Since the beginning of 2017, foreign investment has been increasing in St. Petersburg, one of Russia’s most beautiful and storied cities. Situated right beside the Baltic Sea, the city is not only the fourth largest city in Europe but also the northernmost city with more than one million inhabitants.
In the first quarter of this year, the inflow of direct foreign investment into the Russian economy amounted to seven billion dollars. This is notable not just for hotel owners and operators in Russia, but for stakeholders across the globe as well. Both Moscow and St. Petersburg, at their best, can prove to be a robust market for tourism and hospitality.
With that in mind, let us focus on some interesting projects that are currently under way in the Russia second largest city:
Holiday Inn St. Petersburg – Proletarskaya
The Holiday Inn will be part of Expoforum International, the latest and most modern convention center in St. Petersburg upon completion in the second quarter of 2018. One of the property’s top assets is its location, just fifteen minutes from Nevsky Prospekt in the city center, away. The 414 rooms, among them 14 suites, will also welcome guests who are attending events at the convention center, as well as business guests with affairs to attend to in the nearby business parks. The property will also feature extensive meeting facilities, including a conference center and a sizeable congress hall with a 1,000-seat capacity. The hotel will, of course, also feature its brands signature Open Lobby, with a 24-hour restaurant and bar. Industry experts will remember that it was this Open Lobby that transformed traditional lobby spaces by combing the front desk, lobby, restaurant, bar, lounge area and business center into a single cohesive space with a refreshing design and contemporary feel. The influence of this is still felt today throughout the industry.
Hilton St. Petersburg Expoforum
Technically this hotel is a recent opening, rather than a current member of the St. Petersburg construction pipeline. However, it’s so young that it bears inclusion in our list. Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a management agreement with Expoforum JSC for a dual-branded project that features a Hilton and a Hampton by Hilton Hotel, both of which are now located at the Expoforum. In addition to 235 rooms, this property features 21 suites, as well as a specialty restaurant, lobby bar, and event space totaling 1,600-sqare meters, plus a business center and health club with an indoor pool.
aloft St. Petersburg
There is likely no hotel brand on the planet that is as prevalent and hip as aloft, which is making major gains on a seemingly daily basis. This new location, which will be in the northern part of the city overlooking the Neva River, is currently in the planning process, with a projected opening in 2018. Once finished, this property will offer atmospheric public spaces for guests to mix and mingle, read the paper, work on laptops, play pool, or share a drink with friends at the lounge or bar. In addition, all loft-like guest rooms will boast high ceilings, oversized windows and an ultra-comfortable platform bed, plus large walk-in showers.
Source: Top hotel projects
