Where to Stay in St. Petersburg - Moscow and St. Petersburg - page 230

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town. If you get a discount rate, it can be a good bargain, offering all major services and
modern, if rather plain, rooms. Its style is late Soviet mixed with Scandinavian, meaning
it has little in common with Nevsky's 18th-century opulence. The walk from the metro
is long and windy in any season, and there's little nearby in terms of commerce or sight-
seeing, except for a decommissioned submarine around the corner now open for visitors.
The Steak House on the seventh floor and the bar on the 13th are highlights of the hotel's
extensive dining options. Its pool, bowling alley, and planned indoor water park make it
a good choice when traveling with kids.
14 Ulitsa Korablestroitelei. & 812/974-9572. www.pribaltiyskayahotel.ru. 1,200 units. From 4,250 rubles
double; 12,000 rubles suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Primorskaya. Amenities: 9 restaurants; 2 bars; night-
club and jazz bar; Jacuzzi; indoor pool; room service; sauna; smoke-free rooms. In room: TV w/satellite,
fridge, hair dryer, and minibar in newer rooms, Wi-Fi (150 rubles/hr.).

MODERATE
Piter “Piter” is the affectionate way residents refer to St. Petersburg (it's pro-
nounced “Peter,” even though it's spelled with an i). This small new hotel on the north
side of the Neva River has a good quality-to-price ratio, and its proximity to the metro
renders the distance from the heart of town almost irrelevant. Each guest room is deco-
rated slightly differently, all in a basic Scandinavian style. The rooms are mid-size but the
bathrooms are compact and offer showers only. On the ground floor, however, there's a
sauna with Jacuzzi and small pool meant for a cool plunge after a hot steam—and a bil-
liards table if you get a post-swim urge. European tourists fill the rooms much of the year.
Local businessmen rent the billiards room and sauna for evening parties.
5/1 Ulitsa Dobrolyubova (entrance from Ulitsa Proviyanskaya). & 812/325-1518. www.piter-hotel.com. 13
units. From 2,500 rubles double; 4,200 rubles suite; extra bed 1,900 rubles. DC, MC, V. Metro: Sportivnaya.
Amenities: Cafe for breakfast; Jacuzzi; sauna. In room: A/C, TV w/cable, fridge, Wi-Fi (150 rubles/hr.).
St. Petersburg Built like a lonely fortress on the Neva River, the St. Petersburg hotel
has great views, decent prices, and an unfortunately Soviet atmosphere. Luckily, its stark
facade and interminable, dim corridors conceal several bright, comfortable rooms. Reno-
vated rooms are decorated in muted colors and light woods; the unrenovated ones bear
the deep reds and greens of standard-issue Soviet bed linens and wallpaper. Rooms with
views of the Neva and the city cost more, but the price is worth paying since the view is
one of the key reasons to stay in this hotel. Tour groups often stay here, and are fed in
the hotel's unimpressive restaurants. Few other culinary options are available in this
largely residential and industrial neighborhood, so take a cab or the metro elsewhere.
5/2 Pirogovskaya Naberezhnaya. & 812/380-1919. Fax [phone] units. 2,300 rubles double;
from 5,500 rubles suite; pricier rooms with river view. Breakfast included. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Ploshchad
Lenina. Amenities: 2 restaurants; bar; concierge; health club; room service; small pool; sauna; concert
hall. In room: A/C, TV w/cable, fridge, hair dryer, Internet (200 rubles/hr.), minibar in some rooms.

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6 NEAR THE AIRPORT

Pulkovskaya Pulkovo Airport has no airport hotels in the traditional sense;
the closest equivalent is the Pulkovskaya, 10 minutes north on a straight highway toward
the city center. Shuttles run from airport to hotel and back for a fee. Another Soviet-era
giant, the hotel has renovated most rooms according to international standards. Russian