Hotel de Russie

Located between the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, Hotel de Russie occupies a building designed by Giuseppe Valadier in 1814, the same architect who designed the adjacent piazza. It earned its name because it was the preferred residence of the Russian Imperial family and famous painters like Picasso, who famously called it "paradise on earth." The hotel’s defining feature is its "Secret Garden"—a tiered, terraced Mediterranean sanctuary of palms and orange trees that serves as an architectural bridge between the urban city and the Villa Borghese. It remains the most sought-after urban retreat for those seeking the "Dolce Vita" in a contemporary Roman setting.