i have been in St. Petersburg a number of times for business. It is a great city with a paucity of great hotels. The Grand Europa is great though a bit snooty. It is well situated in the city and an easy walk to the Hermitage, Church of the Spilled Blood, the canals and the good restaurants along the main boulevards. The rooms in general are small. The internet situation as of 9/07 was not great. You could get wireless but the pricing structure was more expensive than any other hotel i have stayed in. The staff is friendly and the ambiance is rich and luxurious and the room amenties are comfortable and wonderful. There are only two really good hotels to stay in St. Petersburg and the Grand Europa is one of them.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe for 5 nights over New Year, the hotel is very grand and traditional, there's a great sweeping staircase taking you up to the first floor. We stayed in an historic room on the first floor, although the room was not up to the five star standards of other 5* hotels we have stayed at before it was still very nice. We had our own butler who looked after everything for us. We celebrated New Year in the hotel at their New Year Gala dinner which was fantastic and a truly memorable experience.

The location is perfect, all the main attractions are within a short walking distance. I would definitely stay here again on our next visit to St Petersburg. It is quite pricey but definitely worth it.

Grand Hotel Europe is, from my perspective, one of the best hotel in the world. Decor is fanstastic, room are comfortable, staff is devoted, breakfeast is fabulous and, the location is perfect.

It is an expensive hotel but, if you are off season, it became a « must ».

On a different note, in my last stay, I have hired a private guide. Her name is Anna from St Petersburg Guide (http://www.petersburgguide.com ). This was probably the best decision I had ever made. Anna is a professional guide and, beleive me, if you wish to maximize the value of your stay in SPB, Anna will exceed your expectation.

Stayed at the Grand Hotel Europe in December, 2004 and it is very grand for Russia.

It has the best location for tourists of all the hotels in St. Petersburg.

Hotel room was clean and well kept daily by the housekeeping staff.

Gym was adequate for my stay. No pool but a small jacuzzi which I did not use.

The staff was good but nto great. Many times I sat arond in the lobby bar waiting for service. Service in the resturants was much better.