Street Address: Leningradsky Prospect 37, Korpus 5 - Moscow, Russia

Location: Good if you need to be near Sheremetyevo Airport

Nearest Metro: Dinamo

Staff Speaks English? Speak slowly and maybe they will understand.

Would I stay here? Only on the renovated 12th floor.

* The Beds Look So Low To The Floor! What Is Up With That? *

Of the 3 hotels that I saw on this morning in this area, which included the Aerostar and the Sovietsky, this one - the Aeropolis was easily the worst.

Walking up towards the hotel I noticed guarded parking. Inside I saw a lobby that was a bit old with worn carpet. It was no trouble to see the rooms here. First I saw standard room #302. Never have I seen a hotel bed so low to the floor before. And paint was peeling off the bathroom ceiling a little. And the bathroom lighting was a bit dark.

The corridors were recently renovated. They used a carpet without any padding underneath.

I also saw rooms 313 and 307. The bathrooms were okay. But these rooms also had really low beds. It looked odd. I saw 401. The bathroom was okay. I noticed though that the ceilings in the corridors are really low. It is not a hotel for basketball players.

Then I saw room 1103. The room was hot, musty, a bit old, and paint was really flaking off the bathroom ceiling here. Eee!

And then I saw the VIP floor - oh, this was much better.

The 12th floor "VIP" area requires a card key to gain access to the floor from the elevator lobby. I saw room 1201 and it was much, much nicer. I also saw room 1218. Again, it was very nice with a nice bathroom and nice bedroom area. And these rooms have air conditioning. There are also interesting views up here on the 12th floor.

Hotel Akvarel     J    +7 (095) 502-9430          www.hotelakvarel.ru

Street Address: Stoleshnikov Pereulok 12/3 - Moscow, Russia

Location: Excellent

Nearest Metro: Teatralnaya

Staff Speaks English? Some speak English.

Would I Stay Here? Yes.

* Best Located Mini-Hotel In Moscow *

The Hotel Akvarel is one of the gems I found during my Moscow hotel inspections. It opened during the summer of 2003. The location is super. And the prices are about half that of the Marriott Aurora, which is right down the street. The hotel has quality, air conditioned rooms, and each room is different. The hotel is located down a very short alley which leads to a hidden courtyard that also is home to some upscale shops. The street "Stoleshnikov" is a wonderful pedestrian street that is very close to the Bolshoy Theater, many restaurants, cafes and shops, and of course it is quite easy to walk to Red Square and all that the center of the city offers.

Pricing as of April 8, 2004 is:

Standard: $210

Semi-Delux: $243

Delux: $287

These are prices for one person. Add $20 for two people. Breakfast and 18% vat tax is included.

The neighborhood is excellent. It is a very pleasant place for a stroll because there are so many attractive buildings here. Up the pedestrian street is "Drova." You can get a very good meal there for 350 rubles - all you can eat - including dessert. Drinks are additional. Atmosphere is comfortable and they have a non-smoking section.

Back at the hotel, they have created a home atmosphere. And the Akvarel is one of only two Moscow hotels that offered me the courtesy of a drink. They have an excellent small conference room that is cozy and very private, and I think it is an excellent atmosphere for getting down to business. Within the next 6 weeks they will be adding a business center, a mini-fitness center, swimming pool and sauna. Concierge services are available. They have an excellent service attitude here. Security is good.

The hotel has a lot of attractive watercolor paintings on the walls. The name of the hotel actually means "watercolor."

Among the rooms I visited were 105, 106, 302, 304, 404. Some of the top floor rooms have vaulted ceilings, which I like. There are only 23 rooms in the hotel. These are comfortable, quality rooms. The bathrooms are a little bit plain compared to hotels like the Hyatt. It seems like they cut corners here a little. But for the value the hotel has with it is excellent pricing for a location in this area, it is a minor shortfall.

The Akvarel is one of my top recommendations for price, location, quality service attitude, and excellent facility.

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