This is my second review of the Arbat. After our first trip to Russia (we adopted our twins from the Russian Far East and the process required 2 trips) in March of 2006, I wrote a review and while our stay was not terrible, I vowed I would not stay in a hotel in Moscow that was not part of an American chain. Little did I know how the second trip (taken 8 months later in November of 2006) would find me, yet again, at the Arbat Hotel. Our second trip to Russia was carefully planned assuming that we would be in Moscow twice ... once on our way to the Far East, and again on our return through Moscow ... the second time with our 6 year old, newly adopted, twin boys in tow. When the judge in our region waived our two week waiting period, our return trip through Moscow was moved up by 14 days. Every American chain was fully booked. Every other "recommended" hotel was also booked. We even tried to find an rental apartment I was so opposed to staying at the Arbat. No luck. So back to the Arbat we went. Now here is the best part of the story: I don't know what we did right this time around, but the room we had at the Arbat in November was terrific! We had a bedroom to ourselves (my husband and I), another room with a large fold-out sofa for the boys (with a TV that had at least 1 channel of cartoons - hooray!), another room with a desk and sofa, a full bath with tub and shower, and a half bath! There was a fridge for sodas we bought on Arbat Street, which was an easy walk from the hotel. The buffet breakfast, included in the rate, was fabulous. A large assortment of Russian and Western style breakfast foods, including fresh fruit, juice, pancakes, eggs, blini, yogurt, pastries, etc. Since we had the boys with us, we needed to get out during the day, and Arbat Street was very entertaining for the kids. Santa and other cartoon characters (costumed adults) strolled Arbat Street as the holiday season approached. McDonalds is also on Arbat Street ... need I say more? A few surly looking characters as well, so keep the kids in sight. While a couple of the reviews posted here mention internet service not being very good, and the mention about the rates, paying in Rubles, etc., etc. are definitely an issue, I cannot comment on those issues as (1) we had no need (or time) to seek out internet availability, and (2) our trip was a necessity to complete our adoption, so we really could not quibble about the cost, etc. Suffice it to say, that if you are traveling to Moscow and the price and location work for you, consider the Arbat. I would request seeing the room first before agreeing to it. And unsmiling desk clerks? Well, just be lovely and polite and smile at them anyway ... they LIVE in Russia; you get to go home.

Although this is supposed to be a business hotel their internet access is ridiculous, for the first 300 roubles(roughly ?6) you get 5MB of data transfer and then you start paying more. If you are planning on using skype or any internet services at all then this is not the place for you. The hotel itself was absolutely fine and the room was clean and efficient (although decor could do with some updating). The staff were on the whole dreadful and I would pay special compliment to Irina on front desk for being the worst of the lot - she was surly and unhelpful at all times. That said, the price of the hotel is very keen compared to many of the other central moscow hotels and the location is excellent. Caveat Emptor......

Das Hotel stammt noch aus der Sowiet-Zeit. Die Lage ist ausgezeichnet; man ist 150 M von der Arbat Straße entfernt; außerdem verschiedene Metrostationen, die zu Fuß erreichbar sind, sowie viele Restaurants - also ein Hotel in perfekter Lage. Obwohl das Hotel mittem im Zentrum liegt, war es sehr still und ruhig. Ich hatte ein Standardzimmer; das Bad war total in Ordnung (kürzlich renoviert) mit ganz neuer Dusche, Wasserhähnen etc.; das Zimmer zeigte ein paar Altersspuren (das Parkett war etwas abgenutzt, die Möbel anscheinend unverändert aus UDSSR-Zeiten, genau wie die Gardinen), aber das Bett war bequem (trotz der quadratischen Kopfkissen, die so typisch in Russland sind!). Fernseher okay mit vielen westlichen Sendern; gut, wenn man länger bleibt. Sehr gutes Frühstücksbüffet, umfangreiches Angebot mit vielen westlichen Lieblingsspeisen, aber auch voller russischer Gerichte, die man ruhig einmal probieren sollte. Insgesamt gutes Preis-Leistungsverhältnis (man sollte nicht vergessen, dass man hier in einer Stadt ist, in der für Bruchbuden viel Geld verlangt wird), gute Lage. Ich würde wieder hier übernachten.

I booked this hotel on the basis of a given price of 285US$. I then converted this to £ by using current exchange rate of 1.87US$ / £....ie 285 divide by 1.87 = £152.40 per night. BUT !!....on checking in I find this hotel uses it's own conversion exchange rate ...and you can only pay the bill in Russian Rubbles. The international exchange rate is 26.8 rubbles per $ So 285 x 26.8 = 7638 rubbles per night. 50 rubbles to the pound = 7638 divide by 50 = £152.76 per night. OK ! BUT!!!....This hotel uses it's own exchange rate of 32 rubbles to the $ So this then becomes 285 x 32 = 9120 rubbles. 9120 divide by 50 = £182.40 per night. £182.40 x 1.87 = 341 US$ per night. This means you are quoted 285 $ but you actually pay 341 $ ! They will not let you pay in US Dollars you have to pay in Rubbles this is of course because they make money from their exchange rate. In addition you are supplied with a free bottel of watre the first night only, after that you pay...and this is for a room that is £182 per night! The staff seldom smile and don't appear very freindly. So my advise is 1) don't use this hotel. 2) if you do, be very careful of the quoted price...ask for it in Rubbles then you can convert accurately.

Este hotel es de la era soviética. La ubicación es excelente, estás a 150m de la calle Rabat, además, varias estaciones del metro están a una corta distancia andando, así como muchos restaurantes, por lo tanto, es un hotel perfectamente situado. El hotel, aunque está ubicado en el centro, era muy tranquilo y silencioso. Yo estaba en una habitación estándar, el baño estaba perfectamente bien (recientemente renovado) con una ducha nueva, grifo, etc., la habitación se miraba un poco vieja (el parqué estaba algo gastado, el mobiliario creo que era el mismo de la URSS, igual con la cortina), pero la cama era cómoda (¡a pesar de las típicas almohadas rusas cuadradas!). El equipo de televisión estaba bien, con muchos canales occidentales, el mini bar (de hecho era un refrigerador normal) estaba vacío, algo bueno para aquellos que se alojarán por un buen tiempo. El bufé del desayuno estaba muy bien, con muchos favoritos occidentales, pero también lleno con cosas rusas, vale la pena probarlo. En resumen, hotel con una buena relación calidad-precio (piensa que estamos en una ciudad en donde piden mucho dinero por cualquier pocilga), fantástica ubicación. Regresaría.