Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow

This was our first trip to Russia. Having grown up surrounded by the ever present fear of the Cold War, Mr d2t was somewhat apprehensive about visiting the country, especially at a time of heightened tension following the annexation of Crimea. However, he soon warmed to the friendly people and interesting city. Our trip started badly as our Blacklane driver didn't turn up at the airport. However, a quick call to the hotel provided instructions for the airport train and the promise of a driver to meet us at Paveletsky train station. On arrival at the hotel after a slow journey through Moscow's rush hour, we were relieved to finally arrive and were greeted by smiling staff in the beautiful Atrium. 

Check-in was rapid and friendly, and we were escorted to our stunning Park Suite (we had used a diamond confirmed suite upgrade certificate). We both were distracted by the view of the atrium from the 6th floor where our room was, down to the lobby and up to the pretty Conservatory bar and restaurant. After we had freshened up, we had a brief tour of the hotel, where we were amazed by the beautiful Armenian chapel (feel free to light a candle when you visit) and delighted by the tales of the ice-bar set up at New Year on the rooftop terrace, complete with views of the Kremlin. Although this is a business hotel, there is plenty to wow the leisure traveller.

Dining

Dining was a real treat at the Ararat Moscow. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to try the Armenian restaurant on the ground floor (that will have to be next time) but we learnt that fresh ingredients are shipped in from Yerevan Armenia twice a week. 

Breakfast each morning was a real joy. For Mr d2t, a choice of gluten-free bread allowed an unexpected treat of toast with preserves. Omelettes were perhaps slightly overcooked, but the smoked fish were delicious. Our problem was that there was too much choice for our appetites! On Sunday, we decided to try the infamous champagne brunch and wow, what a spread. From fresh oysters to a live station with freshly carved duck, to a vast array of salads and the ubiquitous chocolate fountain, there was something for everyone and we would definitely recommend this. 

We were lucky enough to be provided with a voucher by the hotel to try their Conservatory restaurant one night and delighted to be greeted by a couple of glasses of complimentary champagne to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As we were planning our next trip to Tokyo, we decided to eat Japanese and ordered miso soup, a couple of salads and a selection of sushi and sashimi. Our dinner was fantastic - the food was almost as good as in Kyoto, the view of central Moscow was atmospheric and the service was extremely good. If you stay here, you can't miss an evening in the Conservatory.

Park Suite

From the moment we entered the suite, we could tell this was a Tony Chi design. Mirrors everywhere enhanced the feeling of space (at 70-90 square metres, the Park Suites are plenty big enough but not as large as those in Shanghai or Tokyo for example).

Down the entry-hall, past the secret wardrobe and the guest entrance to the cloakroom (complete with Toto washlet) was a large lounge with desk area, sofa, table (watch you toes if you are getting to the sofa) and generous fruit bowl, refreshed daily. A bonus suite amenity was a bottle of decent wine, which we enjoyed over a couple of days whilst sitting in the cosy bath. The always-comfortable Park Hyatt bed was a very welcome place to relax and from our bedroom, we had a side view of the Kremlin - it is somewhat surreal to see such a darkly iconic building practically from the bed!

The bathroom was great - plentiful Blaise Mautin toiletries, a large walk-in shower (though strangely no door so the floor got pretty wet) and twin washstands.

Leisure

In our opinion, not enough is made of the leisure facilities at the hotel. If you look on the hotel website, there is a little information, so we were unprepared for how good the spa was. In fact, it was only on our last day, around 20 minutes before leaving that we discovered a corridor with an amazing Roman Bath on it. The gym is well equipped, although unfortunately it isn't possible to borrow gym wear, as the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong allows. A small but functional pool (with swim trainer jets at one end) is long enough for fitness and for those seeking to relax, there is a jacuzzi and juice bar at one end. A sauna and experience shower is pool side and a steam room and that Roman Bath on a separate corridor. 

We treated ourselves to a massage and use of the couple's VIP room (this is very fairly priced at least at the late 2014 exchange rate) although no mention of it is on the website. Mr d2t had an aromatherapy massage and Mrs d2t tried the soap massage, which consisted of body exfoliation, cleansing massage and moisturising carried out on a heated marble bed. Both were heavenly and some of the best treatments we have experienced anywhere. The VIP room provided a lounge area, sauna and plunge pool - we were surprised that the plunge pool was full of freezing cold water for the contrast to the sauna - Mrs d2t had unfortunately been expecting a hot tub, so was somewhat disappointed. The green mint tea provided was presented nicely, although we would have preferred some fresh and dried fruit to the biscuits provided (naturally we couldn't eat these).

Overall Impression

We loved our stay at the Park Hyatt Moscow and strongly recommend visiting. For travellers in Europe, British Airways provides a good option with flights operated by a B747 (complete with long-haul first class) and the reward flight saver available if using Avios (our flights cost just £55 each in first class). For transport from the airport, we would recommend booking either a hotel car or using the airport train. Note that the Metro in Moscow displays signs in Cyrillic only and is pretty confusing to use, so from the train station, we would either recommend pre-booking a taxi or perhaps asking Paul from Moscow360 to meet you there, escort you to your hotel and show you the sights.

Throughout our stay, staff were uniformly friendly and professional, from the waitress at breakfast right up to the GM Mr Ansell. Fluent English was spoken by all we encountered apart from a couple of the spa staff, so don't worry about trying to master Russian. With a fantastic spa, wonderful dining facilities and beautiful rooms, the Ararat Park Hyatt is unexpectedly a great business hotel. However, it is also the perfect leisure hotel for a long weekend - its location bang in the centre of the city, within a few minutes walk of the famous department stores Gum and Tsum and overlooking the historical sites of St Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin is perfect. If only the Russian visa wasn't such a pain to get hold of, we would be back like a shot. As it is, we will have to keep fingers crossed that the much discussed 72-hour visa free travel policy comes into effect soon or look into a multi-entry visa.