Hotel description:

Pushka in is one of the most centrally located boutique hotels in St. Petersburg (boutique means that it is small and that it is built in a former residence of some Russian nobles, in this case it is the family of Ivan Puschin - a closed friend of Alexander Pushkin). The hotel stands next to the Palace Square - two minutes walking from the Hermitage and costs a bit less than the 5-star Kempinsky next door.

Facilities:

The Pushka Inn is a mini-hotel with a four-star service, where each guests is treated with particular care. Friendly and attentive staff will do their best to create home-like comfortable ambiance for all the guests. The interior designed with the abundant use of artillery and military decor elements remind of brilliant victory of Russian army over Napoleon. Warm pastel tones with light timber and glass add to the pleasant ambiance. The rooms enjoy the wonderful, truly Petersburg, view on Moyka river and granite embankment. During the summer months tourist boats moor right in front of the hotel.

Rooms:

Pushka Inn has 35 charming and beautifully decorated rooms with several different choices, depending on your needs are and the amount of people you'll be traveling with. The main choices are a single economy room, a standard double room, a comfort double room, and a family room with 1 or 2 bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen. For solo or double travelers, the humble economy rooms (single and standard rooms) have single or double beds and a private bathroom. For couples who want a little bit more, the spacious comfort rooms have double beds, private bathrooms, but with much more room. There is also one comfort room with a balcony, which you can reserve. If you're traveling with your family, and you want more private room for yourselves, the family rooms are designed to accommodate guests from 4-8 people. The family rooms include one or two bedrooms, a sitting room, and a kitchen -- with stove, fridge, microwave, dish washer, coffee maker and dishes. All of the rooms are non-smoking and come with a TV, a safe, a hairdryer/towels/toiletries, a phone, free wireless internet, a refrigerator, and an AC. The family rooms come with tea making equipment, and the others have cold and hot drinking water available in the hallways. Your room choice might depend on the price, as well as the view you'd prefer. The views overlooking the Moyka canal are charming, but during certain seasons, they can bring in more noise than the windows facing the alleys or the courtyard. Most of the single rooms are on the bottom and most of the family rooms are on the top, so your view will also depend on what floor you're on.

Meals:

Although you may want to dine out in the city, rest assured that when it comes to having a hearty meal at the beginning of a long tourist day or at the end of the day when you're ready to crash and you just can't walk any further, Pushka Inn has a more than adequate dinning area for you to get your fill. A cozy and charming restaurant, located just outside the main doors of the inn, Pushka Inn restaurant serves genuine Russian and European cuisine. For hotel guests, the price of your meal is reduced 20%, and the buffet breakfast is included in the price of the room. The restaurant staff are courteous and speak English, and the restaurant is often ideal for people not even staying at the hotel. There are just a few things you might want to keep in mind. The first is that the restaurant is outside of the front doors, which means you have to leave the hotel briefly for your meals. Normally, this is not a problem -- although during the winter, you will have to bundle up for breakfast. Also, during the high seasons, the dining room might be filled up, because it's a small room, and, like many other restaurants throughout the city, smoking is allowed inside the restaurant -- which usually puts non-smokers off. However, bear in mind that you might find the same situation in many of the nearby cafes, as smoking is surprisingly common in Russia. However, despite these concerns, in my opinion, the biggest bonus of the restaurant is that it's open from 7:30AM--5:00AM. This is perfect if you return late and you still haven't had dinner yet, or if you want a drink after a late opera show. And it's also a great opportunity to socialize with other guests or local residents.