Moscow Hotel Tips by Dabs

Arbat Hotel: Good location, not too much money Arbat Hotel Moscow Review

We stayed at the Arbat Hotel for 3 nights in Aug 2003. The room was quite spacious, the beds reasonably comfortable, nice hot showers, a small refrigerator. Bring your own hair dryer if you need it.

I really liked the location, the hotel was 2 blocks from Arbat Street and one of the excellent inexpensive Moo Moo restaurants and within walking distance of another reasonable restaurant, Elki Palki. It was less than a 10 minute walk from a metro station.

Unlike the other hotel we stayed at on this trip, there were no prostitutes or casinos in the lobby, in fact the atmosphere was rather quiet. This must have been a former Soviet diplomat hotel, the rooms were unusually large and the corridors and common areas were huge.

The breakfast buffet was ample and included pastries, cereal, made to order omelets, bacon, juice, bread, meat and cheese.

Address: 12 Plotnikov Pereulok, Moscow

Comparison: about average

Price: US$80-120

Theme: Hotel

Cosmos: Tour group accomodations Cosmos Review

Chances are if you are traveling with a tour group that you will be staying at this mammoth 1,777 room hotel.

The room was adequate, we had a view of the All Russian Exhibition Center that was across the street. The toiletries were minimal (shampoo, bath gel and soap), no hair dryer in the standard rooms.

The included breakfast buffet was OK but many of the hot dishes were cold. The buffet dinner was OK but I would have preferred to eat somewhere else.

The hotel is across the street from the VDNKh metro station. We didn't take it but I imagine it was about a 1/2 hour ride to the center of the city.

We didn't use any of the hotel amenities but there was a fitness center (for an additional $10 per day unless you had an upgraded room), bowling alley (also for an additional fee), casino, night club. There were prostitutes hanging out in the bar, several of the men in our group were approached. I don't think it is all that uncommon in Moscow.

Unique Qualities: All in all it was an decent hotel but if you're just looking for a nice place to sleep, for a little more money (about $15 per night more) you could have the centrally located Arbat Hotel if you don't want all those extras

Address: Prospect Mira 150

Comparison: about average

Directions: Across the street from the VDNKh metro station

Price: US$80-120

Theme: Hotel

Website: http://www.hotelcosmos.ru/