I'm writing this review hot off the press, because I've got some things to say about this hotel, where I was booked again for work with a group of tourists. Right off the bat: the company chose this hotel for the whole season and already sent a part of last season's group here - the tourists didn't have any complaints. But I'm not just any ordinary tourist, and I pay attention to the little details, even though I don't intend to nitpick. So, listen up.

Yeah, that's the VALO complex on the first photo - I didn't explore the whole thing, but I got the gist of it: there are hotels, restaurants, a sports zone with a pool, business areas, and a whole lot more. I've attached a layout of the building complex for your reference:

Despite all the amenities the hotel (or rather, the complex of hotels) has to offer, there's almost no parking. There's a small area along one of the buildings where they've reserved space for buses (just enough for two) and a bit of space for cars, which can easily block the buses, but nobody's keeping an eye on it, and the bus might not even be able to leave (and we were on a tour, with a strict schedule, and yeah, it's happened before), so we ended up parking the bus in a way that people had to walk a decent distance to get to it.

Yeah, for me, that's a pretty big deal, and it shows the hotel's focus on developing tourism in the region. If you compare it to hotels built in Soviet times, they usually have a big parking lot. But now, it seems like the focus is on individual travelers who bring in the cash (and the hotel's not exactly budget-friendly).

As for the location, it's got its pros and cons. The pros: the metro station "Bukharestskaya" is just a stone's throw away (a direct line to "Admiralteyskaya," which is right in the heart of the tourist area), and there's a shopping center nearby, plus some shops, pharmacies, and cafes. The cons: it's still a bit far from the city center, and there aren't any major attractions nearby.

The reception area is huge. From the entrance, they register individual guests to the right, and groups straight ahead. But if all the groups are checked in, like I think I understood, there's nobody at the group reception (I didn't see anyone, anyway).

The staff is all young and pretty, but it's a bit intimidating. I mean, I've been to some fancy places before, but this one takes the cake. Out of all the people I interacted with, only one girl was super friendly and down-to-earth. She answered my questions without making a big deal out of it and didn't give me that 'I'm a goddess and you're lucky to be here' vibe. With the others, I got the feeling they were talking down to me and that I was somehow doing them a favor by being there. And, as it turned out, two incidents later on reinforced that feeling, but I'll get to those in a bit.

We stayed in the Valo Soul building. To get in, you have to head out to the courtyard and then into the adjacent building. All the buildings have names, so you can't get lost.

The courtyard itself is pretty nice, if a bit urban: there are benches, a little fountain, swings, and a path that leads to some cafes.

Our building has a small relaxation area on the first floor.

To use the elevator, you need to swipe your key card and then press the button for your floor.

Rooms are seriously tiny, and I could already see it being a total squeeze if I were sharing with someone. Forget about trying to walk between the bed and the dresser without bumping into things. But hey, there is a kitchen. I guess it's kind of convenient if you're staying for a while and don't plan on going out much. I only used the microwave, sink, and plates from the kitchen. I wouldn't even dare try to use the stove, to be honest.

They do provide a tea maker, tea, sugar, and water bottles (which they refill every day). There's no other source of drinking water, like a water cooler, in the hotel, so you're limited to 0.5 liters per person. Anything more and you'll need to go out and buy it.

There's all the necessary dishes, but no utensils.

It's also missing some basic stuff like hand towels and a tray to put wet dishes on. And, of course, dish soap. If I end up staying here again, I'll definitely bring those things with me. So, yeah, the kitchen is there, but it's a bit under-equipped.

The fridge is available, and there's also a dishwasher (which I don't know how to use, so I just wash my dishes by hand).

The closet is a bit of a mystery

The bed in the room is huge, with clean sheets, comfy pillows, and a soft blanket - check.

There's a small rug on the floor, but the rest of the floor is uncovered, so you'll either need to wear slippers (which are provided in the room) or go barefoot.

I've got a TV, dining table, chairs, and a big dining table - I can invite guests over!

By the way, the soundproofing in this place is top-notch - I didn't hear my neighbors at all, which was a huge relief.

The coat rack in the hallway is a bit awkwardly placed, and there's no room to put your shoes - you end up tripping over it.

But hey, there's a big wardrobe with shelves and hooks - that's where you'll find the iron, ironing board (which is a bit of a mystery, where you're supposed to unfold it), robe, and other little things.

I've got a climate control system that you can set to either cool or warm - it's super convenient.

The bathroom is decent, clean, but, of course, it's missing those little spots where you can put your cosmetics and clean clothes. There's only one shelf in the shower where you can put something, but only if it can get wet. In the end, I had to put my remaining cosmetics in the cabinet under the sink, risking forgetting them when I leave.

The water pressure isn't exactly great, by the way.

But, of course, there's everything you need for hygiene.

I've gotta say, the hair dryer in my room is a total game-changer. It's so much better than the one I have at home.

Breakfast is a must, and it's served from 7 am on weekdays, but on Saturdays and Sundays, it's 8 am. I love that the Palm restaurant is located on the second floor, right next to the reception. It's so convenient.

The space is pretty spacious, and there's enough room for everyone to move around comfortably.

And let's talk about the food - it's all super varied and delicious. I've had no complaints about the food at all during my stay.

Okay, so let's talk about the situations I encountered. First was with the Wi-Fi. When I arrived at the room, I tried to connect, but it asked for a password and I couldn't find any info about it anywhere. I was in a rush, so I ended up using my mobile internet. I walked by the reception desk and checked the info there, but still, nothing. It wasn't until later that evening that I called the administrator to ask if they even had Wi-Fi in the hotel, specifying the building I was staying in. Polina told me that yes, they did have Wi-Fi, and gave me the login and password. I asked her how guests were supposed to find out about it, if they had to just call and ask, and she replied, 'Yes, only like that.' I thought that was weird, considering the size of the hotel and the number of guests. But, I figured, every hotel has its quirks, so I went ahead and tried to connect. But, unfortunately, even with the password, it said the network was connected, but I didn't have access to the internet. I called Polina again, and she suggested I restart my phone, which I'd already done, but the problem persisted. She just laughed and told me that maybe the issue was with my phone, since everyone else had internet working. I was taken aback and didn't continue the conversation. It seemed like Polina thought she was some kind of big shot, working at a big hotel in St. Petersburg, and that she knew everything about the hotel, just because she worked there. And, no, I wasn't just being paranoid, her tone was definitely mocking, and I've worked with people who have a lot of self-esteem and can read between the lines.

I did some investigating, and it turned out that the Wi-Fi did work in the building where the reception desk was, but not in the building where we were staying. When I was checking out, I asked my fellow travelers if anyone had managed to get Wi-Fi in their rooms, and it turned out that no one had. Polina, I'll be back, and I'll have something to say to you and your management, so just wait.

And, the second situation was with the lost and found. In my previous stay, one of our guests had left a pair of wireless headphones in their room, and we managed to track them down and return them to the guest. It's always the same procedure: you call the hotel, give them your name, company, city, and the details of the lost item, and they hand it over to you without any issues. But, not at the Valo. It's like they expect you to know some kind of secret password or something.

I'm still fuming about the hassle I had trying to get my headphones from the front desk at the Valo hotel. I had to go down there three times before anyone would even help me, and then I was told they couldn't give me anything because the housekeeping service was closed. But, of course, they'd be back the next day at 9, which was perfect because we were checking out at 10. Yeah, right. So, I went back the next day, and guess what? They weren't back at 9 - they were back at 10. I was getting seriously frustrated at this point. But somehow, miraculously, they managed to find the keys to the room where everything was stored. Then, I had to wait for our guy to write a power of attorney at home, scan it, and send it to me, along with a photo of his passport. I had to email those documents to the hotel, show my own passport, write a receipt for the transfer of the items, and only then could I pick up those poor headphones. It was some kind of surreal experience, I swear. And if some grandma had forgotten something, and had to take a photo of it and send it to someone - it would be some kind of quest!

In short, the client orientation and attitude towards guests at the Valo hotel is severely lacking. I think this is unacceptable, and I'm taking away a star. Otherwise, I would recommend the hotel.

More St. Petersburg hotels:

Lira 3*

Orbita 3*

Orbital 3*

"A-hotel" 3*