Liteyny Hotel

The room was not as nice as shown in the pictures, but pleasant enough. Having the bedroom on the half floor above the rest of the room was cosy. The staff are mainly friendly and helpful.

The building itself is grim: the lift fits only two people and is in dire need of renovation. Outside the fourth floor entrance, a group of five or six young people, presumably residents of the building, were frequently smoking in the stairwell - giving guests a choice of the rickety lift or a cloud of cigarette smoke to get in and out. Entry, both at street level and on the fourth floor, was by buzzer to reception. Despite assurances that reception is staffed 24/7, we were left waiting outside a number of times - once long enough for a queue of other returning guests to develop at the door (perhaps while the person on duty at the reception desk was smoking a cigarette or washing sheets). Buffet breakfast was mediocre (no fruit) and without enough tables and seats for guests to eat at once.