Where to Stay in Moscow - Moscow and St. Petersburg - page 101

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dining hall. The rooms are compact, but several offer antique writing tables or armchairs
once belonging to aristocratic Russian families. The Metropol counted author Leo Tol-
stoy and artist Kasimir Malevich among its guests before the Soviets took it over as
offices. Though today's Moscow is a consumerist wonderland, the hotel faces a statue of
Karl Marx in Revolution Square, and the Metropol's western wall is still etched with
stylistic letters reading: the dictatorship of the proletariat is ready to free
humanity from the yoke of capital.
1/4 Teatralny Proyezd. & 499/501-7800. Fax [phone]. www.metropol-moscow.ru. 365 units.
14,000 rubles double; from 26,000 rubles suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Teatralnaya or Lubyanka. Ameni-
ties: 3 restaurants; nightclub and casino; concierge; executive-level rooms; health club; Jacuzzi; room
service; sauna; smoke-free rooms; spa; Wi-Fi. In room: A/C, TV w/satellite, fridge, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi
or Internet 1,000 rubles/day.
Savoy Tucked on an ever-livening block of cafes and boutiques behind the Bol-
shoi Theater, the Savoy is irreproachable. Built in 1912, it retains a privileged atmosphere
originally designed to serve visiting aristocrats from St. Petersburg and abroad. By the
standards of Moscow's over-the-top luxury hotels, this one is relatively small and mod-
est—and that's part of its appeal. It offers top-notch services, a renowned French-Russian
restaurant with an unforgettable crème brûlée, and a landmark lobby bar that envelops
guests in rococo decor and is favored by Russia's political elite.
3 Rozhdestvenskaya Ulitsa. & 495/620-8500. Fax [phone]. www.savoy.ru. 70 units. 11,000 rubles
double; 16,000 rubles suite; 45,000 rubles Grande Suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Teatralnaya, Kuznetsky
Most, or Lubyanka. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar and lounge; concierge; executive-level rooms; health
club; Jacuzzi; indoor heated pool; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms; spa. In room: A/C, TV w/satel-
lite, fridge, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi 960 rubles/day (free if you stay more than a week).

2 TVERSKAYA & ENVIRONS

5

EXPENSIVE
East-West Hotel More like a well-appointed embassy than a hotel, the East-
West is a favorite for its central location on a leafy boulevard and its aristocratic ambi-
ence. Occupying a small former estate, it's close to the action and to a pleasant
playground and paths along Tverskoi Bulvar, but it's set back enough to feel tranquil,
even rarefied. Rooms have generous floor space and are decorated with antique or faux-
antique bureaus and bathroom fixtures. Mattresses are unusually firm. The hotel is too
small for groups, which makes it popular with tourists traveling on their own. Discounts
widely available.
14 Tverskoi Bulvar, building 4. & 495/232-2857. Fax [phone]. www.eastwesthotel.ru. 27 units.
3,600 rubles double; from 7,000 rubles suite. Weekends and holidays 7,200 rubles double; from 14,000
rubles suite. AE, MC, V. Metro: Pushkinskaya. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; room service; sauna. In room: TV
w/satellite, fridge, Wi-Fi 400 rubles/hr.

Marco Polo Presnja The Marco Polo is one of Moscow's most coveted places to
stay. Its regular clients, often from foreign companies, are fiercely loyal and keep many
of its rooms occupied year-round, so book early and check for discounts. 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