Moscow & St. Petersburg - Eastern Europe - page 577

WHERE TO STAY
The boom in Moscow hotel space since the Soviet Union's collapse has focused on lux-
ury or business-class accommodations, and demand is high for midrange hotels.
Most of the better deals on hotels are found beyond the Garden Ring Road, well
away from the main sights. If your hotel is near a metro station, that can reduce travel
time considerably. Rack rates listed here are in U.S. dollars, and do not include break-
fast and the 18% VAT, unless noted.
VERY EXPENSIVE
Baltschug Kempinski The Baltschug led the post-Soviet transformation of this
district across the Moscow River from the Kremlin. Its pristine, buttercup-yellow facade
immediately altered the neglected neighborhood of canals and abandoned churches. Just
over the bridge is Red Square and its attendant activity; the bohemian bustle of Pyatnit-
skaya Street spreads out in the other direction, to the south. Don't miss the sumptuous
brunch of prerevolutionary Russian delicacies and all the caviar you could want.
1 Ulitsa Balchug. & 800/426-3135 or 095/230-6500. Fax [phone]. www.kempinski-moscow.com. 232 units.
$360 (£180) double; from $800 (£400) suite; $65 (£33) extra bed. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Teatralnaya, Kuznetsky Most,
or Lubyanka. Amenities: 3 restaurants; 2 bars; indoor heated pool; health club; spa; Jacuzzi; 2 saunas; children's cen-
ter; game room; concierge; tour desk; car-rental desk; limo; 24-hr. business center; Wi-Fi; shopping arcade; salon; 24-
hr. room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; same-day dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive rooms.
In room:A/C, TV w/satellite, dataport, minibar, fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.

EXPENSIVE
Holiday Inn Vinogradovo This resort-type facility is unlike anything else
Moscow has to offer. Well removed from the city, it's tucked in a forest 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 miles)
beyond the bypass marking the city limits, not too far from the airport. The free shut-
tle to and from town takes awhile but makes the hotel feel less remote. The plus side
of such a distant locale is the availability of outdoor amenities unheard of at other
Moscow hotels: horseback riding, and cross-country skiing in winter; watersports in
summer. Guest rooms are generous in size. Kids eat free.
Dmitrovskoye Shosse, Estate 171. & 877/477-4674 or 095/937-0670. www.ichotels.com. 154 units. $200-$270
(£100-£135) double, depending on when you reserve; from $300 (£150) suite. AE, DC, MC, V. 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 miles) north
of Moscow Ring Rd. along Dmitrovskoye Shosse (visible from the highway). Amenities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; indoor
pool; health club; sauna; tour desk; transport desk; 24-hr. business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; massage; laun-
dry room; same-day dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive rooms; bowling alley. In room:TV w/satellite, fridge,
coffeemaker, iron.

Kids

Marco Polo Presnja A rare example of style, service, and affordability when
it opened in 1993, the Marco Polo now faces greater competition in its category, and
its prices have risen accordingly. Yet it remains one of Moscow's most coveted places
to stay. The leafy neighborhood between the Boulevard Ring and the Garden Ring is
ideal for strolling, and nearby Malaya Bronnaya Street offers several unusual shopping
and dining finds you won't encounter on the city's main drags. The main attraction
nearby is the park at Patriarchs' Ponds. Despite the hotel's relatively modest size, its
guest rooms, bathrooms, closets, and corridors are spacious and airy.
4 Spiridonevsky Pereulok. & 095/244-3631. Fax [phone]. www.presnja.ru. 72 units. $300 (£150) double; from
$370 (£185) suite; $48 (£24) extra bed. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Pushkinskaya, Tverskaya, or Mayakovskaya. Amenities: 2
restaurants; bar and lounge; sauna; concierge; tour desk; transport desk; business center; room service; massage; laundry
service; dry cleaning; executive rooms. In room:A/C, TV w/satellite and pay movies, minibar, fridge, hair dryer, iron.

Metropol The Art Nouveau mosaic by Mikhail Vrubel that tops the
Metropol's facade sets it apart in era and in style from other hotels of its class. Some