Great Location

Spent 2 nights at this hotel. Location is fantastic - central to the city, most restaurants are only a short walk or trolley ride away.

The room was very comfortable; there is a turn down service in the evening, a multitude of english-language TV channels to choose from and the bathroom was spotless and well appointed.

Buffet breakfast was crowded, however the staff are extremely friendly, and there is a huge buffet selection of food to choose from - well recommended.

The hotel is quite pricey, however most tend to be in Russia for foreigners.

As a final note, I organised visa confirmation through the hotel, and they were very prompt and easy to deal with.

Loved Radisson Royal

I read some of the reviews of this hotel on trip advisor, and didn't know what to expect, but couldn't

pass on the perfect location. And thanks god, I stayed here. The hotel is absolutely wonderful,

great security, great staff, charming atmosphere.

Beutifully appointed (a little small) rooms with

everything you might need. Staff couldn't have

been more helpful and curteous. I had a great time

at this lovely hotel!!!

Great Hotel & Staff

We have just come back from 3 nights in St Petersburg - at the Radisson SAS. We had a lovely time. The hotel was lovely, as were the staff. The porter who took our luggage to our room gave us suggestions of things to do along with a map and booklet. The room was great, everything you could want (bathrobes, slippers, mini bar - beds are turned back in the evening - really nice little touches). The breakfasts were good. We used Concierge for booking trips (city tour, trip to Tsarkoe Selo & Pavlosk, Marlinsky Theatre and dinner reservation along with car). They lady we dealt with was friendly and efficient. Thoroughly recomnend the trips, though they were a little pricy. The bar food was good as was the service (you have to try the hot chocolate!). It was probably one of the quietest hotels I have stayed in at night. There was no door banging - or anything like that (and the hotel seemed busy at breakfast). Our room faced the main road and even the traffic didn't keep me awake. I had my doubts about this hotel after reading previous reviews, but it was excellent. We would definitely go back and would recommend it to people.

Fears squashed flat

First trip to st Petersburg I had heard bad stories about indifferent hotel staff poor food and service etc. The SAS RADISSON was as described a very good Hotel attentive staff who really do try to please breakfast buffet of the best that I have experienced Top Hotel with no down side for me.

Not worth it

This hotel was a big disappointment. My wife and I spent six days at the National hotel in Moscow and loved it. We took the Red Arrow overnight train to St. Petersburg and stayed at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel and felt a big let down. This hotel was consistently rated among the top three in St. Petersburg, in the company of the Grand Hotel Europe and the Hotel Astoria. We read about how beautiful and old it was. The cost was much more than the wonderful National in Moscow and we were looking forward to reaching our room after a cramped night on the train to relax.

The hotel is beautiful on the outside only. Boring on the inside. Plain rooms with a mediocre bed and fabric and furniture that were just functional, far from luxurious. I would compare the room to that of a mid-level hotel in the US, the kind that host a lot of corporate meetings and conferences. Everything was adequate, but noting was noteworthy.

We visited the bars and restaurants at the Astoria and Grand Europe this hotel isn't in the same league. Those are true Luxury hotels and the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel is not.

The only thing I can really rave about is the concierge. They were extreemly helpful with directions and advice as well as making reservations and bookings. We checked in with them each day on our way out to town and they really contributed to the quality of our trip.

Over Priced

While the Hotel itself is well kept and centrally located, it is way too expensive when comparred to like hotels in the United States.

Security is everywhere which makes you wonder how safe the City really is. The first evening in St. Petersburg, my friend and I were stopped by the Special Police as they were checking for drugs. Of course, they found none since we don't do drugs, but they took over a thousand dollars from my pockets and I was not aware until they had left us.

We had a junior suite which ran over $425 dollars a night, it was not worth the expense.

Agree with previous positive ratings

I stayed at this hotel over a weekend, as a break during a two week business trip to Russia, and I was very pleased. Service is good, and although I too had the problem of a faulty radiator (similar to one of the previous reviewers), it was fixed within the hour. The hotel's location is really good, on Newsky prospect, if you're into shopping and eating out. It's a bit of a walk to the Hermitage and St. Isaac's cathedral, but I've always enjoyed it.

Food is very important for me, so one of the outstanding features of the Radisson is its breakfeast: Very varied, with lots of fresh fruit, smoked salmon, champagne and a cook to make your omelets or scrambled eggs.

I had a corporate rate of around 175$ w/o breakfeast, but I saw that you can get a similar rate through various websites. This price is in line with what I have experienced in Russia for western-style hotels (and believe me, you WANT that level of service).

All in all, I can thoroughly recommend this hotel.

Some Room For Improvement

I stayed at the Radisson SAS over a long weekend in October 2004 and found that, in general, the staff were very helpful and the hotel well-appointed. The location, on Nevsky Prospect, is ideal and if you are happy to plunge onto the metro or buses/trolleybuses, nothing is too far away. Don't rely on the hotel car service: we were told that a 3-hour minimum notice period was required. A few quibbles: the internet port in the room did not work, and was not fixed despite several calls; the radiator by the bed leaked water to which the hotel's response was to turn off the radiator despite the weather being very cold (we were offered a portable heater); the room key reader in the lift (for security) was faulty and resulted in delays in us getting up to our room every time we entered the hotel; we went down to breakfast to be told that the restaurant was 'full'. These are minor points but the hotel does have four stars and is certainly charging four star western prices.

Worth every kopek

After reading frightening reviews of some St Petersburg hotels, I chanced on a deal for the Radisson on Expedia, bringing the regular rate of around €290/night to about €190. This was more expensive than we had planned but turned out to be well worth it. The Radisson is very well appointed and has a large compliment of very helpful, friendly and efficient staff. In terms of facilities and service I would regard the Radisson St Petersburg as better than any of the group's hotels I have used in Western Europe. The in-house ATM was very handy and the breasfast sumputuous. The location on Nevsky could not be better. There are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance and many other sights such as the Hermitage and Smolny Convent can easily be reached by frequent buses. Where regular transport fails, the Radisson can help. We arrived from Tallin with no roubles and unable to find a taxi, bank, ATM or bureau de change at Baltisky station. A quick phone call to the Radisson summoned a sleek Saab!

The Radisson is a pleasant retreat from the fascinating but sometimes baffling city outside the door. Look for a special offer and enjoy your stay!

Please in St. Petersburg

My wife and I stayed at the SAS Radisson in March of 2004 while visiting St. Petersburg for vacation. I was very pleased with the hotel staff, facilities and service. The location on the Nevsky Prospekt was good but it was some distance (20 minute walk) from the Hermitage and other St. Petersburg sites. This was the only negative from our visit.

The staff was very helpful in setting up our agenda, arranging tours, and making sure that everything was right. The prices for the tours and the service provided was excellent. In addition the rooms were clean, well kept, and large.

I would highly recommend this hotel if you are visiting St. Petersburg.