Dostoyevsky Hotel

Description:

• The Dostoyevsky Hotel feels worlds away from its namesake's haunted, mildewed, 19th-century St. Petersburg, instead occupying a spotless modern building atop one of the city's toniest shopping malls. The name refers to the surrounding neighborhood, where Dostoyevsky lived the last years of his life and wrote The Brothers Karamazov. The hotel, meanwhile, is aimed squarely at the 21st-century middle-class consumer. The soft lighting of the rooms feels cozy and inviting and takes the edge off the gleaming exterior of the building. Downstairs, the Vladimirsky Passage hosts nearly 200 shops, from designer boutiques to souvenir stands. If the shopping bustle is overwhelming, ask for a courtyard-facing room on a higher floor for some peace. Breakfast and taxes are included.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010