As is often the case, my opinion is formed by the people I first encounter. In this case, my first encounter was by phone from the airport with Maria, who works on the reception desk; my hotel driver was not there yet and I was exhausted after 15 hours of travel, but Maria intervened competently and efficiently and my driver was there quickly. (FYI, a couple of the notorious Moscow taxi drivers helped me get in touch with her, loaning their phone because mine was not working.) She will never know how much I appreciate her help at that moment. Maria would prove to be a real ally during my stay; she has good language skills, is friendly and professional and knows her city well. Kseniya was also very helpful, but I did not see as much of her ... The hotel was clean, the room was of decent size and the complimentary breakfast was an adequate way to start the day. But the two big positives are the staff (mentioned above) and the location. The hotel was a mere 15-minute walk from the Tretyakov Gallery, unquestionably the greatest collection of Russian art anywhere. The biggest attraction, the Kremlin/Red Square is very close. Walk out the front door of the hotel, turn right and in 20 minutes you're there, the last 10 minutes of the walk with the domes and red walls right there for you to behold.