Nihao

This hotel is not a 4-star. I'd rate it a 2-star. It needs renovation; the door lock is broken, the bathroom ceiling is crumbling, and the furniture shows significant signs of wear and tear. The breakfast is a budget option – cold rice and very few dishes. The juice only looks like orange juice but doesn't taste like it. There are no dental kits or slippers in the room, and bottled water is only provided for one day. The staff is unfriendly. It's a disgrace for a Chinese hotel to show such quality in Russia.

Great location, with the metro, bus, and tram stops all nearby. The hotel is clean, and the room has everything you need. The breakfasts are excellent. The staff are polite and helpful.

The room was a bit dim, which was fine considering the weather. However, the single bed was either too close to the cold, damp wall or you'd roll right off it with every turn. The bathroom was very soundproof, which was great for our group of three as we had no privacy issues there. Only shampoo, shower gel, and some soap were provided. It certainly can't compare to mid-range hotels in China like 'Ni Hao Hotel' – no dental kit, but there were tooth brushing cups. The location was decent. If you have a busy day of sightseeing planned, the metro is a bit far. However, it makes up for it with peace and quiet. St. Petersburg is just too noisy and crowded, oh my goodness! The bus stop wasn't too far, and there's a well-stocked Dixy supermarket (or whatever it's called) right downstairs, where everything was cheaper than in Moscow. The hotel's cleanliness was acceptable; there was no obvious dirt, smell, or clutter. A pack of tissues was provided, which was nice. The fridge worked, but it made a lot of noise at night if you put things in it. Still, it's convenient if you have an early start the next day and want to buy things in advance and store them overnight. My tip for those visiting St. Petersburg in the summer: set aside a full day to enjoy the sea breeze at Peterhof (Summer Palace) and watch the seagulls. It's very relaxing. Attached are a few photos: the metro, the hotel's surroundings, and the seaside.

Avoid this place! When traveling in Russia for more than five days, you need a residence registration. Hotels in St. Petersburg usually provide this for free or charge around 500 rubles per person. My previous hotel in Sochi provided it for free. So, when I arrived here, I just asked the staff to update my residential address in the system. The front desk told me they could only issue a new registration and asked me to come back the next day. The next day, they informed me it would cost 2000 rubles per person. This blatant price gouging is reason enough to steer clear! For a family room with three people, that's an extra 6000 rubles for doing nothing – that's enough to pay for a night at another hotel. For groups, especially independent travelers, it's best to avoid this hotel!

This hotel is trash, and Trip.com is just as bad. All flights were canceled due to airport restrictions, so I couldn't even get there. Yet, the hotel refused to cancel my booking. This is the first time I've encountered such an outrageous, exploitative policy.

Although it's a bit far from the city center, it's very close to Smolny Cathedral and not noisy. The bed is huge. It's a Chinese-owned hotel, so there are usually many Chinese tour groups, but it offers great value for money.

It was okay. Booking through Trip.com made it easy.

The visa on arrival service was just so-so.

Clean, comfortable, and affordable.