several 1am walks down to the Spanish Steps after too much wine). It's a perfect place for doing the tourist thing.

As to the decor, think Tuscan and Roman with a light layer of luxury. It is NOT the typical Italian hotel room which is a bit over the top for me. It's stylish and a bit modernist but I found it to be very comfortable. The bathrooms were huge which was important to us. Also, do not miss the gardens ... a great place to unwind at the end of the day. Also, I can't speak more highly about the bar ... cozy, great staff and a perfect place to have the pre-9pm dinner drink.

There are a few things which annoyed me but I find they annoy me at all expensive hotels in which I stay: the bottles of water in the room bar are too expensive and I don't like the charge to use the gym (which is very nice although small). However, I find this is a common problem in the hotels in which I stay so I'm not knocking Hotel de Russie over those issues.

Anyhow, those are my thoughts on the Hotel de Russie. I'll end with this: I will unabashedly recommend this hotel to my friends and I will stay here again the next time I am in Rome.

P.S. I don't quite get the 1-2 star reviewers below ... really. The only thing I can figure is their filter/perspective is much different than mine or their expectations were unrealistic. I cannot fathom how anyone could have a bad experience at this hotel ... they just wouldn't let it happen.

Wonderful hotel, fabulous service

from A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned from five days at the Hotel de Russie. What a wonderful place! They arranged for us to be picked up from the airport (and the charge was the same even though we arrived five hours late). The staff was friendly, learned our names, and was full of good advice about things to do. The room was charming. Not huge, but very comfortable: a grand marble bathroom and lovely views over the rooftops of Rome towards the Spanish Steps. (Internet hookup worked perfectly, so we could stay in touch with the world ... or not, if we wanted.) And incredibly quiet. We were never disturbed by noise from outside. We had breakfast only a couple of times in the hotel (it was included in the price) but not because it wasn't delicious; we were in a hurry to get out into the city. And the hotel regularly made reservations at great places for us to eat. When we wanted a guide to take us round the Vatican they found us a terrific one, who not only knew everything (she had a doctorate in art history) but also insisted we sat and drank coffee while she waited in line! And, best of all, they arranged a dinner for us on the roof terrace, with fabulous food, discrete, charming service, and incredible views in every direction. It's not cheap, but it's worth every cent and then some.

excellant food but dirty carpets

from thainsmith
Just returned from a weekend at Hotel DeRussie in Rome. The ambience, food and service were first class. Our candlelit dinner was memorable for the quality of food, wine, service and atmosphere.

The one disappointment was the stained carpet in our corridor and bedroom. At these prices it is not good enough and leaves one with the mistaken impression that the hotel needs a refurbishment. I think it is more a case of' sack the interior designer.' and go for coir next time!

Posh but not so nice...

from A TripAdvisor Member
My boyfriend and I stayed at the Hotel Russie from August 25 till August 30th 2004. It was our first time in Rome this hotel was the perfect choice for our first stay in the great city. The hotel is very centrally located not far from the Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Navona and also very close to the main tourist attractions around the Centro Stucio.

My sister has stayed at the de Russie on two previous occasions since it opened in 2000 and she talks endlessly about it. I read in some magazine that all the big-name actors from "Ocean's 12" were staying there during filming and I figured I should give it a try. I was – mostly – not disappointed.

I booked my hotel through Expedia rather than directly with the hotel but I suspect the hotel staff recognized my family name and upgraded us to a nicer room. We were on a high floor (second from the top) with a balcony that faces the outer part of the hotel (not the courtyard). I read another review where this was a complaint but I loved it. We had a nice view of the Burgesse gardens and those rooftops were by no means ugly – they were roman rooftops almost frozen in time. We thought it was so romantic. The balcony itself was the size of a small studio in NYC. The room was not huge but it was nicely decorated and most importantly the bathroom takes up about 35% of the entire rooms space. It was amazing. I don’t think people realise it but most of us spend 70% of our waking time at our hotel room in the bathroom. Functionally it is as important as the bed. And this bathroom rocked.

The staff was very friendly and helpful and the concierge was mostly helpful as well. They arranged a tour to the Vatican with a pretty knowledgeable tour guide. I am a bit of an art history buff so it was nice to take our time through the Vatican. Plus we were only charged 55 Euro per hour. All the other tours I looked at were strictly 3 hour tours at 75 Euro per person. Considering these other group tours include like 50 people and have a set itinerary, our more private tour was well worth the extra 15 Euro we paid for our own private tour.

The spa at the hotel was a nice touch but I believe the space would have been better used with an indoor pool. The charged 10 Euro per person for the use of the spa and fitness centre as well both of which I thought should have been complementary especially considering the range of special “treatments” also available and what was charged for these.

I found the concierge service mostly helpful in general. On our last day at the hotel, which was a Sunday I seemed to clash constantly with this one guy who was a total jerk and it’s a shame because the rest of his colleagues were great to deal with. I asked if the hotel could arrange for transport to the airport the following morning and how much it would cost: 90 Euro for “the latest Mercedes” Considering I paid Euro 50 to get to hotel with a Mercedes vinivan and that I had a voucher for 50% off on my return trip I thought the 90$ the hotel charged to be WAY overpriced. Apparently this concierge didn’t appreciate my feelings and his demeanour immediately changed and he turned into the devil’s spawn the rest of the day.

I hated that none of the restaurants recommended by the concierge offered traditional Roman food. I enjoy spending lots of money at dinner but I expect the experience to be memorable – I feel that’s what u pay for. Unfortunately, the hotel's recomendations were average. I should have expected the small portions (these bought new meaning to the word small) and after a long day of sightseeing we need something filling so we were disappointed. Both Reef and Gusto which are the concierge’s standard recommendations for everyone were sub-par dining experiences in a city filled with delicious food. On our last night I wanted to head to Testacho for some rel Roman food and I asked the devil concierge about a restaurant that had been recommended to me by our tour guide. As soon as I mentioned Testacho to this guy’s nose turned up and he looked at me like I was asking him to recommend something in Siberia. He made up some story about how many restaurants in Rome close on Sundays (which is true) and therefore my selection would be as well, but I actually walked by this place later that night and to no surprise it was open. To his credit, the place he sent me to instead was also packed and the food was wonderful (and cheap!) but getting him to send us out there was like pulling teeth. I should have this experience at what many people consider the best hotel in Rome. Its sad because the rest of the service at the hotel was wonderful as were the other people at the Concierge desk. It left a sour taste in an otherwise very pleasant experience. I wonder if I this guy would have treated us better if we had shelled out extra money for the Picasso suite, but I’d like to think not.

I have had much more pleasant experiences at other high-end hotels around the world and was expecting more of the same, particularly since I have head so much about the de Russie, and my experience was sub par overall.

When I mentioned to my mom that I was staying at the de Russie her response was something like… “why not spend the extra money [spent on the hotel] on something else?” she’s probably right, the money is better spent elsewhere. Still, I’d probably stay there again – just not on a Sunday.

What a joke and a complete disappointment

from A TripAdvisor Member
The Hotel De Russie was a low point of an amazing trip to Italy. The concierge staff was of no help. They recommended a terrible restaurant, they were unwilling to point out hard to find streets on the map (they told us to take a taxi even though these locations were within walking distance). We generally appreciate simple decor due to the relaxing and serene nature of it. Unfortunately, the stains on the carpet, ceiling and around the wall mounted flusher negated this small pleasure. But the thing we found to be most offensive was an additional tip that was written in by the room service waiter. Theft is unacceptable and we would never recommend this hotel.

Nice, but nothing special

from Holly29
Stayed here for a couple of nights in September 2004. Remember the premise: this is a very expensive hotel in central Rome...
The up sides - the gardens are tremendous, the location is very central (just round from the Piazza dei Popolo) and best of all, the concierge - lucky you if you get Alessandra - are the most helpful people in the world. They recommended two of the most amazing restaurants of my entire trip. Downsides - apart from the upsides, the hotel simply is not worth the money. Remember this is a chain (Rocco Forte) hotel. You do not get a small, special intimate hotel. The rooms are very unimpressive. There are millions of people milling about. There are a million and one more special, cheaper places in Rome. And anyway, you should be spending your money in Prada or Gucci in the Via Condotti, not on a chain hotel guest room! Have fun in Rome.

t ask for more!

from A TripAdvisor Member
I loved Hotel De Russie. The rooms were beautiful (while a bit on the small side), the staff friendly and helpful, the garden breathtaking and the location perfect. It is pricey, but definitely worth it.

Way over priced and rated!!

from agro
Was at the hotel for 1 night last week. Went there on a biz trip with some colleagues, who were excited about the hotel where they had stayed before. Well, thanks lord the bill was on my corporate credit card! Eur 500 for 1 night with breakfast, for a room facing the street of Rome! The hotel is very glamorous in Italy, extremely posh, has got a history of Russian Czars and other celebrities staying there, and has got beautiful architecture and interior design. The staff attitude was not so bad as previously reported. The rooms were nice but ... so what? Breakfast was good, but what would you expect after paying 500 euros per night? It is located in a great place in the centre, perfect for tourists. But I still cannot justify the bill of the most expensive hotel I have ever been to.

Beautiful Oasis in Perfect Location

from Clovis16
Situated in Piazza del Popolo which has great shopping, is an easy walk to the Spanish steps and perfectly situated between Vatican City and Ancient Rome, this hotel is perfect. We stayed with our two young girls in adjoining rooms overlooking the courtyard. The rooms are excellent and the tranquility of the courtyard is exactly what you want to return to after a busy day. In the evening we could open our room windows to listen to a guitar player while we sipped on cocktails from the bar. One of the great inner-city hotels.

Top Local Tips for Rome

baths of caracalla Instead of battling the crowds at the colossem, we spent an afternoon in the sun walking around the baths of caracalla. Definitely worth a visit.

Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano Lesser known that its big brother, San Giovanni is hugely impressive both from the outside and inside. It's free and you're unlikely to queue, somewhat surprising as it's the Pope's own church. It's an easy ten minute walk from the Colusseum or you can pay a euro and get there from anywhere on Metro A (San Giovanni station). You can even see it as you descend into Ciampino if you're sat on the right hand side of the aircraft and you know what you're looking for... eaiser at night!

Spring Travel The weather was sunny and in the low 70's the entire two weeks in Italy and it was not High season for pricing.

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Other names for De Russie Hotel

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  • Address: 9 Via del Babuino - Rome - 00187 - Italy
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"All fine" - Rauno

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