Moscow : Sleep
Since the collapse of the Soviet regime, Moscow’s hotels have improved considerably, but a dearth of good hotels in the city still remains. Hg2’s normal policy is to stay away from big Western names, but most Moscow hotels are owned or joint-ventured with international chains, catering largely for the business sector. The Golden Apple is, theoretically, the first ‘boutique hotel’ to open, but the concept as we know it in the West is one that has yet to take off in Russia.Moscow is not a cheap place to stay. High demand from business clientele along with a shortage of good hotels allows those that do exist to command steep prices. However, you may find it possible to get a weekend deal – many places offer Friday, Saturday and Sunday discounts, so don’t be totally put off.
For our purposes, hotels at the higher end of the market fall into two broad categories: luxury hotels and ‘ex-Soviet’ (formerly State-run) hotels. Luxury hotels are everything that you might expect in the West, with high levels of service and all the necessary conveniences, but a double room will cost around $300 per night. The marginally cheaper ($200 per night) ex-Soviet hotels often appear tired and shabby, but the rooms are usually clean and frequently larger than those you might find in the luxury hotels. The Hotel Budapest, as an example, is very well located, just a 5-minute walk from the Bolshoi Theatre.
Luxury hotels host some of the finest dining on offer in the city. Polo Club – a steakhouse at the Aurora Marriott Hotel – recently invited Gary Rhodes to chef for a week. For many expatriates and wealthy Russians Sunday brunch has become an institution, and the Gallery restaurant at Ararat Park Hyatt is renowned as being exceptionally good. It is common practice for hotels to give their prices in a standard unit known as ‘uy’ or ‘u ye’ (uslovie yedenitsiy). They publish a rate of exchange, such as ‘1 u ye = 27 roubles’, which allows them effectively to quote prices in dollars (or euros), but it is illegal for businesses to trade in anything but roubles. All hotels take credit cards for payment.
Security is surprisingly good: porters do a good job of keeping undesirables out of the hotels, and a ‘dezurnaya’, allocated to each floor, keeps a beady eye on everything that is going on – but it is still worthwhile depositing anything really valuable in the hotel safe.
Gone are the days of deprivation; nowadays hotels have all the mod-cons, such as satellite TV, direct-dial phones, air-conditioning/heating (essential in the Russian winter) and a high standard of service. Many hotels have health clubs or exercise rooms with pool, sauna and massages available, although the treatments on offer are limited.
The rates stretch from a standard double room in low season to the cost of a suite in high season. Each hotel is assessed according to style, atmosphere and location, to give you an idea of whether it’s the right choice for you.
