Hotel Sovetskaya   K   http://www.sovetskaya.com  Phone: 7 (812) 329-9599

Rates: Single room 1400 to 1470 rubles ($46 to $49) double room 2340 to 2457 rubles ($78 to $82). Luxury rooms 3958 rubles ($132). Update: their website lists higher prices as of March 13, 2002 of $108 for a single; $144 for a double; and up to $184.

This is a big hotel with either 976 or 1047 rooms depending upon which advertisement you read.

Location Rating: Fair. The neighborhood looks fairly busy and the area is sort of interesting. The fairly large Fontanka canal is just down the block. A unique feature of the building is its view from the top floors. The glass is of poor quality and it distorts the view a little, but you can still enjoy interesting sights of the historical city center to the north and the smokestacks to the south.

Proximity to Metro: Fair to good. Technologichesky Institute Metro Station is about a 15 minute walk. Balteeskaya Metro Station seemed like it was a little closer.  I'd say it was a little more than a 10 minute walk. 

Lobby Appearance: They have two lobbies, and they're beautiful, but those are the nicest parts of the hotel.

Room Appearance: They wouldn't let me see the rooms. Two months later, at the conclusion of my hotel inspection work, I decided to give this hotel one more chance to let me see the rooms in order to spare them professional embarrassment. It's also one of the largest hotels in the city and I considered it important to see these rooms. Unfortunately, I was again denied. But on my second visit I got away with wondering all around the hotel unhindered by security, and now I can give a detailed assessment.

Their brochure has some nice pictures, but I have the impression that only a small number of rooms are of good quality and that most of these rooms probably will be a disappointment to their guests. I am suspicious and disbelieving that it is a nice place. Each floor has an attendant. They might take your keys when you leave your room for the day. It is a common practice with Russian hotels. Some corridors have a dated, dull, tired appearance. Other corridors look so so and dark.

Useful Nearby Businesses: It looks like there are a fair number of shops around. Tanya and I ate at Cafe Domino just across from the Hotel Sovetskaya. It cost us a total of 210 rubles ($7). The food was fine.

Hotel Restaurants: They have 5 restaurants and cafes. An interesting restaurant is located on the 18th floor where picturesque city views can be had. On the 13th floor is nice, cozy, modern, small pizza restaurant with excellent views. During my second visit our guide Elena and I tried out the pizza here and it was really tasty. On the 15th floor is a small 5 table cafe that is old and tired looking. They have a really big restaurant on the ground floor that is one giant room. Not that cozy. Tanya says it is Soviet style. And another restaurant on the ground floor is located in the Fontanka wing. It looked like just a place to eat - so so. There are also a couple bar areas.

Other Amenities: Internet access is available for around $6 an hour or a little more depending upon the time of day. This is cheap by hotel standards, but still three times more than you could pay elsewhere. They have internet access on the ground floor and in a nice, comfortable room on the 12th floor.

Would I Stay Here? I'll never stay here.

Staff Speaks English? Don't depend on it. The ones that do may not be able to understand you well.

Comments: I'm very disappointed with this hotel. I want to see the rooms. They want to make me jump through hoops. I've got to fax them the particular legalities of our business, a written request to see an exact room (room number) with a statement of the purpose for this. It's ridiculous. Their new brochure has the headline of "The new world of hospitality!" WHAT A JOKE. Empty words. The majority of your peers in the hotel business know far more about hospitality than you guys do.  

The first brochure they gave me said "You are welcome to know that we are Simply the Best!" and "Stay with us at the room of your dream!" It's pitiful they make these kind of claims when in real life it obviously is not so.

The second brochure says they are located in "the very heart of Saint-Petersburg." Is it really located in the very heart of the city? In my opinion, the very heart of the city is the Nevsky Prospekt corridor. That is the heart. That is where the greatest concentration of interesting sights, stores, restaurants and historical sights are. That is the core of this city. Not the Sovetskaya's location. The Sovetskaya is surrounded by many dilapidated buildings in need of renovation. The new brochure also says the hotel is located on the Neva embankment. I'm confused... I don't see the Neva anywhere from here, not even from the 18th floor?

You guys need to adopt a new advertising philosophy. I suggest you take steps to avoid wild misrepresentations and deception with your future marketing initiatives. And if you're going to use words like "The new world of hospitality," you've got to earn the right to use those words every day with every customer. You don't just write it in an ad because it sounds slick and then forget about it. 

Another thing... I looked for stairwells in the tall section of the complex, but only saw 6 elevators. So what happens when the power goes out or if there is a fire? There must be a stairwell someplace, but I didn't see it. If someone had the good judgment to provide me with a tour of the facility, this question could have been answered.

Despite all the bad things, there is a great pizza place here with a nice atmosphere and a great view on the 13th floor.

For the Sovetskaya director: I wanted to see you and you're people wouldn't let me. They even seemed to laugh about it. Unfortunately, there is no third chance. I'm back in the US now

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According to the Sovetskaya's brochure, where you can experience "the new world of hospitality," the hotel claims to be located on the Neva embankment in the very heart of the city. Well here's the view in the direction of the Neva. Is there something wrong with my eyes? I don't see the Neva anywhere? The very heart? Come on...

Here is a 3rd party review from one of their former guests. 

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