Sharf Hotel

The Sharf Hotel is a good value for staying near the city center of St. Petersburg, Russia. The hotel is clean and modern with great internet connection. Our one bedroom apartment was very spacious, with large living area with a couch, table and chairs, and a well-stocked kitchen, complete with refrigerator, stove top, dishwasher, and microwave. Dishes, glassware and cookware were provided. The bathroom was modern, with a washing machine and state-of-the-art shower. The bed in the separate bedroom was a little too hard for us, so the hotel provided a mattress pad when we asked. Staff at the hotel was very helpful and concerned about our comfort. They visited our room to help us with the safe and the TV. Marina answered all our questions about the hotel and the city. She helped translate when the receptionist did not fully understand our English. The hotel is in a quiet neighborhood, away from the busy city center, but close enough to walk to the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Neva River in 20 minutes. A convenient metro stop is a short 5 minute walk. This metro connects to various sites in the city. Sharf Hotel was responsive to our emails before our visit, as we had a few questions. They conveniently emailed us (for a reasonable fee) the required "Letter of Invitation" stamped voucher that we needed to apply for our Russia visas. When we arrived, they gave us (for another reasonable fee) the correct stamped documents that we needed to possess during our stay in St. Petersburg. It was a little hard for our taxi driver to find the hotel door as there was no hotel sign, but when we rang the bell at the unmarked door at the hotel's address, they unlocked the door for us. The reception is staffed 24 hours a day, which was convenient when we stayed out late viewing the night lights and bridges of this beautiful city. All in all, we had a fantastic experience visiting St. Petersburg, in part because we stayed at the Sharf Hotel. I would highly recommend it!