Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow

Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow occupies the Hotel Ukraina, one of the seven Stalinist high-rises that define the Moscow skyline. It stands on Kutuzovsky Prospekt at a bend of the Moskva River, opposite the White House where the Russian government sits. This luxury hotel in Moscow is a listed building, and its scale is still unusual: a central tower of 34 floors, topped by a spire and a star, rising to 206 metres above the embankment.

History

Construction began in 1953, the year of Stalin's death, to designs by Arkady Mordvinov and Vyacheslav Oltarzhevsky. The hotel opened in May 1957 under the name Ukraina, and for nearly two decades it was the tallest hotel in the world. Through the Soviet period it received official delegations and foreign visitors, and its position across the river from the seat of government gave it a role in the political life of the capital.

The building closed in 2007 for a complete reconstruction. Private investors rebuilt the interiors behind the protected facade, and the hotel reopened in April 2010 as the Radisson Royal Hotel, Moscow. In 2018 it took the name Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow, the group's flagship label.

Architecture and design

The plan follows the Stalinist model: a central tower flanked by lower wings, a stepped silhouette, and a spire that carries the overall height past 200 metres. The facade is stone, with sculptural groups and decorative urns at the setbacks. Inside, the ceilings of the public rooms are painted, the chandeliers are original in style, and the lobby displays a diorama of central Moscow built in 1977 for a Soviet exhibition in the United States, which gives a detailed view of the city as it was at that date.

The hotel holds a collection of around 1,200 paintings by Soviet artists, hung through the corridors and public spaces. It is one of the largest private collections of Socialist Realist art shown in a hotel anywhere.

Rooms and suites

The hotel has close to 500 rooms and suites spread through the tower and its wings. The higher floors look over the river to the Moscow-City skyscrapers, the Arbat and the government buildings, and the suites in the upper tower take in the whole western half of the city. Room interiors are classical in character rather than Soviet in style, with wood panelling and marble bathrooms.

Dining

The building contains several restaurants and bars, and the hotel operates a flotilla of river yachts from the pier at its foot. The yachts are ice-class vessels and sail year-round, so a dinner cruise on the Moskva River past the Kremlin is possible in winter as well as summer.

Wellness

The spa and fitness centre includes a 50-metre swimming pool, a rare length for a city hotel, along with saunas and treatment rooms.

Weddings and events

The hotel has a conference centre with ten meeting rooms and reception spaces, and the largest can take about 300 guests. Weddings are held in the ballroom and reception rooms, and the river yachts are used for wedding parties and corporate dinners on the water.

Location

The hotel stands at the western end of Novy Arbat, where Kutuzovsky Prospekt crosses the Moskva River. Kiyevskaya metro station and Kiyevsky railway terminal are across the bridge, the Arbat is a short walk, and the Moscow-City business district is visible downriver. Allow about 45 minutes by car, depending on traffic, to reach either Sheremetyevo or Vnukovo airport.