Our Super Secret Hotel Maven network extends far and wide and thanks to another SSHM, we have a mini-guide to Russia's luxe hotels--perfect for ballers, high-rollers and Russian mobsters. It's a mini-guide because it's really only a few hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Our last hotel in the series: Ritz-Carlton Moscow. Enjoy.
After a little sleepy time in Moscow, I woke up at the Ararat Park Hyatt and pulled the blinds open. Snow was falling on Red Square, and it looked pretty, and pretty cold as well.
Though I was fearful that my day which began quite pleasantly would be tarnished by the blistery cold weather, I decided to brave the streets. When else would I be in Moscow again after all?
Our Super Secret Hotel Maven network extends far and wide and thanks to another SSHM, we have a mini-guide to Russia's luxe hotels--perfect for ballers, high-rollers and Russian mobsters. It's a mini-guide because it's really only a few hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Up next: Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow. Enjoy.
St. Petersburg is cute and all, but it's a bit of a sleepy town. I found myself feeling a bit lost and isolated after three days there. I was very much ready to move on to the next phase of my trip, the capital city of Moscow.
After the most institutional airport check-in of my entire life, I was whisked on the one hour flight to Moscow aboard Russia's national airline, Aeroflot. Note about Aeroflot: most comfortable coach seats I have yet to experience.
I arrived in Moscow, and rode the 2 hour ride in traffic to the center of the city, and was dropped off in front of my new home, the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow.
Our Super Secret Hotel Maven network extends far and wide and thanks to another SSHM, we have a mini-guide to Russia's luxe hotels--perfect for ballers, high-rollers and Russian mobsters. It's a mini-guide because it's really only a few hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Up next: The Grand Hotel Europe. Enjoy.
Now on to my favorite hotel in St. Petersburg, Grand Hotel Europe. I actually didn't want to like this place, because well, it's an Orient Express property. And frankly, when I think of Orient Express, I think of Ben-Gay stank old ladies. The hotel is thankfully in a bustling part of St. Petersburg.
Before I made my way over to this area, known as Nevsky Prospekt, I thought that all of St. Petersburg was sitting at home, scared to come out... but no! People shop here! They go on walks! They go out to eat! Before I even saw the building itself, just seeing the neighborhood of this hotel had me at hello, but those hellos just kept coming.
Our Super Secret Hotel Maven network extends far and wide and thanks to another SSHM, we have a mini-guide to Russia's luxe hotels--perfect for ballers, high-rollers and Russian mobsters. It's a mini-guide because it's really only a few hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Up next: The Eliseev Palace and Hotel Angleterre. Enjoy.
Eliseev Palace
St. Petersburg is a lovely city, I guess. The architecture is delightfully institutional. The snow, I mean slush, is a wonderful hue of mocha. And nothing says warm and fuzzy like Russia, right?
When it comes to the sites, St. Petersburg is all history--lots of palaces and museums and pretty things. Pretty things get boring, though, so this hotel freak decided to give in to addiction and give the sites the finger. Instead, I opted to tour the city's most famous hotels, and I am so glad I did because I can share my notes with you!
I already gave you a rundown of the spot I was calling home, Hotel Astoria, which was fine enough, but I felt I owed it to America to find something a hair better.
Though Four Seasons has promised a hotel coming to St. Petersburg (perhaps opening on the same cold day in hell, I mean Russia, that the "two" Moscow locations will open), we've got to work with what there is for now, and what there is has been there for a long, freakin' time.
Our Super Secret Hotel Maven network extends far and wide and thanks to another SSHM, we have a mini-guide to Russia's luxe hotels--perfect for ballers, high-rollers and Russian mobsters. It's a mini-guide because it's really only a few hotels in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Up first: The Hotel Astoria. Enjoy.
It's not easy to travel to Russia if you're a picky Angeleno with the sniffles. Recently, though, I did the difficult and braved the subzero temperatures. I saw the two main cities, St. Petersburg and Moscow, and explored the cultural treasures of each. More importantly, though, I made stops at each of the city's key hotels for tours of the facilities and rooms, and have smuggled my reports back to familiar soil.
