A Crushing Disappointment at the Legendary Hotel Cosmos
add_circle Pros
- The hotel's location is within walking distance from the VDNH metro station, making it easy to get around the city.
- The staff is friendly and willing to help, even if they're not always knowledgeable about the area.
- The hotel has a nice underground passage that connects to the metro, which is a nice touch.
- The rooms are clean, even if they're a bit small.
- The hotel has a decent selection of amenities, including a fitness center and a restaurant.
- The hotel's got a good value for money, considering the location and amenities.
remove_circle Cons
- The rooms are tiny, with barely enough space to move around.
- The decor is straight out of the 80s, with faded wallpaper and outdated furniture.
- The service is lacking, with long wait times and unhelpful staff.
- The hotel's Wi-Fi is slow and unreliable, making it difficult to get work done.
- The hotel charges extra for everything, from parking to breakfast.
- The hotel's build quality is subpar, with creaky doors and wobbly furniture.
Gallery
Editor's Summary
I've been hearing great things about Hotel Cosmos on VDNH, but my recent stay was a crushing disappointment. The location's convenient, but that's where the good stuff ends. The rooms are tiny, the decor's straight out of the 80s, and the service is lacking. I was expecting a luxurious experience, but what I got was a mediocre stay at best. The hotel's got some nice touches, like an underground passage to the metro and a decent fitness center, but it's not enough to make up for the hotel's shortcomings. If you're looking for a great spot to stay near VDNH, keep looking – there are better options out there.
Specifications
I've always been fascinated by the legendary hotel 'Cosmos' on VDNH. It's a place that's been on everyone's radar since Soviet times, and I've always associated it with luxury, elegance, and top-notch service. But my expectations were way off. I spent a couple of nights in 'Cosmos' in April, and honestly, I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.
HOTEL 'COSMOS' 3* (MOSCOW, VDNH)
Hotel Cosmos 3* Moscow reviewLOCATION
The hotel is within walking distance from the VDNH metro station. As you exit the metro, you'll see the big, semi-circular building - that's 'Cosmos' for you. You just need to 'dive' into the underground passage near the metro exit, cross the Mira Prospekt, and walk a bit further to reach the hotel entrance. It's about a 7-minute walk from the metro. If you're in a hurry and don't have kids, you can make it in 5 minutes.
The location is great. It's super convenient to walk to VDNH, and you can even stroll to the Rostokino Aqueduct, but that's a bit further. The metro is really close, the monorail station is nearby, and you can walk to the Rostokino metro station. You can also walk to the Rostokino railway station on the Yaroslavsky line.
BOOKING
I booked a room a week in advance. I chose a studio room for my family of three. The total price for two nights was 25,800 rubles, but with the Stickermania promo code 'Vkusno - i tochno' (which finally came in handy!), I got it for 23,220 rubles. Breakfast was included in the price, and it was a buffet-style meal. The room deposit was 100% prepaid. There were no issues with the booking, and the hotel's website seems to work smoothly.
CHECK-IN
Check-in time is at 15:00, and check-out is by 12:00. Check-out is a breeze - you just leave your guest card and room keys at the reception. That's it. Check-in, of course, involves registration, and, as we noticed on the second day, it can be a real drag. There were long queues at the admin desks from morning onwards, and by the time check-in started, they were at their peak. I think many guests waited for over an hour.
We arrived at 18:00 for check-in, and there were no queues. We were processed in 5 minutes, and they asked for our passports and the child's birth certificate. The porter asked if we were happy with the floor and the view from our room. Then they gave us magnetic keys, guest cards (which we needed to show to the security at the lift), and we headed to explore our room.
LOBBY
The lobby of 'Cosmos' hotel is something else. My husband and I had a similar association - it felt like we were in an airport. The big space is filled with the hum of people registering, just sitting with their luggage, or enjoying the restaurants. There are groups of athletes, businessmen, and families with kids.
Hotel Cosmos 3* reviewThe floors are quiet and peaceful, except for the hustle and bustle downstairs. The corridors, by the way, are semi-circular on each floor, matching the hotel's exterior look. Hotel Cosmos 3* VDNH Hotel Cosmos 3* reviewROOM NUMBER
Our semi-lux room, according to the website description, was 38 sq.m. However, it was packed with furniture, leaving no sense of space. I remember this room as being extremely cramped.
Upon entering the room, we're greeted by a small entrance hall, which is not very spacious, but at least it's there. To the right of the entrance, there's a closet for hanging clothes and some shelves. Next to the closet is a mirror.
Hotel Cosmos 3* reviewIn the center of the room, there's a rectangular column (apparently, some sort of supporting structure), which divides the space into a living area (sitting area) and a bedroom.
In the living area, there's a small sofa, two armchairs, and a coffee table.
Hotel Cosmos 3* review Hotel Cosmos 3* reviewIn the bedroom, there's a spacious double bed, a closet, and built-in shelves that mimic dressers. Opposite the bed is a TV, a long table, and two chairs. There's also a mini-fridge here.
Hotel Cosmos 3* Moscow review Hotel Cosmos 3* Moscow Hotel Cosmos 3* reviewThe floor is covered with carpeting. Overall, it's in decent condition.
The bed linen is clean, with no complaints.
The furniture and interior are very 'worn out' and clearly need updating. Our room reminded me of something from the 'Back to the USSR' theme. While they keep it clean, the Soviet spirit is palpable in every inch.
We have a number of complaints about the room:
1. There's only one free socket, and it's next to the TV. Trying to read a book on your phone while charging it on the bed, for example, won't work. And charging two phones at the same time is also impossible, which caused us a lot of inconvenience.
First off, the room was a bit dusty, especially the bed and curtains.
I have to say, the bed was super high, which made it a bit of a struggle for us. But hey, that's just a matter of personal preference, right?
One thing that caught my eye was the lack of overhead lighting - just side lamps and floor lamps.
There's a connecting door to the adjacent room, which was closed, but I'm not a fan of those kinds of details.
Cosmos Hotel 3* The view from the window was amazing, especially at night - VDNH was right at our fingertips.
Cosmos Hotel 3* VDNH reviewCosmos Hotel 3* VDNH reviewBATHROOM
The bathroom was a bit cramped, but it had all the essentials - sink, mirror, toothbrush holder, shampoo, soap, body lotion, and an old-school hair dryer.
Cosmos Hotel 3* reviewCosmos Hotel 3* reviewThe bathroom was a shower, not a bathtub, and it had a regular fabric curtain.
Cosmos Hotel 3* reviewThe toilet was tucked away behind the door, along with the towel warmers and robes. Not the most convenient setup, if you ask me.
The towels were in decent shape - not super fluffy, but not terrible either. We didn't use the robes, but they looked okay from what I saw.
The bathroom fixtures were clean, and the mirror was spotless. No complaints there.
ROOM SERVICE
We didn't have a mini-bar in the room, but we could order food through the hotel's mobile app. The delivery was a bit slow, and we had to restart the order twice because the app kept timing out.
The prices were Moscow-level, plus an extra 10% for delivery. We ordered food one night because we were too exhausted to go down to the first floor - it was around 4300 rubles, not including delivery.
Cosmos Hotel 3* reviewWe were really disappointed with the food. Most of the dishes that were supposed to be hot were cold and tasteless.
Even the next day, when we ordered just some bread and tea, we were let down - the bread was stale and tasted like cardboard.
Hotel Cosmos 3*Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the restaurant 'Kalinka' on the first floor. You just show your room key and you're in. They've got a buffet system going on, which is nice.
The food is laid out in a circle, with separate tables for drinks and desserts. It's a pretty standard setup, but it works.
Hotel Cosmos 3* review Hotel Cosmos 3*The selection of food is pretty decent, but I was expecting more from 'Cosmos'. They've got cereals, omelets, pancakes, and some side dishes like pasta, rice, and veggies. They've also got cold cuts, cheese, and pickles - yeah, pickles for breakfast! There's also oatmeal, waffles, and some other stuff.
It looks like they've got a pretty good spread, but I only had omelets both days - nothing else really caught my eye. And to be honest, the omelets were a bit weird, like they didn't have enough milk in them.
Hotel Cosmos 3* review Hotel Cosmos 3* MoscowMy partner tried the cereal and the pancake, and he wasn't impressed either. Hotel Cosmos 3* reviewI was really missing some fresh veggies in the salad bar. The fruit selection was pretty meager too.
They've got about 5-6 types of desserts, mostly pastries. The first day I tried these amazing little cookies, but the next day they were dry and tasteless.
Hotel Cosmos 3* VDNHThey've got a decent selection of drinks: coffee, tea, juices, and milk.
The dining area is huge, but it's always packed and there aren't enough tables. And to make matters worse, the staff is really struggling to keep the place clean. It's like they're short-staffed or something. I ended up wiping down my table with my own napkins because I couldn't find anyone to do it for me.
Overall, our experience with breakfast was pretty underwhelming, but then we stayed at Hotel Lemar and realized that 'Cosmos' wasn't that bad after all.
Verdict
I'm really disappointed with 'Cosmos'. The decor is outdated, the breakfasts are chaotic, and the lobby is just a mess. I don't think the price is justified, even with the location near VDNH. I wouldn't stay here again unless I had to.
Yours truly
P. S. And a few more of my reviews on the topic:
Lemar 3-star hotel near the zoo was a real surprise with the amount of towels in the room, but breakfast was a total disappointment
Urban farm on VDNKH: I really enjoyed it, but for the price I was expecting more.
The grand Akveduk built between 1783 and 1784 is a must-see in the eponymous park - even if you only go once
Shokolat cafe in Moskvarium - many people complain about the price, but in my opinion, it's the best option for families with kids
