A Mixed Bag at the Historic Hilton Hotel

Hello everyone!

I had a pretty wild ride when I flew to Moscow for the first time and ended up staying at the Hilton hotel on Leningradskaya. It was a perfect example of how happiness and misfortune can go hand in hand – and I'll get to that below...

xa0

Background story:

Who doesn't love a good story in this day and age?

So, I didn't fly to Moscow on the first day of winter (in November) because I was desperate to get there, but because I had a bit of bad luck – my hair started falling out after COVID (and it got a lot worse in September) and I was left with bald patches. I wasn't ready for that, so I started looking into hair systems and found out that there are wigs – but not exactly the kind I was looking for.

At first, I wanted to buy a hair system online, but after doing some research, I realized that without a fitting, it's pointless. But I'll save that for another review.

I was on my way to Moscow to get a hair system, and initially, I booked a hostel (I was in a rush and didn't do my research, booked it and flew, and ended up fleeing the hostel in my tap shoes, with tears in my eyes and an allergic reaction – I was sitting on a bench at -5°C, on my last phone battery, and managed to find and book a room at the Hilton hotel on the last minute.

p.s – Yeah, I'm good at collecting weird stories in my life (they happen to me quite often)

I booked the room on Yandex.Travel:

from 2/11/2022 to 4/11/2022 (but in reality, I checked in at 17:00 on 2 November and checked out at 01:40 on 4 November)

I paid рублей 12,000 (I didn't bother looking for something cheaper because the phone's battery was already running out, and I just wanted to get home and go to bed – I was exhausted that day, especially in a strange city and with the freezing cold.

When I arrived, I was greeted by the concierge – I think that's what he was – who smiled warmly and said, 'Welcome.' It's nice that they don't look down on you.

I went up to the registration desk, said my name, and that was it!

They asked if I wanted to add breakfast for 1,500 rubles (I think that's the price), but I said no because I didn't feel like dealing with people in the morning.

They handed me a key, and I headed to the elevator. Everything was pretty intuitive, but a couple of girls who were also heading up offered to help me figure out how to use the card reader in the elevator (it's weird, and I'm not sure why it's there...).

I went up to the 4th floor, and the room was located in a far-off hallway – it was a bit dark (honestly), although maybe that was just on my floor... The whole floor didn't feel like a residential area (it felt more like a...).

xa0

I managed to open the door on the third try (you have to insert the card, and it lights up, then you can pull it out to unlock, but it only works once).

-video-

When I turned on the light, everything looked nice and cozy – it was like stepping back in time. The warm glow, the old-style furniture (it was clearly from the Soviet era, but in a nice way)...

The bed (it's so comfortable, you feel like you're floating on a cloud)With the dim lighting, it's hard to notice the flaws, but they're there!

The nightstand and armchair with a lamp in the corner near the TV

A chair and a side table (which wobbled on the floor like a matryoshka doll)My TV corner (with a QR code for the app where I could order room service and other things) and a bathrobe

My TV corner At first glance, the room seemed okay, but then I started paying attention, and it felt like they were trying to pass off a subpar room as the real deal – like they were trying to convince me it was a Hilton, but it was actually just a cheaper alternative. To be honest, my room looked like it hadn't been occupied for a while, and when I booked it, they seemed to rush to get it ready, but they didn't bother to clean it properly (they were cleaning the room next door when I checked in). There was a layer of dust on all the surfaces, the carpet was stained, and it wasn't comfortable to walk on. The bathroom had dirt in the grout between the tiles, and the shower door had water spots and streaks.

My bedside table in the room (you can see the dust if you look closely – I accidentally wiped it clean with my hands) The bathroom looked like this when I first walked in:

I have to say, the state of the room before check-in was pretty shocking. It looked like they'd given up or something!

The bathroom:

The bathroom in the Hilton Leningradskay hotelThere were clean towels and toiletries, and the water was on, so it's clear the cleaner had been in, but she'd clearly decided not to bother.

Toiletries for two (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, and soap) in the Hilton Leningradskay hotelThe first towel (mine, so it's a bit crumpled) and the second one were untouched.

The bathroom:

The view from the room was basically nothing - just a glass pyramid and some air ducts from the kitchen or restaurant on the floor above. The windows were closed, but you could still hear the traffic noise during the day, evening, and especially at night.

It was a bit chilly in the room.

I woke up to a surprise - the pillowcase was stained, and when I took it off, I found that the pillow itself was dirty. I have no idea how that could have happened, given that it was wrapped in two cases. Luckily, I noticed it before I went to bed, so I didn't have to spend the night on that pillow.

Pillow stains (I took off the pillowcase) - and that's what I foundIt would've been a sleepless night, that's for sure!Later that evening, about two hours before check-out, our room started reeking of cigarette smoke. I'm pretty sure it's a ventilation issue, since there are no smoking rooms on our floor.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but reality was a far cry from it.

I get that рублей 12,000 for two nights isn't exactly the Hilton's usual price point. But if you're going to charge that, don't rent out rooms that are going to make your guests feel like they're stuck in a smoking lounge.

xa0

Service.

The service, on the other hand, was top-notch. I ordered room service twice, and the girl who took my order was friendly and efficient. The food arrived quickly, and I could pay by card, cash, or a combination of both - they even provided a receipt.

Tea Set in Hilton Leningradskaya Hotel Room When I checked in, I found two bottles of water, a kettle, tea, coffee, sugar, and cream in the room. On the second day, they called to ask if I needed anything (I was surprised) and I said no. But a few hours later, I ran out of water and called to ask for some, and they brought it up to my room within 15 minutes.

In terms of service, everything was top-notch!

I also had a weird incident when I was taking out the tray after dinner, and my door slammed shut, leaving my card and phone inside (the doors are super heavy, and I was struggling to hold them open even without the tray). Luckily, there's a phone on each floor that you can use to call the front desk or other areas. I called, explained the situation, and they sent someone up with my card.

The Door in My Room at Hilton Leningradskaya There was a really funny moment:

I'm standing there, freezing, and this guy in a uniform comes up with my key. I'm like, 'Hi.' He looks at me, I look at him, he looks at me, I look at him, and we're just staring at each other for like a minute. I'm like, 'Do you have my key by any chance?' And he's like, 'Who are you?' And I'm like, 'I'm from room 407.' And he's like, 'Oh, okay, go ahead.'

It was super awkward, but hey, that's just my thing – weird situations are my life!

xa0

Room Service.

After settling in, I didn't order dinner and just had tea and finished off the cake that had been with me since breakfast. Initially, I was thinking of ordering a pizza or something from delivery, but I wasn't sure if the delivery guy would make it, so I ruled that out.

Breakfast in the room at Hilton Leningradskay (1900r)I decided to go all out for breakfast in the room instead. I ordered an American-style breakfast: scrambled eggs, chicken sausages (the food was actually quite good), a bread basket (though the buns were stale and a letdown), jams, toast, butter, fruit juice, and tea. I thought they'd bring a freshly brewed pot, but they just brought a few tea bags and a kettle instead.

5/10 (I'd give it 5 stars just for those juicy, tasty chicken sausages)

That evening, I ordered dinner to be served in the room.

Dinner in the room at Hilton Leningradskay (1900r)I ordered borscht and a Caesar salad (I initially wanted the classic version, but the staff said that was without meat, and I wasn't about to pay 600r for a plate of lettuce!). I got the one with meat for 800r, which had a massive 250g or more of meat. The plates were huge, though.The borscht came with a stale bun, some sausage, and a lot of dressing (which was still there after I'd finished the salad). It was filling, though. I didn't order any drinks since there was tea in the room.

The dinner came out to 1900r.

I'd give it 6/10, and that's only because the borscht and cured meat or salo were delicious.

The mini-bar in the room comes with a hefty price tag - a chocolate bar that costs around 100 rubles in any store costs 400 rubles here, and the chips are just as pricey.

xa0

Interior:

Given that the hotel is located in a historic building, the interior is steeped in old-world charm. While some might appreciate that, I have to admit it didn't quite work for me. The place clearly needs some renovation - the carpets are stained and won't come clean, and the furniture is due for a replacement. The table with the large mirror was wobbly, and the armchair was so worn out that I couldn't sit on it without wincing.

I'd also recommend improving the soundproofing, as you can hear the traffic from the road 100% of the time, and Moscow's traffic never stops.

The room had a lot of mirrors, which wasn't my cup of tea - I found it uncomfortable to sleep with all those reflections staring back at me.

The lighting system was also a bit strange - when I turned off the light with the switch, the whole room went dark, but I couldn't leave the bedside lamp on.

I'm not used to sleeping in complete darkness at home, and I always have some small light source to help me drift off. But in this case, I had to sleep in pitch blackness.

The historic hotel building - there are plenty of photos of Moscow, beautiful columns, chandeliers, and so on. Plus, they offer free guided tours of the hotel for residents.

I saw these photos in the brochure:

I didn't end up going there, though - I only found out about it when I was already checking out (on the Hilton website).

My verdict:

I paid рублей 12,000 for two nights, and I get it, that's not the Hilton price point. But if you're going to charge that much, you'd better deliver. I might stay there in a pinch, but I wouldn't go back for a second night. The food was just okay - it was edible, but I think it's easier to just head into town and grab a bite somewhere nice for the same price.

My rating: 3/5