Hotel Astoria
Part of the Rocco Forte Collection, the five-star Hotel Astoria is located in St Isaac's Square at the heart of St Petersburg's city centre.
The hotel is decorated in an elegant, contemporary style. Many of the 188 rooms and suites have views of St Isaac's Cathedral, and others overlook a quiet inner courtyard. All rooms have wooden parquet flooring and luxurious marble bathrooms. Breakfast and afternoon tea are served in the Rotonda Lounge, and the hotel's Astoria Cafe serves French cuisine with a Russian twist.
The stylish Lichfield Bar is open 24 hours a day, has live jazz music every evening and serves cocktails and chilled vodkas. Other facilities include a gym and a 7th floor spa with sauna and steam rooms and offering a variety of treatments and massages. Many of St. Petersburg's top attractions, including the Hermitage Museum, are just minutes' walk away.
Why We Love It
Guests can dine at the Borsalino Italian restaurant in the adjacent sister property, the Angleterre, also part of the Rocco Forte Collection.
Four Seasons St. Petersburg
The Four Seasons Lion Palace began life in 1820 as the private residence of Princess Lobanova-Rostovskaya and retains its regal feel today.
Live like modern Russian royalty in the palatial rooms which are all elegantly decorated and have been painstakingly restored to their original regal splendour, as with the rest of the hotel. Many of the 177 rooms, including 26 suites, have spectacular views of historical landmarks, the hotel gardens, and even a statue of Czar Nicholas 1. For the best of the best opt for one of the rooms on the fifth floor which have terraces and panoramic views of St. Petersburg.
The food is some of the best in St Petersburg with the kitchen headed up by Andrea Accordi, the first chef in Eastern Europe to be awarded a Michelin Star. Percorso restaurant serves modern Italian fare and boasts a pretty impressive wine cellar as well as a private dining room, and Sintoho whips up a storm with fresh sushi and northern Asian delights.
The spa is spread across over four levels within one of the Lion Palace's original courtyards, and boasts Russian style saunas, six treatment rooms, a relaxation pool and a 24-hour gym.
Located in the historic Admiralteysky district, the Four Seasons is just two blocks from both the Hermitage Museum and Winter Palace - culture vultures eat your hearts out - and also Nevsky Prospekt, St P's main drag. The colourful city is also home to the Mariinnsky Ballet Company, arguably one of the best in the world, and stunning imperial architecture that remains relatively untouched despite the city's fairly tumultuous past. The hotel has a concierge on hand to tell guests what's hot and what's not, and help get access to the city's most impressive sites.
Why We Love It
The Four Seasons Hotel St. Petersburg is a perfect spot for Christmas (fur coat recommended, and we know just where to buy one).
Hotel Angleterre
Recently refurbished under the watchful eye of designer Olga Polizzi, the Angleterre is an excellent 4 star alternative to neighbour and sister property the Astoria, with which it shares facilities.
The hotel sits directly opposite St. Isaac's Cathedral and is close to the iconic Bronze Horseman and the unmissable Hermitage. The guest rooms are not huge, but are beautifully designed, and the recently completed Club Floor provides a good range of superior rooms. Hotel facilities include the Borsalino restaurant serving Italian cuisine, a caviar bar, spa, indoor swimming pool, gym and beauty studio.
Why We Love It
The Angleterre was one of the first hotels in St Petersburg, and was a favourite of artists and poets in the 1920's, perhaps due to its inspiring view of St Isaac's Cathedral.
Belmond Grand Hotel Europe
Situated in the heart of St. Petersburg on the main avenue of the city, the famous Nevsky Prospekt, the hotel's building is classified as a historical monument.
With a Neo-Baroque façade and Art Nouveau interiors restored to former glory in the 1990s, the rooms and suites at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe include 17 terrace rooms on the top floor which have great views over the St. Petersburg skyline.
The hotel has a full range of restaurants, from the casual to the formal, offering Russian, French, Italian and Chinese cuisine. There is also a café and a 24-hour bar serving cocktails and crisp, cold vodkas.
Other facilities include a health club with a gym, sauna, plunge pool, massage room and a range of spa treatments. There is also a hair salon, a florist's and a selection of boutiques. The hotel is just a few minutes' walk from the Hermitage Museum and many of St. Petersburg's other cultural attractions.
Why We Love It
Everyone from Tchaikovsky to Elton John has stayed here, and during its long history the likes of Rasputin and Maxim Gorky have dined at the hotel.