Alphabetical listing of Moscow hotels.
Central Moscow Hotels which are inside or close to the Garden Ring.
Closest hotels to Moscow's exhibition center park.
Going to Saint Petersburg, Russia? Check out my Saint Petersburg hotel reviews here. Info on 139 hotels.
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Street Address: Varvarka Ulitsa, 6 - Moscow, Russia
Location: Excellent
Nearest Metro:
Staff Speaks English? Some.
Would I Stay Here? Maybe, in a renovated room facing the Kremlin.
* My Inspection Visit Was
A Disappointment *
* Hotel Employees Are From The Old School Of Soviet
Hospitality *
The Rossiya is a massive hotel which is located just steps away from the very famous Saint Basil's Cathedral. Unfortunately, they have a bad reputation, and they did nothing to help repair that damage with my visit. I was flat-out refused permission to see some of their rooms. This is usually not a good sign.
Room rates run from 2300 to 8900 rubles (as of March 2004). The building is 36 years old. I have heard rumors that the building will be demolished, although the front desk people know nothing about this. With these kind of rumors, it lowers the probability the hotel will invest funds in necessary upgrades.
The hotel has a number of different comfortable cafes, plus a casino and several gift and snack shops. You can exchange currency and do banking there. Some rooms have Kremlin views. But I think this hotel is a risky choice for travellers. However, I did hear from one of their satisfied customers and here is what she had to say...
That was a lot of work visiting all those hotels. We have stayed in several and found your info pretty much correct. Except for the Rossiya, we have stayed there 2 to 3 times a year since 2000. The lobby has been completely remodeled over the last 2 years.
The remodeled rooms facing Red Square are very nice, this trip in January they even had high speed internet in the rooms and air conditioners. The price is very good for the location. The rooms facing the other 3 sides are typical Russian dorm rooms, no frills.
The staff is not very friendly, but the security is good. In fact, they card each person going to the elevators.
Best Wishes, Donna
This is what a June 2004 Rossiya Hotel guest had to say about their stay:
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2004 19:29:30 -0000
From:
Subject: Re: Rossia?
I do not recommend the Rossiya. We stayed there on our second trip
in June.
The price is right but the staff are rude and most unhelpful. Our
room was one of the supposed renovated rooms w/ a/c. The a/c did
not work. We were hot and miserable. Our room was on the west side
facing Red Square. We did not have blackout curtains. The sun
streamed in our windows and it got up to 94 degrees in our room,
even w/ the windows open and the room door open to get some
ventilation.
We had requested a crib. They were all out of cribs. Our baby
slept between us in the bed.
We were supposed to have breakfast included but could never find
the 'correct' dining area for breakfast. We were turned away at the
only other one we ever found and no one would/could explain where
the 'correct' one was. Another couple told us they found it and
there was barely any food to choose from. It was buffet style.
The location is great. We thought we didn't want to pay to stay at
the more expensive Marriott. However, we would have gladly paid to
stay at the Marriott. Unfortunately, it was booked. We asked after
we arrived at the Rossiya.
Another guest of the Rossiya Hotel in Moscow wrote this:
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 23:55:58 -0000
From: "
>
Subject: Re: Rossia?
HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE! I don't even know where to start : (
Our "Suite" had two single beds (for five people!), it was filthy, had
the ill-fitting curtains another poster wrote about and, suddenly,
became $100 more when we checked in! The desk staff were ignorant
and beyond rude to us. When we wanted to stay for just one night
(before we saw the room - gag) they still wanted to charge us for the
five nights we previously reserved! They told us that we
could "request" a refund in the morning. In the end, they did charge
us for five nights and credited back four!? When we actually saw the
room we were mortified. Beyond disgusting. When we called the front
desk for more beds they simply laughed and hung up on us. THREE
times! In the end we did receive one broken cot without bedding.
Three skinny beds for two adults and three children : ( Any other
hotel is certain to be better.
Royal Meridien National Hotel J +7 (095) 258-7000 www.national.ru
Street Address: 15/1 Mokhovaya Street - Moscow, Russia
Location: Superior
Nearest Metro:
Staff Speaks English? Yes.
* Superior Location With
The Best Views Of The Kremlin And Manezhnaya Square *
* Very Elegant Service Attitude Here *
* Excellent Place To Enjoy A Meal With Fantastic Kremlin Views *
The most impressive thing about this hotel is the view. They have a fantastic dining area on the second floor with very large windows that overlook the Kremlin. The Royal Meridien is an old hotel which was built in 1903. They describe the hotel as being designed in the styles of eclecticism and modern. To me it looks art nouvou-ish and maybe a little victorian. The rooms are what I call "old style," which means vintage furniture. The rooms have hardwood floors. I was told that each room is different.
The Royal Meridien has a certain classiness to it. A doorman in a fancy uniform will open the front door for you. The bell boys wear unusual caps. Other things: They have a nice atrium area. A casino is in the hotel. They have a business center. The hotel charges $30 an hour for internet access. This is a common price for upper notch hotels. But you don't have to pay that. Right across the street is an underground 3 story mall and there is an internet place there, which is open 24 hours, and they charge less than $3 an hour.
The Royal Meridien is in the heart of the city and there is no other hotel with a location this prime. The one exception might be the Moskva Hotel, but it is under construction and it will not be opening any time soon (as of March 20, 2004).
Would I Stay Here? Yes.
How Close Is The Metro? You can walk to it in 30 seconds.
Final Thoughts: Good hotel. Memorable views. A room with a Kremlin view would be fantastic. I prefer carpet in the rooms, instead of bare wood floors. Pricing: $300 to $1700.
A veteran traveller to Moscow writes:
"The National, by comparison, treated me like a VIP on every stay (I stayed there maybe 4-5 times in the past four years). If you haven't seen the newly renovated annex rooms (they're all suites) at the National, ask. In my opinion, they're the best rooms in Moscow -- but you'll pay through the nose."
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