Hi All,

I will be spending two nights in Moscow and have narrowed down my hotel choices to three options:

Moscow Marriot Grand: $220 a night
Golden Apple Boutique: $180 a night
Hotel National: $245 a night

I know these hotels are all very different and not all in same class. The Marriot and Golden Apple are close to each other, and would either be a 15min walk or so to the red square or use the metro. The Hotel national..well its right there.

None of these prices include breakfast, and food will be expensive regardless of what option I pick. Am I better off staying at the Hotel National where I dont have to use the metro? My one concern there, being a young guy (26), I may not fit in all that well! Is the metro fairly easy? Part of me wants to stay in the golden apple/marriot as it may force me to use the metro (which people say is a great attraction by itself).

Does anyone have experience at any of these properties? I want access to good/reliable Wifi. All these properties advertise it but who knows how good it really is.

Sorry for all the random questions. I have been researching hotels for awhile and I just cant make up my mind (im also very excited! how is Moscow for the solo traveler?)

If I had to choose (by order of preference)

1. Marriott Grand - this is right on Treveskaya. Kind of sad Marriott if you ask me, but its very centrally located. Could be worse.

2. National - the lobby is nice, the rooms so-so

3. (haven't stayed at other place)

Thank you for your reply.

Do you have alternative suggestions that you prefer?

I would definitely go with the Marriott and then the National (which has a fantastic location, but is a bit dated). You might also look at the Ararat Park Hyatt and the new Intercontinental as options. The Marriott Courtyard City Center is also in a really good location if you're here for tourism.

The Golden Apple is a very nice boutique-type hotel. I have not stayed there, but I know people who have and they enjoyed it. I walked past it many times while living in Moscow (a friend lived nearby). It is a very attractive looking property. I would stay there and save the $40 dollars compared to the Marriott.

I've stayed at the Sheraton (just off Tverskaya) and the Holiday Inn Lesnaya (also off Tverskaya). Both are nice hotels and both near the Belorusskaya Metro station. The Holiday Inn is relatively new - built in 2005 (I think). I lived in an apartment near the Holiday Inn Lesnaya. There was a yummy bakery right next to the Holiday Inn. There is a Novotel near the Novoslobodskaya metro station but I have no knowledge of it's condition or value.

I would trust all those properties for WiFi.

The Metro is easy to use. My first Metro experience anywhere was in Moscow. It helps if you become familiar with Cyrillic. Many of the Metro stations are very interesting. I particularly like the stained glass in the Novoslobodskaya Metro station. Some of the stations have a lot of exits. The Belorusskaya station is very big and has a lot of exits. Go out the wrong one and you could end up completely on the other side of a huge square - not a problem on a nice day, but unpleasant in the rain (trust me, I know from personal experience). Two bits of advice - sharpen your elbows and watch your wallet (not only in the metro, but everywhere).

As a young guy, be mindful of pretty Russian women who approach you in a bar. It could be perfectly innocent or you may get drugged and then mugged by two Russian guys after you have become disoriented. This happened to a co-worker.

Enjoy Moscow - it is an amazing city. The traffic is awful and it is expensive, but it is amazing nonetheless.

This price seems very good for the National, which IIRC is part of a hotel chain.

Obviously you don't earn points from the boutique hotel. if you have status with a chain, you might want to pick one of their properties for the potential upgrade, free Internet, breakfast, and other perks.

Hi All,

In the end i picked Hotel National, and actually paid a higher rate which was refundable. The rate above is the non-refundable rate, and if it is still available as i get closer to my trip, I may switch to it.

The primary reasons as to why I switched was mainly location, and that the price difference between the National and the Marriot was not that significant. As a side benefit, SPG matched my Priority club Gold status.

Good choice with the National -- you can't beat the location. For future travelers reading this chain, as far as the Golden Apple goes, I booked my parents there last year, and it was not a resounding success (closer to my house than the National). The rooms have interesting modern decor (concrete floors in the bathrooms) and all in all, felt cheap and not like a positive boutique experience. It's a little off the main drag and my parents were not particularly comfortable. There are breakfast options around all three location, and I would not recommend springing for the hotel breakfasts, which in Russian hotels, are not particularly good.