Nevsky 74 Hotel

I took a chance on this hotel. Seeing how little reviews it had, I chose my gut instinct based on the pictures and it did not disappoint. Luckily for me I had studied abroad in Saint Petersburg for the Summer of 2015. Therefore, I knew the city quite well for my return last week for my "Summer 2016 trip", and can assure you this hotel is definitely in the heart of the city. This hotel is located inside of a courtyard right off of Nevsky Prospect. This courtyard looks daunting, menacing, and eerie at first, but after 15 days and nights walking into and out of this courtyard, I can assure you that you will be safe. A few things to mention. We arrived at check-in which was around 2 PM in the afternoon. We were greeted by a short Russian key lady who hardly any English. However, I came prepared with the little Russian I picked up last year and a small Russian phrase book from Lonely Planet. Within a half hour she agreed to provide us with our Visa Registration for our stay in the hotel and showed us our accommodation. My girlfriend and I stayed in the "Yesenin C.A" Room which had a portrait of the famous Russian Poet Sergei Yesenin. We called a month ahead of time to confirm with the receptionist that our room would be of the brick interior showed in the pictures and we were provided just that. Ours was located at the very end of the corridor and was super cozy. A very small room with what seems like hardly any privacy due to the proximity of each room, but it almost feels like the brick walls provide a wall thick enough to muffle most sounds. Of course, not to provide too much information, but it was very hard to be intimate with my girlfriend. Nonetheless, it provided a very cozy home for our 2 week stay. The bathroom seems like it was the largest according to the emergency floor plan, and for its size it packs a punch. The water never disappoints by ALWAYS responding to the hot temperature one may need to relax. Within a minute this bathroom will steam up and provide an extremely hot shower for you or your partner. The commode is also very modern and luxurious, never had an issue with the restroom. They even have a heated floor for the tiles. The view of course, is not the courtyard, we are given a huge window to a small garden behind the mini-hotel/apartment complex. Out of our two week stay we never were disturbed, so we always had our curtains open. Only one time, it seemed like a local landscaper taking care of the plants located there, but he was gone before we knew he was there. Very private, very cozy first floor room. I loved it. The bed: We were provided with a soft bed, not exactly queen size but it fulfills the purpose for a couple. After a few days we became used to its size, however be aware that the cover intended for this bed is very small. Therefore, we asked for an extra cover which one of the four key ladies working there will be happy to provide for you. Also, sometime towards the end of our stay, the weather became a little chilly and we were given a small heater. The pillows are flat, so consider looking for something to fluff them up a bit or just be like me and get over the little things. The fridge can hold two separate liters of coke or water, a few red bulls on the side, a small half gallon of local Mors drink, and some leftovers, very decent size and very cold! FREE WI-FI!! I'm trying to be as descriptive as possible to help out this little Mini-Hotel receive more English speaking guests, it was worth our stay. The language barrier is the only thing holding anyone back from enjoying an inexpensive stay in this beautiful city. We were gone most of the day and by late afternoon housekeeping had already taken care of our room. Don't shy away from this hotel, book it. It's worth every penny. If management ever reads this, I would be happy to thank them for their service. We went so far as to buy the key ladies flowers for their hospitality. Thank you Mini-Hotel 74!!