Rocco Forte’s Hotel Astoria has revealed its new Czar’s suite in celebration of the hotel’s 100th anniversary this year. Marking the culmination of the Hotel Astoria’s multi-million dollar refurbishment⎯⎯including the addition of 50 junior suites⎯⎯the Czar’s suite features a design by Olga Polizzi, the brand’s director of design.
Located on the sixth floor, the suite has a fully stocked library, a kitchen, bar area, and a dining room, as well as a marble bathroom and a gym with a dedicated treatment area. 
Returned from President Putin’s Konstantinovsky Palace, the suite’s antique pieces date back to 1912 and include gold lamps, candelabras, small decorative accessories, and red and gold striped armchairs and sofas. The dining room features a free-flowing light hanging over the table and gray and white wallpaper by Min Hogg. Black and white Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet and opera prints are displayed throughout, alongside statues and colorful Russian plates.
“As with all of our properties, the Czar’s suite reflects its location in the heart of St Petersburg,” says Polizzi. “We have created a contemporary Russian feel with a nod to the city’s fascinating heritage by using an eclectic mix of authentic Russian art and antiques, original parquet flooring along with more modern elements including rugs with bold constructive geometric patterns, silk wallpapers, and contemporary classic pieces. I drew inspiration from the city’s many 18th-century soft-toned buildings lining the River Neva with their French and Italian influences. The suite includes a mix of textures including velvets and heavy Russian Volga Linen to create a warm and sumptuous feel.”
As part of the hotel’s refurbishment program, Polizzi also updated Hotel Astoria’s restaurant and bar areas. The new Astoria Café⎯⎯formerly Davidov Restaurant⎯⎯has a modern Russian feel and features images from various Mariinsky performances. The new Lichfield Bar pays homage to its namesake, British photographer Lord Patrick Lichfield, with black and white images of nude models on the Moscow underground. Iconic photographs of American and British film and music stars from the ’60s and ’70s also feature throughout the space.
