Head-to-head · Rome
Two classic addresses in the golden triangle, between Piazza del Popolo and the top of the Spanish Steps. One has a courtyard that feels like an escape; the other sits right above the Steps. Here is how I would choose.
Visited both · October 2026
I loved it. A beautiful, large courtyard, playful renovated rooms with lemon and orange ceilings, and a spa with an indoor pool, rare in the centro storico.
My Hotel de Russie review →
A very traditional grand hotel right at the top of the Spanish Steps, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof and a beautiful courtyard restaurant.
My Hassler review →
| Hotel de Russie | Hassler | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Between Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps | Right at the top of the Spanish Steps |
| The feel | Garden retreat, freshly renovated (Rocco Forte) | A very traditional grand hotel |
| Outside the door | Busy: the crowds between Popolo and the Steps | The Steps, crowded from morning to night |
| The courtyard | Large, beautiful and the star of the property, with a bar | A beautiful courtyard restaurant, calmer than the streets |
| Rooms | Renovated, with lemon or orange themed ceilings | Classic luxury: canopy beds, damask walls, crystal lamps |
| The view | A suite terrace over Piazza del Popolo; ask me which | Over the rooftops to St. Peter’s from some bathrooms |
| Dining | The courtyard bar and hand-painted dining rooms | A Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof |
| Spa | A nice spa with an indoor pool | A new wellness and gym area opens in 2027 |
| Best for | Couples, Rome first-timers, a spa and a courtyard | Lovers of classic luxury who want the heart of the action |
Work with me and you get Fora perks, plus someone who knows these hotels personally and personalizes your stay: I request the de Russie suite with the views, match you to the right room at the Hassler, and arrange your transfers from Fiumicino or Termini. Same rate as booking direct.
Both are in the busiest, most central part of Rome. Step outside the Hotel de Russie or the Hassler and you are in the crowds. What you come back to is the difference.
At the Hotel de Russie, it is the courtyard: beautiful, large, and really the star of the property. Add renovated rooms with the cutest lemon and orange ceilings and a spa with an indoor pool. I loved this hotel.
At the Hassler, it is tradition: a very traditional luxury hotel right at the top of the Spanish Steps, with Michelin-starred dining on the roof. If a courtyard and a pool sound like your trip, pick the de Russie. If classic grand-hotel style and a big dinner on the roof do, pick the Hassler.
The courtyard at the Hotel de Russie is where everyone gathers, and it feels like an escape from the city around it. There is a bar in it, with arched blue shelves of bottles and a mosaic-fronted counter.
The Hassler has a courtyard too, with a beautiful restaurant in it. It is a calmer place to eat than the streets outside.
The Hassler is very traditional, and that is the appeal: canopy beds, damask walls, gilded frames and crystal lamps, for travelers who want Rome’s grand-hotel style.
The Hotel de Russie rooms have been renovated: soft greens, striped headboards and the cutest ceilings, each one lemon or orange themed.
I saw a stunning suite at the Hotel de Russie with fantastic views, French doors opening onto a terrace over Piazza del Popolo. Ask me and I will tell you which one.
At the Hassler, you are right above the Spanish Steps, and some bathrooms have windows over the rooftops to St. Peter’s.
The Hotel de Russie has a nice spa with an indoor pool, rare in the centro storico. The Hassler is building a large wellness and gym area that opens in 2027.
For dining, the Hassler is the one I would point to: a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof with the rooftops of Rome below you. If you want quiet on the street as well, the Eden, my top overall pick in Rome, is a few minutes away.
It depends on the trip. I loved the Hotel de Russie for its courtyard, renovated rooms and indoor pool. The Hassler is the one for very traditional luxury right above the Spanish Steps and Michelin-starred dining on the roof.
The Hotel de Russie, with an indoor pool. The Hassler’s new wellness and gym area opens in 2027.
The Hassler, with a Michelin-starred restaurant on the roof and a beautiful courtyard restaurant.
Neither street is quiet; both open onto the crowds. The courtyard at the Hotel de Russie is the calmer place to retreat to. For a quiet street, I send people to the Eden, a few minutes from the Hassler.
The de Russie. Both are Rocco Forte hotels near the Spanish Steps, and its courtyard, renovated rooms and indoor pool made it the stronger stay over the Hotel de la Ville.
Tell me your dates and who is coming, and I will tell you which one fits and which room to ask for.
Hotel de Russie review → Hassler review → Hotel Eden or Hotel de Russie → Hotel Eden or the Hassler → My Rome guide →