Front desk staff during the morning is somewhat friendly and speak some English, in the afternoon, little less friendly when busy and at night/overnight, no English speakers on duty. The price was inviting considering my other options and I choose this hotel because it had more amenities than others. The restaurant is nice and the food was fine, with a large bar and open area for when it become a night club during the late evening. Pool tables and bowling are also available within the hotel. Breakfast buffet comes with the price of your stay and is served in their nice banquet hall. I opted to eat a typical American style breakfast of oatmeal, eggs and meat (usually sausage and/or whatever meat patty they were offering), but there were a variety of other options more recognizable of the region. The lobby also has a bar area. The room is small, but you're not expected to be in it long so size was fine. The bed mattress is thin and feels old (feels like a roll away bed mattress). You can feel the springs and there is no box spring. Newer mattress would make for better sleep. I am here during the end of summer and it was very warm in the room and while A/C is available, there is no remote control for it, so you are stuck with whatever the housekeeper has set it to. And usually, they leave the window open after cleaning so sometimes you will get a mosquito or two. Unfortunately, this is Russia, so everyone smokes. While the odor of the room did not smell of smoke, sometimes you may catch the smell of a neighboring room through the ventillation. The shower is small. If you are a large person, this might be inconvenient. And the 5th day there was no hot water. The hotel offers free wifi and works well though does disconnect at times. At check in, they automatically registered my tourist visa. Right outside there are bus stops for one to get into town easily as long as you know the bus routes and numbers, or have the hotel call for a cab and get a price.