Grrrr Moscow
Jan 20, 2006, 9:02 am
#166
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, ex-BD Gold, SPG Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 2,040
Originally Posted by norodnik
Yes, my friend tells me its currently - 29.6.
Out there again this Tuesday, and back Friday if I don;t freeze!!!
Out there again this Tuesday, and back Friday if I don;t freeze!!!
Jan 20, 2006, 9:03 am
#167
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,924
Originally Posted by norodnik
Yes, my friend tells me its currently - 29.6.
Out there again this Tuesday, and back Friday if I don;t freeze!!!
Out there again this Tuesday, and back Friday if I don;t freeze!!!
After spending Monday-Tuesday in Cyprus, where it's plus 18.
That's a 48 degree drop in temperature in a day
Jan 23, 2006, 2:07 am
#170
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 66
Originally Posted by dcwilliams
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?
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?
Jan 23, 2006, 2:21 am
#171
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,924
Originally Posted by dcwilliams
would anyone be able to answer these questions I posted earlier?
Expedia has the newly opened Swissotel for GBP 154/night including tax, which isn't bad.
Don't stay at the Novotel, even it is is cheap.
The only moderately priced, clean place I know of is the Katerina. 3-star, but Western style and Swedish owned/managed.
If you have any hotel points, they are always good to use in Moscow. The Marriotts (there are now 5, if you include the Rennaisance and the Courtyard) will generally have availability for points at the weekend.
I wouldn't burn points on BA to Moscow - there are always tickets around GBP 200-300 over a weekend.
Jan 23, 2006, 3:19 am
#172
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA Gold....er now Silver...er now Bronze....er now Blue
Posts: 3,507
Originally Posted by simon_n10
I can't comment on the National Hotel rates, but I would be surprised to see any corporate rates below $200 a night. Then bear in mind there is tax of 20% IIRC on top of that.
Jan 23, 2006, 3:52 am
#173
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,924
Originally Posted by irmster
surprised or not, our corporate rates at both the National and Marriott Tverskaya are under $200 a night
We also have the Tverskaya I think at around $200, plus tax. I wouldn't stay there myself though.
As for the National, the "standard rooms" at the back are pretty grim, although granted you can't beat the location.
Jan 23, 2006, 5:04 am
#174
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 66
Thanks for the info guys, maybe my company travel agent can get me access to corporate rates even though it's not for business.
The Katerina is on my long short-list, along with its sister Tatiana, Danilovskaya (too religiously spartan?), Novotel Centre(why not, simon_n10?) Tiflis (but probably too expensive), Marco Polo Presnja, Iris (far out), Akvarel, Sovietsky, Sretenskaya. etc etc
Sounds like it's not worth trying for the cheapest rooms at the National!
The Ł154 at the Swissotel doesn't include tax which is Ł29 on top. Expedia seems to have lots of small print about what might not be included in the price.
Just to reiterate my other question - if I go Swiss, with a 55 minute connection time in Zurich - that is not guaranteed, is it? - if the flight leaves London 1 hr late, which, I'm guessing does occasionally happen even with Swiss provision, then the connection won't be held, with no guarantees of getting on the later DME flight which gets in at 2am.
The Katerina is on my long short-list, along with its sister Tatiana, Danilovskaya (too religiously spartan?), Novotel Centre(why not, simon_n10?) Tiflis (but probably too expensive), Marco Polo Presnja, Iris (far out), Akvarel, Sovietsky, Sretenskaya. etc etc
Sounds like it's not worth trying for the cheapest rooms at the National!
The Ł154 at the Swissotel doesn't include tax which is Ł29 on top. Expedia seems to have lots of small print about what might not be included in the price.
Just to reiterate my other question - if I go Swiss, with a 55 minute connection time in Zurich - that is not guaranteed, is it? - if the flight leaves London 1 hr late, which, I'm guessing does occasionally happen even with Swiss provision, then the connection won't be held, with no guarantees of getting on the later DME flight which gets in at 2am.
Jan 23, 2006, 5:24 am
#175
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: MEL
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Posts: 5,393
Originally Posted by dcwilliams
Just to reiterate my other question - if I go Swiss, with a 55 minute connection time in Zurich - that is not guaranteed, is it? - if the flight leaves London 1 hr late, which, I'm guessing does occasionally happen even with Swiss provision, then the connection won't be held, with no guarantees of getting on the later DME flight which gets in at 2am.
Don't forget that there is a certain amount of slack in the timetable. I am commonly 20-30 minutes "early" whenever the London City-Zurich flights are running according to plan, for example.
It's also an easy change at ZRH - you will arrive and depart from the same set of gates (Concourse A).
Jan 23, 2006, 1:21 pm
#177
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: E14
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Posts: 1,237
Novotel Centre
Originally Posted by dcwilliams
Novotel Centre(why not, simon_n10?)
– such fantastic service and attention to every detail – When eight of my colleagues and I arrived the counterstaff decided it was time for their break. We also arrived there just as the weather warmed up – unfortunately the heating system was also set on full blast – the solution to this was to place a window handle on my bed …. It also took me until my second last day to get a plug for the sink. The ambiance at the ‘bar’ was greatly enhanced by the game of guess how much this is going to cost this time and watching the ‘local residents’ 
also arguing with the in house currency exchange centre. I would also question the usage of the word Central 
as we were even with our Russian business counterparts unable to ascertain what it was Central too. (And it cost circa $400 per night !)
Last edited by E14 26C; Jan 23, 2006 at 1:27 pm Reason: Can't psell
Jan 23, 2006, 1:33 pm
#178
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,924
Originally Posted by dcwilliams
Novotel Centre(why not, simon_n10?) Tiflis (but probably too expensive), Marco Polo Presnja, Iris (far out), Akvarel, Sovietsky, Sretenskaya. etc etc
Iris is not only far out, it's totally inaccessible and you will spend up to 2 hours getting into town.
Marco Polo Presnja is not a bad location. Pleasant building.
Avoid anywhere with a name like Sovietsky. Please.
Sretenskaya is by all accounts more like a guest house, and a pricey one at that.
Look at the Radisson. It hasn't had mafia shoot-outs for a while now, and is usually quite reasonably priced. It's next door to a metro station. It's also great for observing tacky New Russians.
Any reason you want to take LX? That 2am arrival is not the best flight to come in on. Where are you travelling from? London? If you don't like the direct BA prices, there are usually VERY cheap prices on LH, MA and OK.
Last edited by simon_n10; Jan 23, 2006 at 1:36 pm
Jan 23, 2006, 1:37 pm
#179
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA Gold....er now Silver...er now Bronze....er now Blue
Posts: 3,507
Originally Posted by E14 26C
When eight of my colleagues and I arrived the counterstaff decided it was time for their break.
Originally Posted by E14 26C
unfortunately the heating system was also set on full blast – the solution to this was to place a window handle on my bed ….
I've been offered another job back in Moscow - not overly enthused about going back.
Jan 23, 2006, 4:16 pm
#180
Guest
Posts: n/a
off to sunny DME tomorrow!!
OLCI'd and Y starts at Row 22
I checked Expert Flyer and there are hardly any Pax's pre-assigned from Row 12-21.
I noticed this last time also as Y was virtually packed whilst rows 12-17 on the 767 had 3 people (ie Expert Flyer showed 12-17 as nearly empty and actual 12-17 was nearly empty).
I guess BA don't want us getting too comfortable down the back
OLCI'd and Y starts at Row 22
I checked Expert Flyer and there are hardly any Pax's pre-assigned from Row 12-21.
I noticed this last time also as Y was virtually packed whilst rows 12-17 on the 767 had 3 people (ie Expert Flyer showed 12-17 as nearly empty and actual 12-17 was nearly empty).
I guess BA don't want us getting too comfortable down the back