History
• 1814: The architect Giuseppe Valadier erects the first building. He also designs the Piazza del Popoplo
• 1901: Opening of the Hotel as "Grand Hotel de Russie et des Isles Britanniques"
• 1917: Jean Cocteau when staying at the Hotel with Pablo Picasse should have said “I am in Paradise… I can pick oranges from my room window.”
• 1917: Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) met his first wife Olga Khokhlova, a balley dancer from Russia, while staying at the Hotel de Russie.
• 1917: Pablo Picasso makes his first portrait of the Russian composer Igor Stavinsky (1882 - 1971) at the Hotel de Russie
• 1998: Hotel de Russie acquired by Rocco Forte
• 1999: Hotel de Russie is renovated by the architect Tommaso Ziffer.
• 2000: April Hotel de Russie reopens outshining the beauty of the original Hotel.
• History of the Rocco Forte Collection
• 1935: Charles Forte, an Italian immigrant to the UK, opens a « Milk Bar » on Regents street in London … the company becomes the Forte Hotel Group (Trusthouse Forte)
• 1993: the Forte Hotel group faces a hostile takeover bid from the Media Conglomerate Granada the founding family is ejected with a settlement payment of £350 million. Two of the 6 children, Rocco Forte and his younger sister Olga Polizzi decide to reinvent their fathers Hotel business.
• 1996 May: Sir Rocco Forte founds RF Hotels.
• 1997 Frebuary: Opening of Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh..
• 1997 December: Acquisition of Hotel Savoy in Florence.
• 1999 January: Acquisition of Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg.
• 2000 January: Acquisition of Hotel Amigo in Brussels.
• 2000 April: Opening of Hotel de Russie in Rome.
• 2003 July: Acquisition of Brown’s Hotel in London.
• 2006 March: Opening of Villa Kennedy (Villa Speyer) in Frankfurt.
• 2006 October: Opening of Hotel de Rome (formally seat of Dresdner Bank) in Berlin.
• 2007: Rocco Forte Hotels are renamed Rocco Forte Collection.
Article by « Grand Hotels of the World & VB.com », written from « Cremerie de Paris ».
