Cruise reclined in the back of one of two dark vans with tinted windows that left the luxury hotel while it was surrounded by dozens of fans carrying cameras and photos in hopes of getting a glimpse of the American actor before his weekend marriage to Katie Holmes.

    Cruise and about 10 people, including his mother and three children, landed in Rome on Monday on a private jet from Los Angeles. He is said to be staying at the Hassler, located at the top of the Spanish Steps.

    Airport officials said Holmes was also in Rome, but it isn't known if the actress is staying in the same hotel.

    Holmes, 27, and Cruise, 44, became engaged in June 2005. Their daughter, Suri, was born April 18.

    The couple are scheduled to marry at an undisclosed Italian location on Saturday. Speculation on the location has focused on Odescalchi Castle on Lake Bracciano, near the capital.

    Prior to his departure, bodyguards stood at the ready and barriers were being set up in front of the hotel. Fans mingled with photographers and TV crews.

    Sophie Bassett-Symonds, a 34-year-old British tourist and Cruise fan, said she stopped by the hotel after hearing of the wedding.

    "He's exceptionally talented and as a man, he'll always be a heartthrob," she said, holding a camera ready to take a photo of the actor. "The waiting is very addictive and I enjoy the suspense and excitement. I don't mind standing here for as long as it takes."

    Cruise and Holmes were first photographed together in Rome in April 2005. Two months later, Cruise announced he had proposed to Holmes atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

    He has two children, 13-year-old Isabella and 11-year-old Connor, from his former marriage to Nicole Kidman.

    (Agencies)