Occupying one of the most iconic “Seven Sisters” buildings in the city, Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Hotel commands a certain grandeur along the skyline of Moscow’s city centre. The hotel is very popular with business travellers as it is located strategically close to three railway stations that serve trains that ply the route between St Petersburg and Moscow.

When I first entered the hotel, the magnificence of the lobby impressed me.  The building is designed in “Stalin” Classicism style which boosts space, grand images and lavish décor. The tall ceiling, gold trimmings, huge chandeliers, and opulent décor overwhelmed me.  I didn’t have time to look in detail at the décor as the front desk was very crowded. Everyone (leisure and business travellers) had just gotten off the train from St Petersburg and was trying to check in.

Unfortunately, reality set in when I was on my way to my room. When your mind begins to absorb everything, Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya looks very dated, old and tired. It does not help when the building is so ornate.

Room

My friend is a Hilton HHonors Gold club member. For club members, they have the privilege of being upgraded to a room in the next category (subject to availability).  On the first day, our request was rejected. We were unsure of the reason behind the rejection (Was it because there was no room or our initial reservation was under the tour agent – we were traveling with a tour). Thus, we had to stick to the room which was booked by the tour agent.

The room is relatively big and clean but the tired feel of the hallway stretches into the room.  The shower cubicle in the toilet can be a bit tight for the plus-sized guests.

On the second day, we asked the front desk again whether an upgrade was possible. This time, our request was granted and we were upgraded to a room on the executive floor which is about 50% bigger.

Warm service

Despite the dated look of the hotel, the hotel staff were very warm.  Generally, you can see that the staff are trying to pamper all their guests. When I was on my way for breakfast, I accidentally walked into a different room.  A staff member was kind enough to bring me to Restaurant Janus (where breakfast was served) instead of just pointing me to the right direction.  I was particularly impressed with his attentiveness and only later on, I found out that he was the restaurant manager.

Restaurant Janus & Breakfast

The breakfast selection was great.  I enjoyed the Danish pastries most as they were very well executed. In addition, the eggs station provided a good variety such as Eggs Benedict in addition to the usual sunny-side-ups and omelettes. They also provided sparkling wine during breakfast which added to the glitz factor.

Executive Lounge 

As club members, we had the privilege of using the executive lounge.  The executive lounge décor is not particularly impressive.  The plain furniture and wooden flooring seem a bit out of place in the midst of the ornate fittings. But the lounge was well stocked with drinks and snacks throughout the day.  The lounge was packed with guests during the cocktail hours from 6pm to 8pm. Other than that, the lounge was rather empty during other times.  As for breakfast, you could either have it at the lounge or Restaurant Janus at the mezzanine floor.  Wi-fi is available free in the hotel for Hilton HHonors members but regular guests will only have free Wi-fi access in the lobby and restaurant.

The unusual offering of this hotel is that they have a lap pool in the basement. The water temperature could be a bit cold for some people. There is a hot tub (Jacuzzi) just besides the pool.  The gym is small but it packed with cardio machines and weight machines.

Inconvenient Location 

The one thing that I really don’t like about the hotel is its location.  Although it’s located within walking distance of three railway stations, it’s far from the city centre.  And it’s unfortunate that there aren’t that many good quality restaurants around the hotel.  You have to take the metro to the city centre and the metro is definitely not one of the most tourist-friendly places especially when everything is in Russian.

On the whole, Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Hotel is generally a good hotel if you can look beyond the tired feel and inconvenient location.

Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya
Kalanchevskaya  Street 21/40, Moscow, 107078, Russian Federation
Tel: +7-495-627-5550
www.hilton.com/Moscow