Mercure Arbat Moscow was my perfect “home away from home”, where I resided for two weeks. The entire staff aimed to make my visit as relaxing and enjoyable as possible – thank you ladies. This is hands-down the best hotel in the center of Moscow, and it is located minutes from the metro “Smolenskaya”. Put on your sneakers and experience all of the popular landmarks, such as the GUM Department Store (1.5 mi) and St. Basil's Cathedral (1.6 mi), and countless monuments – also do check out the Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes monument near the hotel! Besides being close to so many amazing restaurants (Eshak, Frank by Basta, White Rabbit, etc., there is also a grocery store “Azbyka Vkysa” (on the expensive side), a pharmacy (Apteka), a MTS (phone carrier), post office (Pochta), a pub (John Bull), Paul (café), a bakery – U Palycha, a Sephora, a nail place (named Wax Nail; note – they do not offer waxing services), and a McDonald’s ---- all within less than a minute walk. My charming room had a luggage chest, a teapot, a hairdryer, lots of light, a comfortable chaise that I dreaded getting up from, a spectacular view, air conditioning and heat, and free Wi-Fi. When I return to Russia in 2022, I will certainly request this room. The hotel features a 24-hour front desk, a concierge, a restaurant, and a 24-hour check-in. All of this comes in handy when you’re still adjusting to the time zone and need either food or champagne at odd hours of the day. Also, if you need champagne, Artem at the bar is very knowledge. And if you need your clothes dry cleaned, Maria will explain to you the process. The on-site restaurant offers delicious meals, but I don’t recommend the HH deal aka Aperitif with Mercure. I ordered a glass of wine and the dish that came from the chef was a sad bruschetta. Maybe I just got unlucky, but maybe it’s because I was expecting one of the fancy toasts pictured in the advertisement. The gym is open 24/7, make sure to plan accordingly as you need to sign up to use it. Treadmill works well. The sauna is located within each of the bathrooms at the gym, however, if someone is working out and you are hoping to only use the sauna, you can only sign up for the time that the entire place is vacated. But who has time for this when you’re visiting the largest city in Europe? I reached out to the hotel prior to my arrival and requested a room not near an elevator nor a staircase with a beautiful view. The hotel met my meets by offering me a room that is away from all of the noise with a breathtaking view. In the evening of my arrival, I received a lovely note from the General Manager Irina Nacharova with “GoodFood” brand of cherry covered chocolates and two bottles of “Pago” orange juice. The receptionist, Alina, was able to let me know how I can order these chocolates, unfortunately, I never got around to that task. When I extended my stay, I received another note from GM Irina Nacharova with “GoodFood” brand of banana covered chocolates and two bottles of “Pago” orange juice. The receptionist was so sweet in providing me with the bag of the “GoodFood” brand of cherry covered chocolates – which I brought back to America and now terribly regret not buying more from the online store. Huge shoutout to Diana at the front desk for helping me with ordering taxis, providing tips on how to use various taxi applications, and letting me know where to order decorative cakes from – U Palycha. She is one of the politest people I have ever met in my life. As a guest, if you’re stuck with something, she is able to resolve the situation in seconds. Another shoutout to the entire housekeeping staff (I only remember Masha) who were able to execute all of the tasks written out – apologies for being the guest that sometimes vacated the room at late hours. The staff is very kind and helpful, I can’t wait to return. Overall, I was very pleased with my hotel pick. Thank you.…
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.