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Hotel National, Luxury Collection, Moscow [Master Thread]

Hotel National, Luxury Collection, Moscow [Master Thread]

Old Jul 30, 2011, 3:56 am
  #31  
 
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Stayed there in 09, Location is perfect for sightseeing and if you have business with the DUMA. Hotel is very old, lenin stayed in one of the rooms during the revolution. behind the national there is the Ritz with a great rooftop lounge. not sure if the National is still with starwood, but plat recognition was good there. Didn't try the breakfast. If there are major holidays or visiting heads of state you will find the roads closed to the hotel, but for a prime location in Moscow, you can't find a better one.
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Old Jul 30, 2011, 5:47 am
  #32  
 
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The master thread is here. It used to be a Le Meridien before changing to Luxury Collection.

The location is perfect, the room I was given, while not a suite, was quite large (with high ceiling), and while I didn't have much interaction with the staff, I found check-in exceedingly friendly.
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Old Jul 30, 2011, 8:54 pm
  #33  
 
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Stayed there 12 months ago.Yes the position is perfect.The service was very good from checkin to doormen.Also the exchange rate at the hotel was as good as any outside.
My review is here-
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.c...cow-25403.html
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Old Jul 31, 2011, 7:35 am
  #34  
 
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Yeap, agree to the things pointed out above.

Location is great - can't get more central in Moscow, at least not from the perspective of a tourist

The rooms are spacious and good, the hotel is quite "quirky", but that's kinda charming. It's an old hotel with tons of history!

Service is very "Russian", but prompt and efficient.

It is also way more affordable than the RC next door and the PH a stone throw away.

If you get a room in the front side - you'll have amazing views over Kremlin and the entrance to the Red Square.
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Old Jul 31, 2011, 7:38 am
  #35  
 
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Any thoughts on how this hotel compares to the Sheraton Moscow?
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Old Apr 20, 2012, 12:36 am
  #36  
 
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Insane location. Basically in Red Square

I have stayed here a few times. Just returned from my most recent visit and this is certainly a great place. Top of the line. But almost too grand and nice. Honestly, you feel like a diplomat coming and going -- and most likely you are among diplomats and other important people as the hotel often has lots of security and official looking cars outside. Not a bad thing, but don't come here expecting a modern hip place. This is like staying in a palace. The rooms are all very unique and I have recived great treatment as a Platinum with nice upgrades and full breakfasts included (plus the 500 amenity, which is a generous touch)...most importantly, you can not beat this location without actually staying in the Kremlin!
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Old Jul 1, 2012, 1:21 am
  #37  
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I must say that my experience here has been absolutely terrible.

Room:

Total rubbish. My room is wedged between the elevator banks, so I get to hear endless amounts of foot traffic, as well as the rock concert that was going on downstairs. WC had hairs that didn't belong to me. Door to balcony window, which doesn't open fully (to prevent me from jumping out and ending this miserable stay), looks like it is still damaged post-bombing.

I describe the room further here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18847390-post353.html

I chose to overlook all of this until today...

Service:

I cannot get service to save my life. In fact, I cannot find a single person on staff that understands anything that I am saying, which is costing me time and patience. Normally, I can understand this since I am in a foreign country, but it is preventing me from getting simple services. I couldn't get room service last night, nor laundry service today because of this barrier.

I tried to solve yesterday's room service issue by asking the concierge for restaurant recommendations since the restaurant was busy catering some sort of black-tie discotheque, but she couldn't be bothered. She threw a map at me and essentially told me to piss off. I eventually found a place, where I had a meal that actually ended up costing more than room service would've charged, but I didn't want to have to hunt at 21:00

I have no resolution to the laundry situation, where I simply asked what the charge for underwear is, since it is not listed on their stupid laundry form. The manager-on-duty kept repeating "how can I help," even after I told him the situation. No GM in sight.

Basically, if I have to walk around the hotel with an iPad running Google Translate, then I might as well stay at a Kempinski hotel instead.

Food quality:

I finally found the restaurant earlier this morning and the food quality was vile. Watery scrambled eggs and uncooked bacon. I would swear I was in London.

Location:

This is the only bright spot, but I would pass it up for a property that offers better service.

Overall, a big from me.
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Old Jul 1, 2012, 1:42 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by uxb
I must say that my experience here has been absolutely terrible.

Room:

Total rubbish. My room is wedged between the elevator banks, so I get to hear endless amounts of foot traffic, as well as the rock concert that was going on downstairs. WC had hairs that didn't belong to me. Door to balcony window, which doesn't open fully (to prevent me from jumping out and ending this miserable stay), looks like it is still damaged post-bombing.

I describe the room further here:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18847390-post353.html

I chose to overlook all of this until today...
If you want a good business suite, you need to decline heritage wing and opt for 20 years old modern wing. The problem - no views. Given heritage wing building is old, which means really old bathrooms, which means VERY small bathrooms, you need to decline upgrade and ask for 4 rooms of lower category below business suite with Kremlin views, which are part of upgrade pool.
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Old Jul 1, 2012, 2:19 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Merlion
If you want a good business suite, you need to decline heritage wing and opt for 20 years old modern wing. The problem - no views. Given heritage wing building is old, which means really old bathrooms, which means VERY small bathrooms, you need to decline upgrade and ask for 4 rooms of lower category below business suite with Kremlin views, which are part of upgrade pool.
Thanks for the tip, but wasn't a big of a concern as the multiple service fails. And no, I didn't change rooms.
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Old Sep 25, 2012, 6:08 am
  #40  
 
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Currently staying here this week. My last couple of stays in Moscow have been at the Sheraton Palace, so I'm able to compare the two.

If you are staying for business, the Sheraton is more comfortable, especially on the club level. I know the 3rd floor hasn't been updated, so if you can swing a higher floor, you'll be happier.

As for the Hotel National, it needs some updating. The lobby area is straight from the 60's, which would be cool (I like the look of that era generally) if it didn't feel so worn. They probably need to lose the wall of pictures of dignitaries on the 2nd floor -- a hotel of this class shouldn't have to derive prestige from people who stay there.

Also, after using the gym at the Sheraton, the Hotel National gym area probably needs a bit more space and a more spa-like feel vs. the late-80's feel of the space. Would be great to have ellipticals too. There is a pool, which the Sheraton doesn't have.

Food on the buffet was generally the same as the Sheraton.

As for convenience, the metro is closer to the Hotel National vs. 5-10 minute walk from the Sheraton. And it is kind of cool to walk out of the hotel and see Red Square and the Kremlin. And, unlike the above post, the concierge has generally been helpful.

If I had a choice, I'd stick with the Sheraton, but the prices have basically doubled in the last month or so, so it's difficult to justify the additional cost above the rate I'm getting at the Hotel National.
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Old Sep 25, 2012, 7:12 am
  #41  
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It's a great location and I've had meals in this hotel. I wouldn't recommend the food, especially given the prices and service, but it can be a fun place for people watching, including noticing the young Russian women hoping to "meet" someone.
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Old Sep 25, 2012, 2:28 pm
  #42  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
It's a great location and I've had meals in this hotel. I wouldn't recommend the food, especially given the prices and service, but it can be a fun place for people watching, including noticing the young Russian women hoping to "meet" someone.
The only young women I saw, whilst on holiday at this property, were from Espaa. In fact, it seemed like the entire country was on holiday in Russia. I made a bunch of new Spanish-speaking friends as a result.
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Old Sep 25, 2012, 3:48 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by uxb
The only young women I saw, whilst on holiday at this property, were from Espaa. In fact, it seemed like the entire country was on holiday in Russia. I made a bunch of new Spanish-speaking friends as a result.
I was alluding to the classy hookers in the hotel bar area. I remember a lot of young blond Russian women in business suits with extremely short skirts that didn't cover the pantyline when seated.
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Old Sep 25, 2012, 5:03 pm
  #44  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
I was alluding to the classy hookers in the hotel bar area. I remember a lot of young blond Russian women in business suits with extremely short skirts that didn't cover the pantyline when seated.
I know what you were alluding to... I just didn't notice that at the hotel at all. Now the W St. Petersburg OTOH... that was just like the pool at W SoBe.
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Old Sep 25, 2012, 7:14 pm
  #45  
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It can be amusing in Moscow to observe the different styles of hookers in different hotels. The ones at Hotel National looked almost like they could turn into trophy wives if they would just lengthen their skirts. In other hotels, one sees more exotic dress, fetishes, or sometimes the down-and-out ones.
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