Where to Stay in Moscow - Moscow and St. Petersburg - page 112

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up the Cosmos's long driveway, and the metro ride to the center of town takes 20 min-
utes. Bonuses include water aerobics, a children's pool with water slides, and a bowling
alley. Breakfast and VAT are included in the room rate.
150 Prospekt Mira. & 495/234-1000. Fax [phone]. www.hotelcosmos.ru. 1,700 units. 5,500 rubles
double; from 8,000 rubles double. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: VDNKh. Amenities: 5 restaurants; 2 cafes; 2 bars;
nightclub; lounge; casino; babysitting; children's center; concierge; health club; Jacuzzi; 2 indoor pools;
room service; sauna; spa; Wi-Fi in lobby and business center 290 rubles/hr; concert hall. In room: A/C, TV
w/satellite, fridge, minibar.
Gamma-Delta The sleekest, friendliest, and fairest-priced hotel in the
Izmailovsky Hotel Complex (see also listings for the Alpha and the Vega), this is the
closest to a Western-standard facility in this price range. Lobby computer screens taste-
fully and helpfully display prices and services in Russian and English. The 2002 renova-
tion couldn't rid the hotel of its clumsy gray structure, but the soft tones of the room
decor distract you from the outer ugliness. The hotel is actually two buildings, the
Gamma and the Delta, connected on their lower floors. Staff is friendly and accustomed
to international travelers (non-Russian speakers).
71 Izmailovskoye Shosse. & 495/737-7055. Fax [phone]. www.izmailovo.ru. More than 1,000
units. 4,500 rubles; 6,600 rubles two-room suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Izmailovsky Park. Amenities: 9
restaurants and bars; concierge; room service; sauna; free Wi-Fi in lobby. In room: TV w/cable, fridge, hair
dryer, free Wi-Fi in suites.
Vega The Vega tries to be the most elite of the Izmailovsky Hotel Complex (see also
listings for the Alpha and Gamma-Delta hotels), with a few more amenities and snootier
staff. The atmosphere is more understated than the Alpha's. The Vega is popular with
businesspeople from ex-Soviet republics and European tour groups. Guest rooms are
compact and uninventive. Avoid the nightclub, which doubles as a bordello. Cellphones
are available for rent at a low price.
71 Izmailovskoye Shosse, building 3B. & 495/956-0506. www.hotel-vega.ru. 900 units. 2,400 rubles
double; from 5,000 rubles suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Izmailovsky Park. Amenities: 5 restaurants; 2 bars;
concierge; Jacuzzi; room service; sauna; free Wi-Fi in lobby. In room: Cable TV in all rooms, hair dryer in
some rooms, minibar, free Wi-Fi in high-end rooms.
INEXPENSIVE
Globus Hidden behind the enormous Cosmos Hotel is the Globus, a modest hotel
within an anonymous-looking apartment block. Its rooms include kitchenettes; in fact,
many are renovated studio apartments. The price is reasonable, with three categories of
rooms: those with Russian TV; those with satellite TV, hair dryer, and air-conditioning; and
those with two rooms, Jacuzzi, bidet, and coffeemaker. The big drawback is the limited
English-language service, though the staff is eager to help with taxis and theater tickets. The
Globus is a 5- to 10-minute walk to the metro and the All-Russian Exhibition Center.
17 Yaroslavskaya Ulitsa. & 495/686-4189. Fax [phone]. www.hotelglobus.ru. 95 units. Category A
rooms: 1,800 rubles double; Category B rooms: 4,000 double; Category C rooms: from 5,600 rubles (suite).
Pets 1,200 rubles a day. AE, MC, V. Metro: VDNKh. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; sauna; free Wi-Fi in lobby.
In room: See description of categories above.

5

G&R Hostels Though Moscow lacks hostels of the traditional sort, several indepen-
dent entrepreneurs have taken over a floor or more of existing buildings and converted
them into low-budget accommodations. G&R is one of the more reliable in this cate-
gory, occupying three floors of the drab and unremarkable Hotel Asia in southeast