What’s it like? Having already stayed at the 840-room Park Inn Pulkovskaya in the same city (click here for the review), I didn’t think it would be possible for this hotel to be any bigger, but it is. The Pribaltiyskaya hotel is housed in a gargantuan Soviet-era building that was rebranded as a Park Inn property in 2007, and features 1,200 rooms, extensive meeting facilities, and even an adjacent water park.
The hotel has undergone an extensive refurbishment programme, with 460 rooms renovated in 2005 and a further 740 last year, as well as a renovated conference area that began to be unveiled in October, and the brand’s signature RBG Bar and Grill that opened in the summer.
Where is it? On Vasilievsky Island, next to the Lenexpo exhibition centre and overlooking the Gulf of Finland, the hotel is about ten minutes’ drive from Nevsky Prospekt and the Hermitage Museum. The hotel offers a free shuttle service to the city centre.
Room facilities With more than 700 of the 1,200 rooms having been renovated in the Park Inn style, there’s a good chance guests will be assigned one of these, but it’s probably worth checking when making a booking. Facilities are, broadly speaking, the same as at the Park Inn Pulkovskaya, with simple, bright décor, modern bathrooms, TVs with satellite channels, workdesks, and wifi internet access in most rooms. Views vary from the city to the front of the property, and the Gulf of Finland to the rear.
The hotel also has 40 Junior suites with separate bedroom and living areas, and extra amenities including bathrobes and slippers and upgraded bathroom amenities. In addition to this, there are a further 20 Duplex suites, with a lounge, study, bathroom and kitchen on the lower floor, and the bedroom with another bathroom above. These suites have entrances on both floors, and can be combined with an adjoining Standard room for even more space.
Restaurants and bars There are three restaurants at the hotel, as well as a lobby bar with wifi internet access. Replica serves Mediterranean dishes and features what Park Inn says is the only stone grill in the city (a fun concept where each diner is given a hot stone slab on which to grill their own meat and vegetables). Three Moons offers traditional and contemporary Russian cuisine, while RBG Bar and Grill (a relatively new Park Inn concept that is gradually being introduced in new properties) serves international fare such as burgers, soups, salad and, of course, grilled dishes.
Business and meeting facilities Since the renovated meeting and conference facilities opened in October, the hotel now has a total of 26 conference rooms of varying sizes located on the first, second and tenth floors. The largest is the combined spaces of Leningrad Congress Hall and Pribaltiysky Hall, which can accommodate up to 1,000 guests and features a large chandelier, mirrored walls and a moveable dome-style roof. All rooms feature wired internet access.
Leisure facilities There is an outsourced 2,000 sqm fitness centre, as well as Roman Holidays Spa Centre, a 1,400 sqm spa featuring a Russian banya (sauna), Finnish sauna, Turkish hamam, hydro pool, spa bath and solarium. This facility has its own website (romanholidays.ru) and hotel enjoy a 30 per cent discount on treatments. Waterville, “the largest aqua park in St Petersburg”, is also attached to the hotel, and features three swimming pools, a wave machine, slides, artificial rivers, spa baths, and a childrens’ pool and playground. Again, the park has its own website (waterville.ru) and hotel guests enjoy a 30 per cent discount on entrance fees.
Verdict Like the Pulkovskaya property, this hotel will appeal to large groups looking for extensive conference facilities, but the location will also appeal to those wanting to be within easy reach of the city centre.
Fact file
How many rooms? There are 1,200, of which 803 are Standard, 337 are Standard Bay View, 40 are Junior suites and 20 are Duplex suites.
Price Internet rates for a midweek stay in November started from 3,850 rubles.
Contact Park Inn Pribaltiyskaya Hotel, 14 Korablestroiteley Street, Vasilyevsky Island, St Petersburg; +7 812 329 2626; parkinn.com
Mark Caswell
