Room service

Rossiya Hotel, Moscow

The Rossiya Hotel has been a blot on central Moscow's architectural landscape since the mid-Sixties, when a swathe of medieval churches and historic housing was demolished to make way for this behemoth, with its own concert hall, numerous restaurants, and a 50m swimming-pool. Its hard-currency shop was long a favourite destination for privileged Soviets and foreigners in search of food and luxury items unavailable elsewhere. Today, although service and facilities have improved, the jukeboxes in the foyer and the cigarette smoke over dinner ensure that the Rossiya remains an essentially Russian hotel.

Location, location, location

6 Varvarka ulitsa, Moscow (00 7 095 232 60 46, English spoken; fax 00 7 095 232 62 48) Metro: Kitay-Gorod.

Location is the main reason for staying at the Rossiya – it really doesn't come any better, being on the left bank of the Moskva river, with breathtaking views over the Kremlin, St Basil's and Red Square. The intimate churches and museums that survived the modernisation of the Kitay-Gorod district are adjacent. All of central Moscow's cultural treasures, shopping and nightlife are within reach.

Time to international airport: Sheremetyevo airport is 20 miles away: depending on traffic, the journey takes 45 minutes or more by car.

Are you lying comfortably?

This is Europe's biggest hotel, with 3,000 rooms spread over four multi-storey towers; and it's easy to get disoriented in its various wings. There are two categories of bedroom: non-renovated (Soviet-era, and best avoided) and renovated. The latter rooms are modest but clean and comfortable.

Freebies: None. Russian towels tend to be thin cotton affairs, so don't be surprised by a lack of fluffy towels.

Keeping in touch: International calls can be made from rooms, but internet access is available only in the business centre, at a price.

The bottom line

A renovated double on the west side (Kremlin view) currently costs 4,520 roubles (£90), while a renovated single is 3,361 roubles (£67).

I'm not paying that: Given its location, and compared with the stratospheric prices charged in Moscow's more luxurious hotels, the Rossiya is excellent value. However, the Traveller's Guest House (00 7 095 971 4059), 50 Bolshaya Pereyaslavskaya, 10th floor (metro: Prospect Mira) is Moscow's best-known budget option – a bed in a five-person dormitory costs £10, while an en-suite double is only £30.