Hotel de Russie, Rome

ROME - When I arrived in Rome by train the other day, I passed by a cluster of rather forlorn-looking but certainly affordable backpacker hotels arrayed near Termini station, the main rail center here. Back in the day, I would have plopped down my backpack and bedroll and stayed in one of them. These days, I opt for more comfort. It costs more money to do that, to be sure, but the higher-end hotels offer beauty, restfulness and attentive staff.

I am writing this at the Hotel de Russie, a brilliantly designed, art-filled 5-star located between the Spanish Steps and the Piazza del Popolo. I am in the business center, where two free PCs are on offer in a snug, well-equipped center that is staffed 24 hours a day. It is a stylish property, said to be favored by celebrities, both Italian and international. I am not a celebrity-seeker, having been cured of being starstruck by serving as a movie feature writer on the film festival circuit some years back, when I worked for the San Francisco Examiner. But judging from the hotel customers, who look like they have just stepped out a glossy magazine pictorial layout, I can believe this place is the haunt of the stars.

The hotel watering hole, Stravinskij Bar, and the spa, dubbed Wellness Zone, are haunts for Romans as well as hotel guests; 60 percent of the spa customers are Romans. The Wellness Zone employs all manner of therapies, including seasonal treatments keyed to color (green for spring, orange for fall, etc.), and couple massages and includes a small but well-equipped gym. The fine-dining restaurant Le Jardin de Russie features al fresco dining on warm, long Roman summer evenings, but it is chilly here this time of year, with dusk setting in about 5 p.m. No matter. You can have nibbles at the Stravinskij Bar with your drinks, and they are quite good. Last night, my 13 euro ($19 U.S.) glass of Chanti Classico came with no fewer than four plates of unanticipated sides: they included a variety of olives, addictive potato chips and a de facto salad of assembled crispy carrots, endive, celery and tomato with cheese. It served as a light evening meal.

My room looks out on a spacious terraced garden that is restful to behold. There is a grotto with trickling water in the garden - a soothing respite from the congestion and bustle of Rome. Just off the garden, the breakfast room offers a sumptuous buffet with eggs made to order, fine selections of ham and cheese, irresistible breads, fresh yogurt, fresh fruit and more. When you order coffee, it comes with hot milk without you requesting it, a nice touch. It is hard to linger over morning coffee when the drink has turned cold.

There is much more, but you get the picture. This is an elegant hideaway. It is part of the Rocco Forte Collection, a privately held company headed by Sir Rocco Forte, the British entrepreneur and member of a family of hoteliers who originally hail from Italy. The group of 13 city hotels and one resort (in Sicily) includes Browns, in London; the Lowry, in Manchester; and the Amigo, in Brussels. A far cry from my old budget backpacker haunts, to say the least, but a nice place to come back to after a hectic and tiring day of touring Roma on foot.

For more information: Web: http://www.hotelderussie.it/. Toll-free telephone from USA: 1.888.667.9477.

The Leonardo Express

ROME - My Egyptair flight from Cairo banked left and swooped down over blue water edged in brilliant aquamarine to land smoothly at Rome Leonard de Vinci International Airport. To get into the city, I took the delightfully named Leonardo Express - the train - to Termini Station, then hopped a cab to the palatial Rocco Forte Collection property here, the Hotel de Russie, located 5 minutes walk from the Spanish Steps.

The Leonardo Express is the fastest and cheapest way to get from the airport to Rome. If you are coming here, I recommend it. To use the train, you take one of the three rather slow-arriving lifts from the arrivals hall and choose among several clearly marked commercial agencies that sell train tickets. They cost 11 euros for adults and there is generally a 1 euro charge for handling. Do not forget to use one of the yellow machines at the head of track 2 at the airport to punch your ticket; otherwise, you risk a fine if the conductor discovers you have not punched it. This is the Italian system for train travel. Go figure. The 12 euro ($18 U.S.) charge, plus whatever you pay for your taxi, still puts you below the 40 euro set fee from the airport to central Rome and well below what most hotels charge to send a car for you. Heading back to the airport, you take the long walk out to Track 25 and buy the ticket at a tiny ticket table operated by the rail station; same price, same validation process.

After I settled into my garden-view room in the Hotel de Russie, I strolled out into a rainy dusk, umbrella in hand, and walked down the wet cobblestones, occasionally running into a tangle of umbrellas with other walkers. At the Spanish Steps, a temporary replica of the Berlin Wall had been erected, a band was playing, and a crowd had gathered. I had stumbled upon the altogether satisfying celebration that the city of Rome has mounted to mark the 20th anniversary celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the signal event that symbolized the end of the Cold War in Europe. It was a satisfying moment, joining history and politics and romance in this intensely romantic city.