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| Executive Travel: Moscow |
Best Hotels
Elizabeth A. Crowley
12/01/2005
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Since embracing capitalism, Moscow has become one of the world’s most expensive
cities. Luxury goods abound and fetch the same prices as in London or New York,
while Russian specialties from caviar to furs and exotic premium vodkas are
readily accessible to visitors. By the end of 2005, analysts predict there will be 20,000 Russian multimillionaires. Luxury goods businesses—such as
real estate, yacht builders and aircraft manufacturers that sell seven-figure
items—have formed a consortium called Vladenie to cross-market to the
affluent.
 With the growing economy, business travelers will find that Moscow
has its Imperial-style hotels with presidential suites and tuxedoed butlers at
hand to take your coat and hat. But before booking, keep in mind that Russian
hotels still vary widely within their respective classes. “Lux” may refer to a
fresh carpet in a musty room or a sparkling showerhead in a crumbling bath.
While Worth’s list strives to avoid these traps, be sure to ask for a renovated
room at check-in, and do haggle for a view; a panorama encompassing some of
Moscow’s historic buildings is especially gratifying.
The technology
infrastructure in Russia often falls short of Western standards. While all the
hotels on our list offer some kind of in-room Internet access, wireless and
other high-speed services are less ubiquitous in Moscow’s finest accommodations
than they are in any American coffeehouse. The hotels on our list, however, have
on-site business centers with computer access, as well as secretarial and
translation services that facilitate business transactions. Executives should
book hotels in the neighborhood in which they plan to conduct business because
auto traffic in Moscow is notoriously congested.
The hotels we highlight
range from grand historic edifices to sleek, modern bastions of the new
capitalist sector that has exploded since the end of the Soviet era. With an
economy flush with cash from booming oil and natural gas markets and the
resultant increase in investment opportunities, expect to see a steady rise in
the number of hotel rooms meeting international standards. Yet even with this
infusion of capital, many Moscow hotels fail to provide first-class amenities to
business travelers. Even foreign-run franchises have lagged behind their
international counterparts, due in part to inferior infrastructure and lack of
funds to upgrade rooms and amenities.
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