I visited Minsk in July and I have to say I loved this hotel. The staff is extremely nice, the hotel is very clean, food is great. I was upgraded from a basic level room to a corner suite with a great view (as a Gold). Breakfast was very good, with quite a variety (including some local specialties). The location is also good, you can walk to the centre or take the metro (and there is a big shopping centre underneath the hotel - sadly, I had no time to visit). Am not sure about the windows on the lower levels but mine did not open.