Location: Poor

* A Hotel For Those With A High Tolerance For Ultra-Crappy Accommodations *

The front desk lady was ashamed of the hotel. She said it was a very primitive hotel and that it was not suitable for foreigners. She said they had 15 rooms and that the "toilets are terrible." We checked it out. Yep... it's pretty bad. The rooms are about as poor, basic, old and Russian as they can get. There were lots of wires dangling in the hallway. The rooms looked sort of clean and it is shelter. But it isn't pleasant and the location is poor. It is really no place for a tourist to be.

Mir Hotel Complex    K    +7 (095) 290-9504      www.hotelmir@dol.ru

Street Address: 9, Bolshoy Devytinsky per. - Moscow, Russia

Location: Superb if you have business at the American Embassy - it's right next door.

Nearest Metro: Barrikadnaya

Staff Speaks English? Yes.

Would I Stay Here? Yes, but it would not be my first choice.

* American Embassy Just Steps Away *

I visited the Mir on Saturday, March 26th, 2004. The sales manager was off, so I was politely told that I could not see the rooms. If I came on Monday, I'd probably get another excuse like the ever popular "all the rooms are occupied" excuse.

The hotel is right next to the American Embassy, so if you've got business there, then this hotel is very convenient. The Mir is a fairly large hotel with, I believe, 12 floors. I took a look at everything and snuck some looks on different floors. The lobby is brand new and quite nice. So I was surprised to see old corridors on the guest floors. The cleaning ladies left a few doors open to the rooms. The rooms I saw are a bit old. The bathrooms are not so bad. A cleaning lady told us the wall paper was changed 3 or 4 years ago and that's it for recent renovations.

The elevators are Russian, and a bit old. You might need a lesson to operate one.

Security is not impressive. They have real Russian cops on duty there. But there is no video surveillance anywhere. In this way, the Mir is behind the times in Moscow.

The rooms are so-so. Pricing as of 3/26/2004 is 90 to 274 y.e. Because you can get a standard room for as little as 90 y.e., and because of the central location, this hotel has good value. But, it's not the Hyatt!

Hotel Molodezhni     K    +7 (095) 974-2330           www.hem.ru

Street Address: Dmitrovskoye Shosse 27/1 - Moscow, Russia

Location: Fair

Nearest Metro: Timidyazevskaya

Staff Speaks English? Yes.

Would I Stay Here? Yes, especially in 1501.

* Hotel Has An Institutional Feel *

Molodezhni Hotel translates to "youth hotel." It was constructed for the 1980 Olympic Games. And the hotel is a bit dated. Renovations are underway. I was not very excited to see ugly purple-blue tile in the elevator lobbies. It looks terrible. And some of that tile is in the corridors too. It gives the hotel an institutional feel.

There are 22 floors in the building. The hotel is located in a dull neighborhood with tall, old apartment buildings everywhere. Next door is a brand new entertainment center. It looks like it will be great!

My favorite room here is 1501-1502. It goes for 7140 rubles (as of 3/30/2003). Wow... first, you have to unlock 3 doors to get to it. Inside, it has a pinewood theme. I really liked it. There is a very comfortable living room with a hidden refrigerator and freezer. Then there is a special sauna room and a jacuzzi room with a shower. And then there is a bedroom with a big bed and a good bathroom. I just loved how they put this room together. The bedroom has a stereo - so does the living room. I loved the tile floor, which is heated. This apartment is fantastic - so comfortable - a great place. Then you open the door and see that ugly purple-blue tile on the floor and remember you are in a strange hotel in Moscow.

The other rooms I saw were no comparison. New rooms were plain. There were some renovated corridors. An old room I saw was strongly musty, so I recommend readers only go with a renovated room here. The hotel had at times a hospital feel to me. It felt like a hospital.

Downstairs there is unusual tile art in the lobby that was popular in the Soviet Union in the early 80's. There are three restaurants. I ate at one of them - the Cafe Amore Mia. Unfortunately, I had my worst meal in Moscow there (my only bad meal). I was disappointed.

An odd thing is that foreigners must pay a reservation fee of 25% of the first day, "but only for the first day." This is an unusual practice.

The metro is a good 20 minute walk up the block.. Overall - a so-so hotel. Their VIP apartment that I saw was terrific though.

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