Alexander House
Set in a house that dates back two hundred years, this highly personable, family-run hotel offers 20 rooms themed after the world’s great cities, a pleasant and peaceful back garden, plus a 24-hour restaurant and elegant common rooms that double as libraries and workspaces.
Location
9 / 10
Alexander House is located in the historical centre, close enough for easy access for many of the main sights but separate enough from the hubbub to feel a little quieter. The surrounding neighbourhood is a discreet and cultural area where famous Russian writers such as Gogol, Pushkin and Dostoevsky once lived, and where museums and plaques can be found.
The Theatre Square (site of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Conservatory) is an 11-minute walk, the nearest metro stations – Sennaya Ploshad and Sadovaya – are around 20 minutes away on foot, and Nevsky Prospect can be reached in a lovely 30-minute stroll via canals, houses and embankments.
Style and Character
9 / 10
The hotel is set inside a house originally built in 1826 for a prosperous St. Petersburg merchant. Reconstructed by owner Alexander Zhukov and his wife, it features a wealth of original elements (rustic wooden beams, restored brickwork) that are matched to tasteful antique bookshelves and cabinets, and peppered with framed maps and a bevy of wooden sculptures, souvenirs and artworks – many of them procured during the owner’s travels.
Service and Facilities
9 / 10
The house’s Old World aesthetic is slickly combined with a bevy of mod-cons and excellent service from the small reception and concierge desk, which is open around the clock. The friendly staff are happy to arrange multilingual licensed guides, transport service, furnish guests with city guides and maps, and organise theatre tickets arrangement and visa support.
There is free parking at the hotel, and two very spacious, book-filled common areas on the first and second floors: one has a dedicated computer and fireplace, and the other a large television with DVDs, comfortable leather sofa and large table. There is also a quiet back garden, and laundry, computer rental.
- Parking
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Laundry
- Room service
- Wi-Fi
Rooms
9 / 10
The 20 rooms are divided into various city themes. All come with Queen-sized beds fitted with high quality linen, televisions and telephones, high-speed internet and en suite bathrooms with good quality showers. There are also minibars and work desks, and 24-hour room service.
The largest rooms include Stockholm, Bali and Copenhagen, while the most luxurious include Mexico, London, Paris, Helsinki and St. Petersburg. The ground-floor Venice room is the most romantic, with a four-poster bed and light white and pink colourings; Kyoto on the second floor is the smallest but ideal for single travellers; and the apartment Barcelona, located on the third (attic) floor has two bedrooms and a living room plus a fully equipped kitchen.
Food and Drink
8 / 10
The rustic brick-walled restaurant has a couple of separate rooms and serves food all day. Dishes include Russian meat dumplings (pelmeni) and homemade cakes. The breakfast, included in the rate, consists of a buffet set up on two tables (one with meats and cheeses, the other with fruits and cereals), as well as a omelettes, porridge and pancakes made to order.
Although the restaurant only serves beer in the evenings, it allows wine and other drinks from outside, and it’s also possible to dine in the garden in warmer weather (which has smoking and non-smoking areas).
Value for Money
9 / 10
Double rooms from 5850 Russian Rubles (£75) in low season; and from 27,300 Russian Rubles (£350) in high. Buffet breakfast is included. Free Wi-Fi.
Access for guests with disabilities?
Due to the nature of the historic building, there are no disabled access or facilities.
Family-Friendly?
Families with children are welcome and the two-bedroomed apartment is the ideal spot for them. There are also extra beds, baby cots on request and children under seven years old are accommodated free of charge. Babysitting services are available.
Kryukova kanala, 27, Sankt-Peterburg, Leningradskaya oblast’, 190068, Russia.
