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The choice for a luxury suite in Rome these days has never been better. We visited some favorites and some new entries and came back knowing that we could check into them all and quite possibly never leave.
The Hotel de Russie, at Via del Babuino 9 near Piazza del Popolo, has updated two of its best luxury accommodations. The Picasso Suite (No. 601) is named after the artist, who stayed there in 1917. We loved the combination of Italian fabrics and furniture in neutrals, Roman antiques and the striking colors of the artist's designs. The 850-squarefoot suite boasts of a light-filled living room, which opens onto a spacious private terrace overlooking the Valadier-designed gardens of Rome. The dining room has a fully stocked bar, along with a library area. The king bedroom allows a guest to wake up to a view of the sky and garden, while the bathroom, done in Italian Calacatta Oro marble, offers both a double shower and a separate tub. There is also a half bath in the suite.
The Popolo Suite overlooks the iconic Piazza del Popolo and is 1,075 square feet of luxury. The spaces are decorated using luxurious silks and velvets made in the papal colors of orange, purple, burnt amber and yellow. The king bedroom has his and hers walk-in wardrobes and a master bath with double shower. The suite has a sitting room, a dining area with a bar, a half bath for guests and a large private terrace to catch the sunset over the piazza.
The menu at the Le Jardin de Russie Restaurant, created by Executive Chef Nazzareno Menghini, has a wide variety of seafood, meat dishes and vegetarian fare. We especially liked the combination of antipasto platter, with foie gras, fiori di zucca, and other nibbles. Hint: The sabayon dessert is memorable.
The de Russie Spa overlooks the hotel's secret garden and is a complete wellness center with a variety of treatments available, including the Swiss Perfection anti-aging cellular face and body treatments. These very high-end treatments are so popular that clients from the United States, the Middle East and Russia are repeat customers, planning their visits to Rome around their appointments. All therapists have received extensive training in Swiss Perfection,...