Baltschug Kempinski

The hotel has got a wonderful location. It owns a very beautiful building. But service is very very poor. I have no choice but to stay here becasue our company has got special prices and the office is very close, but I wish I had stayed elsewhere. All extra serivces are so expensive that I first thought I made a mistake in my calculations to Euro... And for this money you get nothing.
Just a few examples: I asked for extra towels, and they ignored it. I asked to get theatre tickets for the opening night (emailed in advance), and got no reply. The toilet was leaking. There were crums on the floor. The reception is very rude and not willing to help. How can this be a five star hotel and cost so much?! This is crazy.

Unique Quality: The location is great!!! 15 minutes to walk and you're in Red Square.

Directions: located in the very centre, across the river from the Kremlin.

My husband travels a lot to Moscow, for business, and most of the times his company bookes us into this hotel. It's very very expensive, and I would even say too expensive for what is it. We've been staying there for four years already, and the hotel hasn't become any better, I mean it's a normal thing to develop in some way but it seems like the management aren't actually doing anything. Anyway, all in all the hotel is good, but only if you aren't paying yourself. It's in the center of the city, but you have to walk quite a bit to get to the main attractions. Be ready to tip everyone, beause you can see it the eyes of everyone of their staff that they're expecting it.

Unique Quality: Good view.

Directions: take the taxi, it's quite a lot to walk

I stayed here in 1968. Then it was an Intourist "gem". I wasn't a sophisticated judge of hotels in those days (being 15 at the time) but it was not good.

Staff who were unhelpful and rude, straight from the Intourist school of charm. Each floor had a woman sitting at a desk, recording your movements. We'd been told to assume the rooms were all bugged, and to watch what we said.

From looking at the website, it has been transformed!

5* luxury, and no doubt prices to match.

The exterior looks unchanged.

Unique Quality: Location - 5 minute walk to Red Square with a view of the Kremlin.

Directions: Just across the river from the southeast corner of the Kremlin.

From the moment we were welcomed by the doorman to the time he called for our car and packed our baggage into the trunk we were treated so well. The room was charming -- an elegance of a golden era of traveling. The hotel's principal rooms were opulent. Our package included breakfast which we had sent to our room. The food was magnificent and special thanks to Oleg who was so very prompt, efficient and friendly in the morning. We didn't want to leave, imagining what it would be like to spend weeks on end being pampered. Simply the best hotel in Moscow. It is unbelievably close to the Kremlin and Cathedral and the best shops. Finally, it was all so very reasonable in terms of cost. We will be returning!

Unique Quality: excellent service, view, location

Directions: historical center

I stay in Moscow regularly for business (generally for one night at a time) and have stayed at a range of the city's hotels over time, including in the main business area.

Check-in/check-out was polite and efficient and there was no issue with adding to bags in store or changing in the gym prior to heading off to the airport.

Rooms have been laid out with a lot of thought and attention to detail. .

Room service timely and high quality.

With the dig now over, access by foot from the main downtown business and/or shopping area is easy, despite the riverfront location.

Unique Quality: Location, service, attitude

I stayed here for business just one day.

Rooms are very very Big, although I felt that the furniture was quite "normal". I have surely seen rooms in Moscow which had more ambiente. But surely this was the biggest Standard/Deluxe Room I ever had.

Fabulous location. You can walk to the highlights Basilica, Kreml, Balshoi Theatre, Tverskaja...and many more.

Unique Quality: The Breakfast room has the best view you can gelt on the Basilica.

Be sure to pick a breakfast time, when the room is not so full so that you have a free pick of the best table.

Baltschug Kempenski offers the best Breakfast I have ever had in Moscow. The have like 15 different fresh pressed juices for selection....really all fresh!

Directions: Opposite of the Kremlin and Basilica.

Favorably situated on the bank of the Moscow River, just opposite the Kremlin, the Baltschug Kempinski Moscow Hotel gives a great opportunity to businesspeople and leisure tourists to stay in the very center of business and cultural life of the Russian capital.
For the high standards of services the Baltschug Kempinski Moscow Hotel was prized more than once.

It's historical building - in the late 19th century famous Russian artists like Kramskoi and Vasnetsov had their studios here.

Unique Quality: The guests of the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel can make a round-the-world culinary voyage without leaving the premises of the hotel. The great choice of bars and restaurants offering best world cuisines makes this real.
At the Baltschug Restaurant the guests are treated with delicious dishes of Russian and international cuisines and offered best wines and champagne. The restaurant regularly hosts theme evenings devoted to the culinary art of different countries of the world. The perfect accomplishment to the dinner at the Baltschug Restaurant is the live classic, modern and jazz music and the splendid view of the Kremlin.

Single from 545 USD/ night .... hm.... for some one who can affort that...

This hotel has a fabulous location and is one of the top hotels in Moscow.
It is on the expensive side. The service was attentive but not 5 star.
The Concierge was very helpful with helping me purchase airline tickes to St.Petersburg as well as securing great seats at the ballet, restaurant reccomendations,shipping paskages bask to USA, and arranging car services. I arranged my private tour of the Kremlin through the concierge..so they can make anything happen. They have a couple of nice restaurants with good russian basics and a bar for a night cap.
The rooms are also not 5 star quality and the bed/furniture seems dated..but..ask for the Kremlin/St Basil view over looking the Moscow River..simpy amazing..to look out the window with must be one of the best views in Moscow and Europe.
Would I use again..I head back to Moscow soon..I am trying out the National Hotel..as I felt for the money I had higher expectations

Unique Quality: Staff was very attentive for the most part
Good busines center and workout facility with Sauna
Incredible views and close to Red Square/Kremlin/St Basil's.
The building is very pretty...
Expensive

Directions: Kremlin/Red Square

I have stayed in the Baltschug, which belongs to the Kempinski hotel chain, at least a half dozen times in the past six years.

It is very convenient. Although expensive, at least by western standards, they do offer specials and corporate rates which when available make the Baltschug no more expensive than any other business hotel in Moscow. Usually it costs me between $150-180 per night, including breakfast.

Usually, in order to get a tourist visa, you have the hotel fax you an invitation, which you then must take along with your passport to the nearest Russian embassy or consulate for a one-entry tourist visa. If you require a multiple entry or business visa, the invitation from the hotel will not be sufficient and you will have to arrange your own letter.

For the business traveller, the Kempinski is ideally situated and they have cars and drivers which can whisk you to your meetings or pick you up and drop you off at the airport. However, hotel taxis and drivers are generally 2-3 times more expensive than what you can procure locally if you have the contacts. Best to ask your counterparts or local employees to put you in touch with such agencies ahead of time.

Unique Quality: The Baltschug is located across the river from the Kremlin and REd Square and if you have a room on that side of the hotel the view is spectacular, especially in the wintertime at night when it is all lit-up. It is an unforgettable view.

The Baltschug itself is ideal for business breakfasts with a large hot and cold buffet. Due to traffic problems in Moscow, it is often useful to arrange meetings at your hotel rather than brave traffic, especially if you are on a tight schedule. The hotel also has a lounge, a piano bar and all the usual ammenities you might expect from a business hotel.

The concierge can usually arrange tickets to the Bolschoi Theatre and other events. The Bolschoi Theatre is a 15-minute walk or a 30-minute taxi ride due to traffic from the Baltschug. There are many bars and restaurants behind the hotel running away from Red Square in the other direction.

Directions: Across the river from the Kremlin and Red Square on the banks of the Moskva River. An easy 10 minute walk from GUM department store and other ammenities.

Quite something ! A truly five star hotel with a very conservative decor less than 100m across the bridge from the Kremlin. Naturally, I would have liked a room overlooking the Kremlin, but think I would have to rob a bank to afford it. Although my room had no special views, it was well appointed and of course the service was excellent which was only to be expected

Unique Quality: It was odd in this day and age, in having to surrender my passport for the night with the reception, but then this is Moscow. The idea of the elevators being operated only with a plastic card was supposed to be for security purposes, but I think if confronted with an armed gang, I would not be too reluctant in handing mine over. The hotel has a number of superb grey mercedes for their guests , with what are clearly ex military young men as drivers, also in matching grey suits. Whilst opening the car door I could see my driver wore a shoulder holster and a sizable pistol. I am not sure if this is company dress, but I convinced myself that this was to defend the guest, rather than himself.

Upon arrival at the airport, I had already "palmed" some US Dollars as a tip for the driver and as I thanked him and shook hands it was increadible how he slipped the money from my hand into his and with the cameras watching, there was no way that they could detect forien money had just changed hands. I have travelled moderatly extensivly and this was so very slick compared with anywhere else in the world

Directions: On Bol'saja Ordynka (M2). .