Herzen House Hotel

Herzen House Hotel, a cozy home away from home in the heart of St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg has hundreds of hotels to choose from, but some stand above others in terms of value, comfort, and amenities. For travelers who seek a combination of comfort and affordability, we recommend staying in “mini-hotels.” The Herzen House Hotel is one of our favorite mini-hotels in St. Petersburg.

Herzen House offers two types of rooms - Standard and Superior. You may find Standard room a bit too small, but Superior rooms are modern and spacious. Rooms have everything you may need for a comfortable stay, including king size beds, crisp white sheets, up to date furniture, lofty ceilings, and a shower cabin in the bathroom. The Herzen’s attention to detail extends so far as to leaves complimentary postcards on the office table, a chocolate bar on the night stand, and cold juices in the fridge.

The Hotel

A mini hotel is less like a regular hotel and more like a lower Manhattan apartment, complete with a concierge and room service. They usually provide services more attuned to a regular hotel, such as morning newspapers, city maps, WiFi, and a free breakfast. The Herzen House offers all of these but goes far beyond the call of duty. If, for instance, you check out before the 8-10AM breakfast, the staff will arrange a special breakfast-to-go; or if you would like to sleep in, they can arrange a late breakfast as well.  The reception desk allows you use of a scanner and printer. There is also a bank on the first floor of the hotel and an ATM machine that dispenses Russian rubles or US dollars, so you don't have to worry about exchanging money. One of the most exciting aspects of this mini hotel is their Russian tea party for guests, hosted every Wednesday during Summers.

The Neighborhood

The Herzen House’s neighborhood is perfectly central. When I step out of the hotel, Palace Square is two blocks to my left and St. Isaak's Cathedral is two blocks to my right. St. Petersburg's busiest street, Nevsky Prospect, is one block way, which provides the right amount of barrier to deaden the noise from traffic.

This part of town also has the best selection of restaurants. Just around the corner is a succulent home style Georgian restaurant called Ne Goruyi (price range from 15 to 30 USD with real Georgian wine smuggled into Russia). Other restaurants I would highly recommend are Oliva (Bolshya Morskaya 31. Tel. 314-65-63) which offers Greek cuisine and Teplo (Bolshaya Morkskaya 45. Tel. 570-19-74) which serves traditional Russian food. Teplo is quite popular among the locals and foreigners, so booking in advance is a safe idea. Be sure to ask the staff of the Herzen for their special restaurant discount programs. If you are more in the mood for a quick bite, there is a Russian pancake place called Teremok where you will find blini with caviar and other great things (price range 5 to 10 USD). And, in case if you want something more familiar, there is a McDonald's right next door.