It's a
while since capitalism came to Russia, but the free market has been slow to
work its wonders on Moscow's hotels. In the last few years, however, the choice
of accommodation has expanded, with most of the major international chains
building, or planning, properties. In the best hotels, standards, style and
overall panache are world class, and unrecognisable compared with 10 years ago.
Baltschug Kempinski
Dating
partly from 1898, the Hotel Baltschug belies its age, with an airy, light character,
yet without any sense of having been brutalised by modernity. Located on the
other side of the Moskva from Red Square, the hotel has the twin benefits of
centrality and vantage; there is arguably no better view of St Basil’s and the
Kremlin from anywhere in the city than that afforded by one of the hotel’s 40
luxury suites (some equipped with telescopes; ideal for those trying to keep an
eye on state affairs). There are 230
rooms, in three categories, but specify the view – choices are the Kremlin and
Red Square, side streets or the hotel atrium, and a premium is paid
accordingly. In addition to the view, guests may also select their preferred
internal decor. A number of rooms have been decorated by Sir David Linley, the
Swedish Company Living Design, and even HRH Princess Michael of Kent. The
latter managed, with a few reams of excessively florid wallpaper and corresponding
curtains, to feminise the Presidential suite to such an extent that the room is
now known as the Princess Suite. Not for nothing is she dubbed ‘Princess Pushy’.
The
panoramic views and fusion of European sensibility and Russian extravagance in
the main Baltschug restaurant make meals memorable, but the Shogun restaurant,
showcasing Asian cuisine (the latest fad among moneyed Muscovites), offers some
spectacular sushi and sashimi, with thrice-weekly deliveries from Tsukiji
Market. There is also Cafe Kranzler – a traditional Berlin-style coffee house
with a wide and tempting selection of home-made confections. The hotel also
boasts a bar with the world’s longest vodka menu, as well as a number of
meeting rooms and often hosts exhibitions and fashion shows in the capacious
Atrium.
The
Health Club comprises a well-stocked gym, a satisfyingly long pool, sauna,
solarium and a yoga class. The Baltschug Beauty Centre is small, but the
therapists are exceptional. I had a Lomi-Lomi massage, an immensely profound
Hawaiian treatment that involves the therapist employing forearms as well as
hands, and massaging different parts of the body simultaneously.
Besides
the Baltschug’s diverse domestic distractions, there is the cultural crucible
of Moscow to explore, and the hotel has a number of guides who will, in
consultation with guests, tailor-make a city tour.
Despite
the daft name, the 92-room Golden Apple is a welcome novelty in Moscow, and an
alternative to the traditional grandeur of the central hotels and the Stalinist
hangovers on the outskirts. The city's self-proclaimed "first boutique
hotel" (2004), it's the sort of thing that could have gone horribly wrong,
but if sleek contemporary is your thing, this is the place. There is an
overwhelming sense of the Sanderson London here; the eponymous golden apple – a
giant gilt cutaway sofa imbibes something of the Starckian Cocteau-like dream
world into the hotel’s lobby. The hotel is well-located for the city's key
shopping streets and half a mile north of Red Square. The spa was under
reconstruction when I visited (it reopened at the beginning of September 2010),
and if they’ve done as good a job as they have on the recently-refurbished restaurant,
it will be outstanding.
The
restaurant focuses on ‘molecular cuisine’ elements, but this does not, as I
incorrectly assumed, mean puny portions – far from it. Rather, the focus is on
aesthetics and flavour, and any single dish could contain over ten individual
ingredients. I was stuffed after the starter (warm seafood salad with
langoustines and pineapple dressing), but somehow made room for the steak (with
countless accoutrements).
Arguably
the hotel’s top feature (besides the achingly hip bar’s inbuilt chess board –
perfect for sparking barman banter) is the in-room Nespresso machines, which
really raises the tea and coffee making facilities bar to another level.
Ararat Park Hyatt
The
oligarchs’ (and Paris Hilton’s) choice, the Ararat opened in 2002
on Neglinnaya Ulitsa, just a few minutes' walk from the Bolshoi Theatre, and
within comfortable walking distance of Red Square and the Kremlin. The hotel owes
not only its forename, but also its outward appearance to Armenia. The shape of
the building represents ancient Armenian edifice: massive polyhedrons of
fortresses and temples built into the surrounding landscape with forensic
accuracy. Moreover, Cafe Ararat, the first floor restaurant, is a replica of
the landmark establishment of the same name that existed from the 1940s until
the 1970s inside the former Hotel Armenia.
The Park Restaurant on the hotel’s second floor is particularly
renowned for its Sunday brunches – a mêlée of world cuisines washed down with
unlimited champagne, but the ultimate dining experience here is to be found in
the Conservatory Bar and Lounge on the 10th floor of the hotel. The
trendy zebrano wood-meets-chromium bar, with both internal and external
seating, offers sweeping views over the Duma and the Bolshoi theatre. Indeed,
the sensational view earned the Conservatory a place in the ‘Best Bars in the
World’ list compiled by the Architectural Digest. It is somewhat ironic that
Ararat, the city in Armenia from which the hotel’s name derives, is notorious
for the impurity of its atmosphere, as on the day we visit, the toxic smog that
has engulfed Moscow for a fortnight makes an unsolicited reappearance,
scuppering our al fresco dining intentions. The views from inside are just as
spectacular, but fortunately the food bucks the conventional negative view-quality
correlation. All the dishes we tried – a gazpacho, tuna tartare and pelmeni
(Russian ravioli) – demanded focus on the plate as opposed to the window.
The hotel contains 216 rooms, including 21 suites, which are in no
sense generic, all featuring designs individual designs that project a
cosmopolitan yet residential feel.
Flights: We flew from London Heathrow to Moscow Domodedovo
with British Midland International (bmi). bmi offers twice daily return economy
flights from London Heathrow to Moscow from £218
(www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/special-offers/flight-offers/worldwide-hotspots.aspx),
or why not treat yourself to Business Class tickets: from £1394 including
taxes, and enjoy the Great British Lounge at Terminal 1, Gate 5 featuring an
Aga serving piping hot soup and porridge, The Local (a bar offering a
sophisticated British pub environment), Lounge Dining, showers and work
stations.
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