Hotel Astoria

“Recommended Because They Care”

This hotel has drawbacks including the lack of a lift and no curtains on the windows, but the helpful staff make up for the shortfalls. For example they opened up the kitchen especially for us at 6am to make breakfast before our early departure. Also by Russian standards the infrastructure is not a… Plus

This hotel has drawbacks including the lack of a lift and no curtains on the windows, but the helpful staff make up for the shortfalls. For example they opened up the kitchen especially for us at 6am to make breakfast before our early departure. Also by Russian standards the infrastructure is not at all bad and includes spacious rooms, air conditioning, satellite tv, and a mini bar.

Moins

“Nice little hotel in a not-so-nice area”

I was looking for a hotel in Volgograd near the Mamayev Kurgan memorial. Other places were closer but had sketchy reviews and Astoria looked the nicest on the whole. If you take the bus from Volgograd Airport (which is very cheap) it lets you off at the intersection of Parkhomenko and the main road… Plus

I was looking for a hotel in Volgograd near the Mamayev Kurgan memorial. Other places were closer but had sketchy reviews and Astoria looked the nicest on the whole. If you take the bus from Volgograd Airport (which is very cheap) it lets you off at the intersection of Parkhomenko and the main road into the city. From there it is about a ten minute walk to the hotel. Be warned that the sidewalks leading to the hotel are in miserable condition. If you have a heavy rolling bag, it's a pretty long, unpleasant walk. If you have backpack, no big deal. You cannot miss the hotel on this street. It's a sleek, screaming blue cube on an out-of-the-way street lined with older, often neglected residential buildings. It's kind of like a giant Smurf in the middle of Flint, Michigan. Bizarre. Inside it has a nice, modern lobby with a friendly person at the front desk. As is true throughout Russia, they speak limited English so it can be a challenge for English-speakers if you have specific questions or requests. The biggest bummer about the hotel itself is the lack of an elevator. I had one really heavy bag filled with camera equipment. After lugging it over the broken, rolling asphalt of Parkhomenko Street, I wasn't psyched about lugging it up three flights of stairs. Still, the place has a nice vibe to it. Our Jr. Suite was pretty spacious and had a very roomy bathroom with a large tub. By the way, the shower pressure was awesome if you care about such things. Amenities include a well-stocked mini bar, flat screen TV, wifi, and a vinyl sofa. The bed and the dresser are a cheap plastic that you find in other Russian hotels. The floors are a fake hardwood surface which make the room feel less than cozy. The mattress is comfy but very soft. Don't expect a nice view from your room. Ours featured the dilapidated wall of the adjacent building. Again, it's a strange spot for a "4 star" hotel. Housecleaning is standard but if you want a change of sheets that is extra. Unfortunately, the front desk had trouble figuring out the price for that charge which was a little annoying.Also, there are too few outlets for charging your various appliances. We had to unplug lamps to accommodate our stuff. Astoria boasts a 4 star rating above the building entrance. That's debatable. The staff are nice, the hotel design is pleasant and airy, the room was clean with a very nice bath. But you don't walk into the room and say, "Ah nice!" It's more like, "Eh, it's pretty good." And if that's all you're looking for, you won't be disappointed. The bigger negative is that it's in a weird location, about 25 minutes from the memorial, and not especially close to downtown Volgograd. I give it a 4 star rating because I suspect that relative to other options in the same price range, it's probably a bit nicer.

Moins