Where to Stay in St. Petersburg - Moscow and St. Petersburg - page 222

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Pulford Apartments This British-Russian company offers apartments all over
town, but its prime spots are along the lanes between Palace Square and Nevsky Prospekt
metro station. These are also its more expensive apartments, though they still cost less
than most hotel options in the neighborhood. All apartments are renovated to Western
standards, with fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms, and from one to several bed-
rooms. Maid service can be arranged as often as you like, as can other hotel-like services
such as extra towels, theater tickets, cellphone rental, and visa help. It's a bit more isolated
than hotel living, but English-speaking help is just a phone call away. Security is assured,
but some apartments are in unguarded buildings, so if you come home alone late at
night, get someone to accompany you to the door (even a cab driver). The top locations
offer perks such as a personal grocery-shopping service and delivery of videos or DVDs.
It's an unusual but recommended way to see St. Petersburg.
Main office: 6 Moika Embankment. & 812/325-1274. Fax [phone]. www.pulford.com. From 57
euros for 1-bedroom apt. V. Amenities: Executive-level rooms; smoke-free rooms; tour arrangements
and personal guides; transport services. In room: A/C, TV w/satellite, fridge, hair dryer, free Internet,
kitchen.

2 UPPER NEVSKY PROSPEKT

VERY EXPENSIVE
Corinthia Nevsky Palace Hidden behind a 19th-century facade on
Nevsky, this hotel has a glass-enclosed lobby and atrium lush with greenery that feels
more like Sydney or Los Angeles than subarctic St. Petersburg. The five-star Nevsky
Palace opened in 1993 in two renovated neoclassical mansions, and completed another
upgrade in 2005. Geared more toward executives than tourists, the hotel offers a range
of suites and thoroughly modern (if somewhat colorless) rooms. Even the smallest room
has a bidet along with the top-quality bathroom facilities. Staff is businesslike but not
particularly effusive, though every imaginable service is available if you're bold enough to
ask. In a nod to the building's history, the hotel houses a small theater museum, in honor
of the Samoilov family of actors who lived on the property in the 1800s. Its prime loca-
tion almost justifies its high prices. Though street-facing windows are well-fortified,
Nevsky's constant buzz makes a courtyard-facing room more appealing. Even if you don't
stay here, their Sunday brunch, a smorgasbord of international cuisines, is worth a
splurge. On-site are child-friendly entertainment, a playroom, and a babysitter.
57 Nevsky Prospekt. & 812/380-2001. Fax [phone]. www.corinthia.ru. 155 units. Double 9,000
rubles mid-Oct to mid-May, from 13,000 rubles mid-May to mid-Oct; suite from 25,000 rubles year-round
(VIP suite on request). AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Gostiny Dvor. Amenities: 4 restaurants; bar; cafe; babysitting;
concierge; executive-level rooms; health club; Jacuzzi; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms; spa. In
room: A/C, satellite TV, fridge, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (200 rubles/hr. or 300 rubles/day).

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EXPENSIVE
Ambassador Hotel Contemporary opulence on the banks of one of St.
Petersburg's most famed canals, that's what on offer in this hotel opened in 2005. It's in
a historic if not smack-dab-central part of town, neighbor to Yusupov's Palace and a
crooked block away from the Mariinsky Theater. The rooms pale a bit compared to the
Czech-glass chandeliers in the lobby, but their deep mattresses provide a welcome refuge.
Unusually for Russian hotels, this one goes out of its way to help people with limited
mobility, though showers are tiny. Kids, take note: You get undersized bathrobes and