Hotel Hilton Leningradskaya

The hotel is close to Leningradskaya station in the Chistiye Prudy district, at 21/40 Kalanchevskaya, in the north-eastern part of Moscow that lies beyond the Ring (Moscow's ring road). The nearest underground station is Komsomolskaya, one of the prettiest of Moscow! Sheremetyevo-2 international airport is about 18 mi away (which is roughly an hour's drive). Domodedovo international airport is some 34 mi to the south-west and the drive from there will take you about an hour and a half.

The Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya occupies one of the seven twin Stalin-era skyscrapers in Moscow, which have now been classified as a historical monument. The hotel boasts a spa, a heated swimming-pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre that stays open around the clock. It also has a bureau de change and a cash machine. A free car park is also available for guests. The establishment houses six conference rooms and a vast and elegant reception hall, decorated with large mirrors, a painted ceiling and crystal chandeliers; it can hold up to 180 people.

With its impressive facade from the Stalin era, the Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya does not go unnoticed on Moscow's skyline. Indeed, it is one of the seven skyscrapers Stalin had built in the fifties. These historical Moscow landmarks are identical, only their size is different. Admittedly, the building that the Hilton occupies is not quite as impressive and vast as the University or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it remains a superb gothic 28-floor skyscraper that towers at over 400 ft. It was finished in 1954 and includes 273 rooms and only 4 lifts (the wait is sometimes long). It feels like Gotham City and you almost expects Batman to fall out of the sky at any moment! The Hilton hotel group took over in 2008, following a complete renovation which managed to preserve its former spirit and superb period decor. The marble-clad entrance hall is simply stunning with its gilded mouldings and colourful frescoes, columns, wooden engraved ceiling, its windows, mirrors, four bronze chandeliers and impressive statue of a lion. The materials used are oak and sequoia wood, granite, bronze, marble and shokshinsky (Russian red quartz stone). This is also where you will find the longest bronze chandelier in the world (over 45 ft long). It even has its mention in the Guinness book of records! As for the spa, it is open from 10:00am till 10:00pm and includes a heated swimming-pool (4.6 ft deep) a jacuzzi, a sauna, and 4 massage and treatment rooms where Decleor Paris cosmetics are used. If you have the time and you need to let off some steam, pay a visit to the hotel's ultra- modern fitness centre, which is open 24/7.

The rooms of the Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya include wall-to-wall carpet, an armchair, a round glass table, and two paintings depicting scenes of Moscow. The style is modern and reminiscent of New York, as is the Gothic architecture of the skyscraper. The rooms are 280 sq-ft and have gold coloured wall-paper, individual air-conditioning, a free electronic safe (big enough to fit a laptop), a satellite television with a wide flat LCD screen, a DVD and CD player, a sound system, a mini-bar fridge with tea and coffee-making facilities, an ironing board and an iron, a phone, and Wireless Internet access (for which you have to pay). Room-service is available around the clock. As for the bathrooms, they are fitted with a bathtub and a flexible shower, and they include a professional hair-dryer (concealed in the drawer under the television), a toilet, a phone, tissues, a magnifying mirror, scales, dressing gowns and slippers, and hospitality products.

In regards to hotel restaurants, there is the Janus, which is an a carte restaurant that serves delicious gourmet food from Italy, Thailand, Russia and France. Come here to try some caviar, foie gras, salmon or carpaccio, in a beautiful and elegant dining room with parquet flooring, pillars, paintings and a painted wooden ceiling with a chandelier. Breakfast is served from 6:30am till 11:00am, (fresh orange juice, hot chocolate, hot buffet, fresh fruit, cheese, cuts of meat, etc.), lunch is served from noon till 3:00pm and supper is served until 10:30pm. Be aware, also, that the reception's bar serves delicious cocktails from 7:00pm till midnight. The dining room can seat up to 80 guests