Moscow news
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10-Mar-2008
The Hotel Metropol
After finally finding the entrance to the massive Hotel Metropol, which covers an entire block in the city center, you will find yourself immediately confronted with a metal detector and a few attentive hotel staff who point guests to their desired location (and make sure they belong there!). From the minute you walk through the doors, you get the impression that you are touring a palace. However, despite the rather loud entrance, The Moscow News was left in awe by the absolute silence and serenity of the guest rooms and along the corridors. All in all, due to its unmatched history, beautifully intricate interior and friendly service, Hotel Metropol topped our list of 5-star hotels in Moscow, with surprisingly some of the most affordable prices in its class!
Location
A better location would be hard to come by. The Hotel Metropol is across the street from the Bolshoi Theater and just a few minutes walk from historical sites such as Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the popular pedestrian-only street, Kamergercheski Pereulok, which is lined with great cafes and restaurants. Also, metro station Otkhotny Ryad and Tverskaya are nearby, as is Moscow's main street, Tverskaya.
Historical Atmosphere
Hotel Metropol traces its history back over 100 years, to a meeting place for high society. The idea stemmed from members of the sophisticated public themselves, in order to establish a place where they could experience the comfort and luxury of their own homes right in the center of Moscow. Many of them brought their own furniture with them and a number of these antique pieces remain in the suites today. Living in the midst of such art and history gives each room its own unique flair, each displaying one-of-a-kind pieces from the beginning of the 20th century.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin even used the hotel as a base from which he conducted much of his work. Other political leaders from Stalin to North Korea's Kim Jong II, the Spanish King Juan Carlos I, several French Presidents and Foreign Ministers or Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder represent only a few examples from the innumerable historical figures that at some time roamed the halls of Hotel Metropol and whose pictures hang on the walls of the 3rd floor gallery among cinema stars and music performers of our time. However, famous people from show business tend to belong less to those seeking spotlight and attention, but rather to more private characters such as Michael Jackson.
In fact, the Metropol, which was built in 1901, exhibits so much artwork that the organizers of Moscow's "Day of Museums" asked the hotel to include their art-deco building in their show. As the hotel's guest manager told The Moscow News, the hotel even occasionally receives bids from museums wishing to acquire some of their art pieces. However, the owners feel their original artwork adds so much value to the identity of the hotel that they always decline such appeals.
Rooms and Prices
For double-occupancy rooms, nightly rates start at 344 euros for a standard room and go up to 1,625 euros for the presidential suite. While these rates are not inexpensive, in comparison to other hotels of its class, Hotel Metropol's suite rates seem almost modest.
For its VIP guests, the presidential suite offers an extra cabinet attached to the 3-room suite for the comfort and proximity of the guest's body guards.
All suites at the upper range are outfitted with authentic antique furniture collections, while standard rooms display a classical image without actual pieces of antique art.
As is the case for most 5-star hotels, standard and superior rooms may leave the guest questioning the value of the room. Even superior rooms, which run around 390 euros per night, make a very cozy, yet unspectacular impression.
Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that other hotels in Moscow may offer such rooms for almost double the price. Rooms in this category at the Metropol at least offer the added bonus of palace-like surroundings, regardless of whether one chooses a presidential suite or a standard room.
Newlyweds frequently flock to the Metropol to take advantage of their special honeymoon offers, including discounted prices. Additionally, all guests have the opportunity to upgrade to the "VIP floor" for an additional 38 euros, which includes a separate café with complimentary breakfast, drinks and a light dinner as well as a daily fruit basket, mineral water and special toiletries in each room.
Guests may also invite a colleague or friend to join them in the café. Two fully equipped negotiation rooms are located on this floor, where the hotel has hosted several private negotiation meetings between world leaders.
Dining
Not always the case for even 5-star hotel restaurants, the Metropol restaurant (photo below) is so breathtaking that it attracts a large crowd of Muscovites and tourists in addition to their hotel guests. Covered by a magnificent, colored glass dome and supported by tall, marble foundations, the restaurant was designed with elements of modernism and neoclassicism. A beautiful fountain in the center of the room creates a tranquil atmosphere, which is augmented by a harp player during breakfast time and other live, classical presentations in the evening.
Prices for the Russian-European cuisine at the Metropol are surprisingly moderate for such an exquisite atmosphere. Vegetarian dishes and salads begin at 10.65 euros up to 22 euros, with many options below 15 euros. In line with expectations of any upscale restaurant in the capital, the Metropol offers a starter of Astrakhan black caviar service on ice with blinis for an extravagant 106 euros. However, they do also offer many starters - both warm and cold-ranging between 10 and 19 euros, and traditional Ukrainian borscht will set you back less here than at Café Pushkin, at 11.50 euros.
At the Metropol restaurant, grilled salmon served with vegetables, mushrooms and garlic-ginger sauce costs 30 euros, while steamed chicken cutlets with cauliflower is 16 euros. Even the priciest dish for one person - roasted rack of lamb with an herb crust and grilled vegetables - will only make 52 euro-sized dent in your pocket. That's not bad, considering fine dining prices in the rest of the over-priced capital.
Facilities
In addition to health and business centers, pool, hair salon, cafes and restaurants, Hotel Metropol also offers its guests a casino and, despite being in the city center, a large parking lot. Wi-Fi, available in the main lobby only, remains quite expensive and hotel management said that they are working to improve this service.
Recommendations
Although no less spectacular than other 5-star hotels in Moscow, Hotel Metropol easily recommends itself to a broader base of clientele, both Russian and foreign. It offers an impressive, historic atmosphere worthy of everyday palace dwellers seeking a cozy home away from home, but is simultaneously not out of reach for an upper-middle-income couple on a special occasion.
By C. Anne Shupe
The Moscow News