Hotel "Universitetskaya" — Hotel in Ramenki District

What's to say? The Hotel Universitetskaya is a former Moscow State University guesthouse that is now run by the Orthodox Church and used mainly to house pilgrimage groups, with the odd visiting professor staying there as well. So it is what you would expect. It is warm and clean, with no mold, no insects, and basically no problems. But no one speaks any English at all, the bed is old and lumpy, and the staff are unenthusiastic. Breakfast is terrible; don't get up for it.||||On the bright side, out room was recently (if cheaply) renovated and the bathroom was very nice, and really we had no problems.||||The hotel is located at Indira Gandhi Square, which isn't so much a square as a huge traffic intersection. It is currently (late 2016) a big construction site for a new metro line. Once the metro opens this will be a prime location with convenient metro service to the center of Moscow. Right now you have to take a bus (or a 25-minute walk) to the metro. Once you learn the route it's very convenient; we never had to wait more than five minutes for a bus. The main bus is the 34 trolley-bus, but there are also several minibusses that are actually faster.||||For food, there are a Dixie supermarkets across the street both ways from the hotel; look for the big orange Cyrillic "D" symbol. For a fancy supermarket exit the hotel and turn right. A few blocks south on the same side of the street is a comprehensive gourmet supermarket with imported foods, etc. There is also a fancy delicatessen with fresh-baked breaks just beyond the supermarket. There are a few quality-looking restaurants there as well.||||There are three restaurants at the hotel itself: a steakhouse, a seafood house, and a general restaurant. The general restaurant was fine for basic Russian food. We didn't try the others.||||So if the university has put you up at the Hotel Universitetskaya, don't dismay. But do make sure you have access to someone who speaks Russian in case you need any help from...

What's to say? The Hotel Universitetskaya is a former Moscow State University guesthouse that is now run by the Orthodox Church and used mainly to house pilgrimage groups, with the odd visiting professor staying there as well. So it is what you would expect. It is warm and clean, with no mold, no insects, and basically no problems. But no one speaks any English at all, the bed is old and lumpy, and the staff are unenthusiastic. Breakfast is terrible; don't get up for it.||||On the bright side, out room was recently (if cheaply) renovated and the bathroom was very nice, and really we had no problems.||||The hotel is located at Indira Gandhi Square, which isn't so much a square as a huge traffic intersection. It is currently (late 2016) a big construction site for a new metro line. Once the metro opens this will be a prime location with convenient metro service to the center of Moscow. Right now you have to take a bus (or a 25-minute walk) to the metro. Once you learn the route it's very convenient; we never had to wait more than five minutes for a bus. The main bus is the 34 trolley-bus, but there are also several minibusses that are actually faster.||||For food, there are a Dixie supermarkets across the street both ways from the hotel; look for the big orange Cyrillic "D" symbol. For a fancy supermarket exit the hotel and turn right. A few blocks south on the same side of the street is a comprehensive gourmet supermarket with imported foods, etc. There is also a fancy delicatessen with fresh-baked breaks just beyond the supermarket. There are a few quality-looking restaurants there as well.||||There are three restaurants at the hotel itself: a steakhouse, a seafood house, and a general restaurant. The general restaurant was fine for basic Russian food. We didn't try the others.||||So if the university has put you up at the Hotel Universitetskaya, don't dismay. But do make sure you have access to someone who speaks Russian in case you need any help from...

This is an old Soviet hotel close to the university. It has been upgraded to a point. The bathrooms are far better than during the Soviet days, but the rooms are the same size and the furnishings are very basic. I was in a room with two twin beds with memory foam mattresses. Everything was very clean. The breakfast is pretty good, especially if you like Russian staples such as blinchiki and zapekanka. I stayed on a floor that has had key cards installed; on some of the other floors they're still using keys. There is a relatively new subway stop right by the hotel and a lot of buses in all directions. Banks with ATM machines are across the street and there are a few restaurants nearby. Although it's far from a five-star place, you can't...