St Petersburg: Smolninskaya Hotel

I prefer staying in hotels with easy accessibility to supermarkets, shops, eateries and where I can conveniently walk out to a hive of activities but I usually don't get what I want travelling in a packaged tour. In St Petersburg, we were put up in Smolninskaya Hotel which is located in quite a boring place. Smolninskaya Hotel will also be remembered as one where we almost couldn't open up our luggage bags due to lack of space in the room.

This hotel is located in a non-happening area about 4 km from the city centre. The nearest supermarket is 10 minutes walk away. There is hardly any commercial activities around so I wouldn't rate it well as far as location is concerned.

The standard room which I shared with my room-mate is so tiny we had problems opening our luggage bags initially. Fortunately the window sill behind the curtain is broad enough and that was where we found space to put one of the two luggage bags. The other bag had to be cramped between the working table and the bed leaving no more space to move around there. The power points are not conveniently located and we had to shift the working table in order to access it. After a few days we got used to this inconvenience. 

The washroom is small and toiletries provided are very basic. There is no water boiling facilities and the sink top space for putting the toiletries is hardly sufficient. However there is a hair-dryer, the shower heater and air-conditioner functioned well and free WiFi is available in the room. The overall cleanliness is satisfactory.

There are two elevators that service the hotel rooms but these are so tiny, it can only accommodate 2 persons with 2 big luggage bags each time.

The hotel reception counter is opened 24 hours daily.

The hotel is a little dated and its furniture tend to be old fashioned. It is a far cry from the beautiful pictures shown in the hotel websites.

Hotel facilities include a bar and a restaurant.

The reception lobby, the bar and the restaurant are all located on the same floor.

Buffet Breakfast At Hotel Restaurant

I did enjoy the buffet breakfast that is included in our room stay. The food tasted above average even though the service is sluggish.

The meatballs, the egg pancake, the oat broth and the pastries are simply delectable.

The food tasted good but the service was found wanting. Coffee cups, glasses, cutlery and finished food were slow to be replenished or replaced.

This is the street where Smolninskaya Hotel is located.

This building is opposite Smolninskaya Hotel

The only nearby attraction is Smolny Cathedral which is just a 5 minutes walk away.

Beside the hotel is a small park.

I believe this is an inexpensive accommodation but I'll definitely choose to stay nearer the city centre should I visit St Petersburg again.

Click To See Other Related Posts:
1. A Trip To Russia - Introductory Post
2. Russia: A Day Out At Sergiyev Posad
3. My Russian Dining Experience
4. Russian Souvenirs

MOSCOW
5.  Cathedral Of Christ The Saviour
6. Moscow Hard Rock Cafe And Old Arbat Street
7. Russia: Moscow Metro
8.  Moscow Kremlin
9. Sparrow Hill And Victory Park
10. Museum Of Cosmonautics And Ostankino Tower
11. Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchard)
12. Saint Basil's Cathedral
13. GUM Department Store
14. Milan Hotel Review
15. What I Like About Moscow

ST PETERSBURG
16. From Moscow To St Petersburg On Sapsan High Speed Train
17. Winter Palace/ State Hermitage Museum
18. St Isaac's Cathedral And Some Nearby Attractions
19. Seeing St Petersburg From Its Rivers
20. St Petersburg Most Gorgeous Building
21.St Petersburg's Peter And Paul Fortress
22.A Traditional Village , A Modern City
23. A Visit To 2 Summer Palaces


24. Smolninskaya Hotel