Where to Stay

There are 5 hotels in the Izmailovo complex (see map at the bottom of the page).



The Vega (behind), Glass building (front)
as viewed from the centre square

Vega
I stayed a total of 34 nights at the Vega.  I don't believe there are significant differences between the hotels, as they were all built at the same time for 1980 Moscow Olympics.

I booked through booking.com.  In fact when one carer extended their stay at the Vega, the front desk staff advised her to do it online at booking.com as the rates were better.  I stayed in a superior room for that period at about an average of about A$160 per night.

There's security checking the entry to the lifts, and when you exit the lift on your floor you need your key card to enter the corridors to arrive at your room door - so it feels relatively safe.

I didn't use the gym while I was there (best of intentions!).  To access it you present your passport to the concierge and they will give you an access key.  I believe its located in the glass building in the centre square of the complex, next to the hotel.

The rooms are a little cosy, but clean and comfortable. It had an electronic safe large enough for a laptop and other valuables.


Superior room

Bathroom

I used the laundry in the hotel once and it was fine.  As per most hotels a little expensive if you're staying an extended period, so I bought some liquid detergent at the local supermarket and used the bath to wash my underwear and air dried it in the bathroom. See the Tips page for some ideas.

The WiFi in the hotel is provided for free.  In the lobby and restaurant it is fast (better than 10 Mbps), however not always consistent.  In my room I seemed to have a dead spot.  Out in the corridor it was great, but as soon as I passed the door of my room the signal became weak.  I didn't mention it to the hotel, just worked around it.

Eating in the hotels
There are many options outside the hotel - see Around the Hotels for more information.

At the Vega
4 options that I was aware of (there may be more)

Room service - menu is in English.  It was fast and efficient (for me). The food quality was fine (again, my experience).  Unlike other hotels, they want payment on delivery, unless you have set-up credit on your room account with the front desk.  I used cash on delivery.

Buffet (Level 1) - Some guests included breakfast in their room charge (550 rb per day).  I mainly had breakfast at the hospital (cereal and milk), so a buffet breakfast would have been a bit of a waste on me.  The breakfast is not as Western as you might expect.  For the handful of days I did use it, I just paid on entry (550 rbs).  I didn't attend the buffet for any other meals, but I heard no complaints from others that did.

Lobby Bar at the Vega

Restaurant (Gusi – Lebedi on ground floor) - we ate here a few times.  It is the hotels fine dining restaurant and prices are comparable to home (so not cheap for locals!).  The quality is fine -in line with many of our experiences eating in this area (a little hit and miss depending on what you order, and the service is slow - but this is normal).

Lobby Bar - serves coffee, muffins, pre-made sandwiches and cakes. In terms of alcohol they only serve beer.  Our days started here with a catch-up coffee, and often ended here with a beer. Great for people watching!  We found the service here great as we got to know the staff quite well. Don't be surprised if you see them the next morning as they work 24 hour shifts!

Alpha hotel

At the Alpha
There are restaurants and coffee shops in all of the hotel lobbies but I thought I'd mention 2 of the options in the Alpha.

Coffee Shop - the coffee shop at the Alpha has a more significant menu than the Vega (the fact is it actually has a menu!).  Don't get excited by the service, or lack of it.

Italian Karaoke Restaurant - no it's not a typo, and don't worry they have a professional singer on hand so that customers don't have to sing (thank goodness!).  As you enter the main hotel entrance turn right, continue along until it appears on your left (near the lobby toilets). The food and atmosphere was one of the best.  Service was hit and miss - some terrible, some great.  Pizza and pasta was always enjoyed by all, and we ate here several nights.

Hotels shown in red.  Refer to Around the Hotels for the numbered references