I needed to be near the Russian Academy of Science so this was the place to stay. Rooms were OK, although not elegant. Breakfast was quite good: something for everyone. There's a tea room on the 16th floor and a very nice Indian Restaurant up a few more steps. The owner is opening a sushi bar on the ground floor next week. While not near the center of Moscow like the Metropole and some other much more expensive places, the transportation systems are good enough that one can quickly get anywhere. Underground fares are quite reasonable: 84 rubles for 5 rides (about $3.60). There may be better places to stay for getting to the major tourist attractions, but this one is certainly adequate. The staff are about as helpful as most in Moscow where they are still recovering from 70 years of Stalinism.

Horrible service! If you have an option NOT to stay there - don't, avoid this place. The phone in the room immediately went out of order and no one fixed it within 4 days despite multiple complaints. Front desk people were nasty, security not helpful. Rooms are small, blankets are old and burned with cigaretts, no air conditioning, no decent size shampoo, soap, towels are old.

We got our Russian customer to book the rooms for us. We were charged 18000Rubs for 3 nights in a quite pokey, but clean, single room. That's 146 GBP/night. Maybe that's the going rate off this Russian booking site that was used. Interesting earlier comment about 'ladies of the night'. They also operate in the bar area but the security guards clearly get a cut so are allowed to stay.

When I stayed in this hotel in 2003 it was half the price it was that it is today, and if I go back to Moscow I would stay here again. Its a bit of a distance from Red Square, and the nearest Metro I could find was a 10 minute walk away (though I think there was a closer one, but thats the Metro the hotel website told me to get off at)... but one thing you must do when in Moscow is travel on the Metro, so its useful for that :-) I arrived late, and the hotel wanted payment upfront in Rubles, and as I only had $'s with me at the time, I had to go change them at the exchange point in the lobby, but was shocked to hear that they had no Rubles left! Thankfully though they letted me off and was able to pay in the Morning. English-wise, the staff at the hotel talk no better English than in most hotels of this standard I have stayed in whilst in Eastern Europe! Breakfast was a feast! And worth every penny :-) Rooms were really "Soviet"-standard and nothing special! As with most hotels in Eastern Europe, if you are a lone traveler, expect the anoying phonecall at 2am asking "you want a lady?" Planning to go to Moscow again in future, and will stay here again!

Security at entrance extremely impolite indicating female guests were prostitutes without any appology. Reception not friendly. Cleaning of room ok. General impression - Hotel from "old communist time" without any kind of hospitality.