I've got inquiries for prices on the St. Petersburg through 2 booking Web sites- I've got typical American expectations that they ought to get back to me RIGHT NOW and they haven't- which I guess is my first lesson in how things get done in Russia. Anyway, we're leaning towards a very good room in a modest hotel instead of the reverse. I'd looked at the Astoria on Orbitz.com and it was going to run about $400/night including taxes.

We have plenty of time on the visa (planning to leave September 30) and both booking sites have offered visa help so it sounds pretty straightforward.

Thanks for your advice. I'm sure we'll have more questions later!