Hotel Review: Four Seasons Hotel Moscow
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Summary: When it comes to city hotels, especially ones in iconic capitals, location is everything. Fortunately, the stunning...
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When it comes to city hotels, especially ones in iconic capitals, location is everything. Fortunately, the stunning Four Seasons Hotel Moscow has one of the best locations in the Russian city, and much more besides, discovers Nick Walton.

First Impressions

You know you’re arriving somewhere special when the little blue dot on your Google Maps keeps edging closer to Red Square and The Kremlin. My hotel limo slides through the late afternoon traffic, spring sunshine painting the city’s historic centre in gold as we draw closer.

One of the most special aspects of the Four Seasons Moscow, a hotel that has a lot going for it, is its coveted location, just a short walk from all of the major attractions that draw travellers to the Russian capital, including the State Duma, Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral and the Bolshoi Theatre. Close enough to be convenient and yet far enough to avoid the crowds, the hotel is an ideal base of operations from which to explore the city.

Housed in the former Soviet-era Hotel Moskva (famed for having two facades after Stalin approved both and architects were reluctant to choose one), the Four Seasons combines touches of Russia past and present, with an east-meets-west aesthetic, world-class dining, cavernous guest rooms and suites, marble-lined public spaces, and one of the city’s most indulgent spas.

Accommodations

While you’re staying in a historic building, a multi-million-dollar reconstruction ensures you’ll want for nothing during your time in the capital. Guest rooms and suites have a refined, residential feel to them, which makes you feel like you’re rubbing shoulders with the oligarchs who also call the city centre home. Many boast floor-to-ceiling windows, doors which open to private balconies, and art salvaged from the original Soviet-era edifice.

My Deluxe Room, among the largest in the city, features a sprawling king-sized bed, a workspace and walk-in closet. The bathroom is the size of a conventional guest room anywhere else, and wreaths a deep soak tub, perfect for those chilly Moscow winter evenings. Dressed in deep blue, gold and burgundy, each room is the ultimate respite from the bustle of the city below.

However, if you’re set on living like a Tsar you can always check into the Pozharsky Royal Suite, with its private terrace looking towards the Kremlin, private dining room, mosaic-lined soak tub, and private sauna.

Four Seasons Moscow

Wining & Dining

In addition to being a place for travellers to rest their heads, the Four Seasons Moscow is also a culinary and entertaining hub for the city’s elite. Make a beeline for the Silk Lounge, just off the marble-lined lobby, where classic Russian dishes and barista coffee are served.

For something a little headier, make for the Moskovsky Bar, home to 30 types of Siberian honey, which are incorporated into classic and contemporary cocktails by one of the city’s best bar teams. Top tipples include the Rowanberry Cosmopolitan, with vodka, local rowanberries, cranberry and Russian berry liqueur; the Tarragon Fizz, with vodka, tarragon from the Far East, lime and dry vermouth; and the inspiring Horseradish Sour, with bourbon, fresh horseradish, Siberian honey and blackcurrant foam.

When summer hits the city, the place to be is the hotel’s sun-kissed Summer Terrace, where aperitifs are served before guests head indoors to Quadrum (below), the hotel’s Italian fine-dining restaurant, where dishes are laced with the likes of saffron, guinea fowl and Caspian caviar. Signatures to look out for include the sautéed clams aglio and olio with grilled bruschetta; Amatriciana-style mezze maniche with fresh tuna; baby piglet glazed with lemon confit and caramelized white chicory; and Yamal deer fillet with chestnuts and red radicchio braised in Barolo wine.

For elegant breakfasts that linger, Bystro is the spot, with iconic Russian fare on offer, while the Amnis Café, set within the hotel’s expansive spa, served fresh juices and healthy snacks poolside.

Four Seasons Moscow

Wellness

The Four Seasons Moscow boasts one of the largest hotel spas in Russia, with 17 sumptuous spa suites, a sun-lit indoor swimming pool, a host of classes on offer for the active, and a menu of indulgent treatments that include 24-carat gold and diamonds. The Banyan Experience by Natura Siberica uses natural products packed with ingredients from Siberia including healing mud, berries and traditional herbs during an authentic Russian bathing experience. Alternatively, while the Royal Four Hands Massage, performed by two therapists, features long, firm strokes that loosen muscles and harmonize mind and spirit.

Four Seasons Moscow

Meetings

The Four Seasons Moscow is one of the city’s most coveted meetings venues and features meeting spaces totalling 1,405sqm and including two ballrooms and five functions rooms. A dedicated meetings team can ensure events of all size go without a hitch and incorporate plenty of local touches.

Four Seasons Moscow, 2 Okhotny Ryad, Moscow, Russian Federation; +7 (499) 277 71 11

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About the Author

Nick Walton

Nick Walton is Group Managing Editor of Artemis Communications, a leading boutique magazine and content solution company and publisher of The Art of Business Travel. A former travel editor of the South China Morning Post, he heads up the group's travel and lifestyle magazines, which include Alpha Men Asia, The Edition, Mirandus, Ikhlas, The Journal and Explorer Magazine.