Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya
The first Hilton to open in Russia occupies one of Moscow’s famous Stalinist skyscrapers known as the Seven Sisters. The interior is equally extravagant, offering functional but swish rooms, a swathe of amenities (spa; gym; multiple dining options) and top-notch service.
Location
9 / 10
The hotel sits on the Garden Ring, close to Komsomolskaya Square. It’s a 10-minute walk to Krasnye vorota and Komsomolskaya Metro stations and a five-minute walk to the Leningradsky railway terminal, where you can catch the high-speed train to St. Petersburg. There’s not too much in the immediate vicinity, but the famous Sovremennik Theatre is a 20-minute stroll, as is the Chystye Prudy (Clean Ponds) area, popular with Muscovites and tourists in summer and used as a skating rink in winter.
Style and Character
9 / 10
The looming exterior of this 21-storey building, which originally opened as a hotel in 1954, was last refurbished in 2008 and has an impressive Gotham City feel to it. Inside is every bit as striking, thanks to a huge marble-clad lobby – accessed through gilded gates – that’s peppered with bronze lioness statues and outsized chandeliers. Rooms are more modern and certainly less flamboyant than the public areas but compelling nonetheless.
Service and Facilities
8 / 10
The hotel spa has unfortunately closed, but there is still a pool, dry sauna and a well-equipped gym with mix of free weights and Precor cardiovascular equipment. The friendly, multilingual reception staff can organise sightseeing tours and are happy to help with booking tickets, laundry and dry cleaning, and public transport arrangements, and there is also an ATM and gift shops on site, plus a business centre.
The hotel’s Executive Lounge, which can be used if you book an Executive room or suite, has drinks and snacks available throughout the day as well as an open bar with alcoholic drinks and hors d’oeuvres in the evening.
- Parking
- Restaurant
- Room service
- Bar
- Laundry
- Pool
- Sauna
- Spa
- Wi-Fi
- Fitness centre
- Steam room/hammam
Rooms
8 / 10
The hotel’s 273 spacious rooms and suites, decked out in calming beiges and dark wooden furnishings, are smart, functional and particularly comfortable. Most have large windows and all have contemporary amenities ranging from working desks, robes and slippers, to LCD televisions and minibars. The bathrooms, which have showers only in the standards, are clean and roomy with Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. Guests staying in an Executive room or suite get access to the Executive Lounge, and the Ambassador Suite, which has panoramic views of Moscow and additional dining and living areas, is worth the splurge.
Food and Drink
8 / 10
The historically themed, marble-columned Janus Restaurant serves up traditional Russian specialties (borsch, beef stroganoff) as well as some international dishes like filet mignon and chicken breast. The breakfast buffet is also served here and consists of the same kind of mix: think blinis and syrniki (fried quark pancakes), as well as European and American hot and cold dishes. The lobby lounge is small but cosy and serves casual fare such as club sandwiches and burgers, plus homemade cakes and pastries alongside a respectable list of wines and cocktails. In-room dining is also available around the clock.
Value for Money
8 / 10
Double rooms from 8,500 RUB (£107) in low season; and from 15,000 (£190) RUB in high. Breakfast 1,950 RUB (£25). Free Wi-Fi.
Access for guests with disabilities?
Not suitable.
Family-Friendly?
Family-friendly facilities include connecting rooms, children’s menus in all dining outlets, complimentary cots and high-chairs. Breakfast for children aged five years or under is free, and children aged 12 years or under stay free if no extra bed is required, and if breakfast is not included.
Kalanchevskaya Street 21/40, Moscow 107078, Russia.
