Smirnoff

Got some bookings in the system for next year. Friday flights out of DME on the 873 and the 875 are showing J class going back to row 25 !

25 rows x 6 seats x Ł1700 return = a f***** lot of money.

chalf

The redemptionnrates aren't bad, and they are reportedly starting service to the US in 2006. That said, if one is not MOW-based the utility is likely limited.

Smirnoff

Back to the US again? UN seem to go through phases of expanding routes and closing them.

Didn't they used to fly to LAX and NYC a few years back?

Smirnoff

Just renewed our coporate rates at Moscow hotels. Amazingly the rate has been hiked up yet another $100/ night to $480/night for an exec room. The competition seems to doing the same, as the hotels still seem to be virtually 100% full from Mon-Fri.

irmster

I stayed at the National a few weeks ago on our company rate - $185 - which is the same weekdays or weekends. Smallish single, but the hotel is pretty good and great location.

chalf

The National was also my top choice before I moved to Moscow full-time. I could usually get good rates (sometimes including breakfast) on their WWW site, and many of the rooms are quite nice (some, as noted by Irmster, are smallish, but otherwise good). I also discovered that they recognized returning guests--on my last few stays I generally got upgraded to at least one of the better rooms available in my room class (i.e., not as smallish). The location is unbeatable if one has any reason to be in /around Red Square/Tverskaya.

Bringing this back on-topic, has anyone tried the new UN business service?

WEREX

Yes, I tested UN ... some days before now - DME-BKK-DME ... Grrrr - total horror:
- check-in in DME - chaos,
- personal was drowsy,
- food - not so good, drins&beverages - a liitle choise,
- baggage in DME - 2,5 houres waiting
- etc, etc ...

I preferred BA, TG, JL ...

flibble

When was living in Moscow a year ago was in touch with a group (independant Westerners) trying to build out a new hotel near Tsetnoi Bulvar, The potential numbers were fantastic - there is just massive under supply at anything other than very top end 5*, and even thats tight. Unfortunately Russian bureaucracy and paperwork stopped the project getting going.

When paying with my own money I quite liked the Volga near Sukharevskaya. Can get surprisingly good rooms for $80 with full kitchens (basically apartments). Just don't bother with the breakfast, and note the rooms vary a lot, don't touch the $60 ones and ask to see any room first before committing.

Smirnoff

Thing is, it's not my money

And I do insist it on having a decent gym/pool, decent size rooms, as well as BBC Prime & SkyNews on the TV .

As for the National, location is good, but some rooms are really nice, and some are box size and dingey, and unless you pay top whack you aren't guaranteed a decent room.

It seems you need to pay almost $400 for a standard room and $500 for an exec room in any of the major hotels, even on corporate rates. They can basically charge what they want, such is the market.

WHBM

An element of this is to kick back to officials who then ensure that no effective competition gets built (see flibble's note above), and that the process can continue.

You're not in Kansas any more !

axplat

I think Moscow's business infrastructure is woefully behind the speed of development of the city & the growth in the number of overseas companies wanting to invest in Moscow & Russia IMHO. They're only just trying to catch up now. There was an article in the Times in early January which mentioned:

It's the latest evidence of seismic change in the city's accommodation scene. The Kempinski, a hefty Molotov cocktail toss from Red Square, is being revamped and this year heralds the opening of the Ritz-Carlton, followed by the Four Seasons in 2007. Two hundred new hotels are planned over the next two decades.

Think 4 Seasons in Moscow would be great!

ericaswas

I'm looking at a (leisure) trip to Moscow in September - 5 of us, needing 3 rooms - usually try to get apartments as it works out much more cost effective than hotels, though I have not found any big enough to house us in Moscow! So it may have to be a hotel, though costs need to be kept down!

any tips / recommendations?

irmster, $185 seems remarkably good for the National - is that just down to your corporate clout?!

I notice that expedia shows many hotels are not available for 8-10 Sep - wondering if this is really the case, or maybe schedules aren't released, or they don't like online bookings or there's a big event then, or some other reason. Also, do prices drop on the w/e?

Flying BA to DME probably using the dreaded airmiles (heretic!) though I have seen the light and will start collecting BA miles after this trip! Would have got a better deal on Swiss, but would arrive in Moscow 2 hours later and have to leave 6 hours earlier, which really bites into a 2 night trip.

Another question - if we did go Swiss, with connections of 55 mins (o/w) and 45 mins (rtn) in Zurich, they wouldn't guarantee the connections if the first segment was late, would they? And then, if we missed the o/w connection what would be the chances of getting on the later DME flight and arriving at 2am?

WHBM

Given the current weather conditions I think this thread could be retitled Brrrr Moscow

E14 26C

Agree - not looking forward too much to going in two weeks time - the goverment asked us to close some buildings yesterday to reduce the power requirements - I would expect too see this follow on in other Eastern European Areas -

norodnik

Yes, my friend tells me its currently - 29.6.

Out there again this Tuesday, and back Friday if I don;t freeze!!!