Hotel Review: Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky – Excellent Location Across Galeria Shopping Mall

Located right smack at Ligovsky Avenue, the Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky is a fantastic midrange option for those who place a high priority in location and convenience. For tourists and business travelers alike, the property is situated close to the intersection of two of St. Petersburg’s major thoroughfares – Ligovsky and Nevsky Prospekt and is just a few minutes walk from Moscow Train Station. Many of the city’s top tourist draws are a mere bus (or metro) ride away.

I checked in at Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky on a rainy afternoon. The baroque exteriors of the building belie the modern creature comforts within. The lobby is of modest size and not particularly flashy. After checking in, I was informed that as an IHG Rewards Club member, I could either have a welcome drink or 400 points. I chose the latter.

I was also informed that I was upgraded to a Deluxe Room, one notch higher than the room I had booked. These rooms are differentiated from the most basic rooms by the classically etched floral patterns on the wall and on the ceiling. Compared to the normal rooms, the deluxe rooms also vary in size due to differing layouts. Mine had a partitioning wall midway between the bed and the door. Other than blocking the view of the bed from the entryway, the wall also had a double purpose as the TV is set here.

While the construction had a distinctive classical look, the furnishings were undoubtedly modern. I particularly loved the semi-enclosed headboard on the bed – perfect for those looking to lean somewhere while reading a book.

For those looking to get some work done, a modern work desk is set at one corner of the room with plenty of power outlets. For those staying in the Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky during the colder months, the heater is conveniently mobile. Mine alternated between the bedroom and the bathroom while temperatures outside dropped to zero degree Celsius.

The minibar at Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky is well-stocked and you will also find complimentary tea bags here. You will get bottles of sparkling and still mineral water when you check-in but housekeeping can always replenish these for free (I was to later find out that this is not always the case in other 4-star hotels in Russia!).

I was pleasantly surprised to find a simple turndown service actually being done here – a first encounter for me in a Crowne Plaza property. This was evidenced by a couple of chocolate bars and a sleep spray placed by my bedside when I returned to the room in the evening with my bed prepared for sleeping. Other than this, the rest of the room is not actively cleaned for a second time in the evenings which is totally fine as Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky does not market itself as a 5-star property.

The bathroom is thoughtfully modern with a glass panel (no tacky curtains!) separating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom. You also get a rain shower here.

Toiletries were of the inhouse brand and I noticed they’re quite similar to the ones used in the Holiday Inn properties in Russia.

Breakfast

The Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky has no club lounge but I thought breakfast over at the restaurant had a number of nice quirks.

During the three days I was there, I noticed that only one or two staff members could speak English and I often saw him really busy attending to guest requests. At the time of my stay, the clientele consisted mostly of tour groups.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of items being served to my table without me asking. Each day, someone would come by to serve me freshly squeezed orange juice or the smoothie of the day.

The buffet spread at Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky is not particularly huge but you do get all the usual breakfast suspects such as sausages – there are two kinds – bacon, tons of pastries including the ubiquitous Russian apple pie and an egg station. There was also a Chinese section with congee and steamed buns – probably to cater to the tour groups.

In the same floor as the restaurant (2^nd), you will also find a modest business center. This consists of two computers and some printing equipment. It was especially helpful for purchasing some last minute tickets to the Hermitage and Yusupov Palace. There are ways to obtain cheaper tickets to the Hermitage when booking online which does not involve going to the English website – the concierge, Anna, gladly assisted me in booking as the website is in Russian. Apart from this, there is also a modest gym at the basement level of the hotel but I did not manage to check it out during my stay at Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky.

Verdict

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky. The hard product is amazing for a Crowne Plaza – the classical interiors add a nice touch to a historical city such as St. Petersburg. Extras such as the unexpected turndown service and availability of freshly-squeezed juices during breakfast seem to suggest that this hotel is above what you would expect from a 4-star property. I truly enjoyed my stay here and this is one of those properties where I could really say I enjoyed coming back to after a long day out in the city. In fact, the location is so convenient that it enabled me to come back several times a day.

Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Ligovsky
Ligovsky Avenue 61
St. Petersburg, Russia 191040

Official Website