This is a new hotel, very well maintained, very comfortable beds. I read about the soft mattresses but the ones in our room very actually quite firm. Very adequate bathroom, and we did get two tiny bars of soap, which is more than I was getting used to. Very good breakfast, great service, the only problem we found was, it is too far to walk to the main attractions. Although not far from excellent shopping, and right off Nevsky, you need to take public transportation to go elsewhere and since we were there for Victory Day, getting a cab proved to be a real challenge. This can be arranged through the hotel but is expensive. I heard that the rooms in other more expensive first class hotels are actually not as comfortable, but I found the location a bit isolated. Otherwise, I had no complaints.

I stayed at Novotel once before, in November 2006. So, when I decided to visit wonderful St.Petersburg I checked [--] and found the price offered reasonable (€ 105 per night, though breakfast was not included). "Not bad nevertheless", thought I, 'cause I knew that aroung the hotel there was a dozen of nice cafes offering various menus for breakfast at a very attractive price (from 129 RUR, e.g. ~ € 4). When arrived, I asked a receptionist whether they could make upgrade for me and got the positive answer: I was immediately given a Junior Suite on the third floor. The room was excellent: equipped with a queen-size bed and sofa; this latter can also be transferred into another double bed. The room has individual air conditioning (with reverse for cold nights), coffee/tea-making facilities, telephone, Internet access, voice mail, satellite TV, wake up system, mini-bar, individual safe-deposit box and an electronic door key system. A new concept bathroom is equipped with bathtub, shower cabin, hairdryer and has a separate WC. There is also an exit onto the terrace right from the Suite. Breakfast is served on the ground floor and costs € 22; it could be worth only if you like English breakfast very much or when it is rather cold outside to make a short walk to have a good coffee, tasty croissant and freshly pressed orange juice just for less than 4 Euro while relaxing in a nice cafe and looking through the window at magnificent Nevski avenue. The hotel is adjacent to the metro station "Ploschad' Vosstania" (about 4 min. walk) and really nearby the main street of the city - Nevski av. (just 150 meters). A concierge at the hotel will give good advice how to reach the Hermitage (it is a 10 min. ride by bus alongstreet). Beware of the hotel exchange rate: albeit the price is usu given in Euro, the payment is possible only in local currency at a rate higher than that you may change your cash Euros at in a bank (about 2% surcharge). For example, if you book a room at € 200 per night, actually it means € 204.

Encore un novotel .... mais c'est pour çà qu'on les choisis ! Beaucoup plus proche du centre que celui de Moscou, et sensiblement plus récent. Chambres "Novation" Petits dej à la hauteur de l'enseigne, tout comme le restaurant " coté jardins" A noter : léger bruit à coté de notre chambre signalé à notre retour => résultat, on nous a offerts (remboursés) les 2 dîners pris sur place ! Idéal point de départ pour visiter la ville !

I enjoyed my stay at the SPb Novotel a great deal. Got a standard single for $223/night taxes included but no breakfast. By the way, the $22 breakfast was better than in the three other SPb hotels I've stayed in, all of which cost considerably more. In a word, I would describe the Novotel as funky, both inside and out. The designers didn't waste an inch of interior space; the little couch is an ergonomic wonder, as is the rolling desk. The windows are huuuuuge and allow a nice view of the city rooftops. The hotel itself is very easy to navigate. The staff is friendly and professional, and a couple of them even joked with me. The 2006 reviewer's point about the foam mattresses is valid. Moreover, the single room is smaller than it looks on the Novotel webpage; if you're traveling as a party of two I would recommend a junior suite. But overall, the Novotel Centre made a fine base of operations for when I came home dog tired from a day of conventioning or sightseeing. It's close in to a lot of shops and restaurants, and an especially good location for anyone interested in visiting Smolny. I would definitely stay there again!