Vilma Hotel   L  It's livable and clean, but very basic and not comfortable.
http://www.vilma.nm.ru   Phone: 7 (812) 173-2042

Rates: 880 rubles ($29.33) for a suite. They won't provide any other rooms to foreigners other than suites.

Location Rating: Very poor. A vast, isolated residential neighborhood with a landscape featuring nothing but big ugly apartment buildings - everywhere. Very, very far from the core of the city. Very plain. Very dull.

Proximity To Metro: Poor. You will need to pick up a mini-bus to get to Kupchino Metro Station. We picked up the K-53 bus for 9 rubles to get to the metro.

Lobby Appearance: Plain. Nothing great.

Room Appearance: Toilet and shower rooms are really old and unpleasant looking. If you expect luxury here, you will be sorely disappointed. The room is basic. And you will be roughing it a bit here. In comparison to the Sportivnaya, it's definitely better, although the Sportivnaya has a better and more attractive location. The Vilma has 32 rooms and 4 suites.

Useful Nearby Businesses: I didn't see any around. All I see is ugliness here. But at the metro station there are plenty of stores and a few places to eat.

Hotel Restaurants: None, but they'll cook food for you and provide room service.

Other Amenities: None.

Would I Stay Here? No.

Staff Speaks English? No.

Comments: The Ostrovok Hotel is 3 buildings down the block. It's much more attractive inside and even less in price. You would be happier there. Keep in mind this neighborhood is not pretty. However, if you are curious to see what soviet style apartment building communities are like, then maybe you might find it interesting. During the Friday evening rush hour at this metro station the people tend to act like animals (really!). The corridors cannot accommodate the large flows of people here.

Vyborgskaya Hotel   J   Email: vyb@linkey.ru    Phone: 7 (812) 246-2319

Rates: Single or double, not updated 1200 rubles ($40); updated single 2000 rubles ($66.67); updated double 3200 rubles $106.67. Breakfast included.

Location Rating: In between fair to good. Very close to a metro station. Numerous little kiosk businesses nearby for a wide assortment of things. Stores are nearby. There are a couple smokestacks that look too close to me. There's an ugly apartment building on the corner. The area is not all that interesting, but it's easy to buy things you need, and it's easy to leave the area quickly. If you walk past the metro, there's a small park, then the scenic Neva River where you might find some ducks to watch or small cruise boats going by. Cross the drawbridge and you will find a larger park.

Proximity To Metro: Very good. A 5 to 7 minute walk to Chernaya Rechka Metro Station. And you can easily pick up a mini-bus to the northern suburbs at this metro station.

Lobby Appearance: A bit old. Interesting marble pattern on the wall. Modern elevators. Old front doors that slam shut too hard. Clean.

Room Appearance: Not bad. Good conditions even in unrestored rooms. Wood floors. Rooms have refrigerators stocked with drinks which are for sale.

Useful Nearby Businesses: If you enter the building from the rear, you will find a pool table room, a gambling machine area, and a restaurant with an interesting atmosphere that looks okay to dine in. There is a sign that the London Club is nearby. Tanya says it is a very good night club. I have not been there. And there are lots of little kiosk businesses nearby where you can buy your favorite drinks, or cosmetics or whatever.

Hotel Restaurants: There is another restaurant with an entrance in the hotel lobby that is currently (January 2002) under reconstruction. It is expected to be ready for the summer tourist season.

Other Amenities: None.

Would I Stay Here? Yes. Close to the metro. And even the old rooms are okay.

Staff Speaks English? No.

Comments: Tanya and I both thought it was a good place. We visited the 5th floor. The corridor was nice. And even the old rooms were in good shape. The surrounding area is busy. It isn't a completely pretty neighborhood. But it is quite easy to pick up the metro here and get into the heart of the city.

Hotel Youzhnaya   L   Phone: 7 (812) 166-10-88

Rates: Single with bathroom 740 rubles ($24.67); for 3 people with bathroom 970 rubles ($32.33); suite for 2 people 1140 rubles ($38); double with no bathroom 460 rubles ($15.33); for three people with no bathroom 580 rubles ($19.33); for four people with no bathroom 650 rubles ($21.66); for 5 people with no bathroom 820 rubles ($27.33). For the rooms without a shower, it costs 8 rubles (27 cents) to take a shower in the communal shower room.

Location Rating: Very poor. Across the street are two very large smokestacks. The neighborhood seems a little isolated. The excitement of the city center is not nearby.

Proximity To Metro: Fair? We arrived by mini-bus here. They told us it is possible to walk to Pushkinskaya Metro Station in 12 minutes. Ligovsky Prospekt Metro Station is 3 tram stops away. We were in a hurry so we stopped a private car and hitched a ride to Ligovsky Metro for 20 rubles.

Lobby Appearance: Fair. Old. A small lobby store is there.

Room Appearance: Very basic. The rooms without a bathroom have a sink and mirror. The bathrooms in the better rooms are old and depressing.

Useful Nearby Businesses: Within 5 minutes you can walk to a snack shop.

Hotel Restaurants: They have a 10 table cafe. It looked fair, and low budget.

Other Amenities: None.

Would I Stay Here? No.

Staff Speaks English? No.

Comments: The first thing I hate about this place are the two giant smokestacks across the street. They are too close. The corridors are old with bad lighting and tired carpet. I checked out the shower facility on one of the floors. It wasn't very nice. Then I saw the toilet - no seat! Come on... how come you guys can't spring for a toilet seat? Pitiful. But then they showed me the floor's second toilet - ah, a seat...

Our guide Elena joined me for this visit. She thought the hotel had a soviet style mentality. I hate to trash somebody's business, but the standards here are just too low. I recommend against staying at the Youzhnaya.

The view across the street from the Youzhnaya è

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