New 5-star hotel opens in Saint-Petersburg

The Emeraldgrand hotel has 93 rooms including 59 standard rooms, business-class rooms and presidential and royal suites. The hotel also features the latest security cameras, central air conditioning, electronic safes, mini-bar with non-alcoholic beverages and also the most progressive systems of interactive and satellite television. In addition, each room is equipped with Internet access.

The hotel's facilities include atrium cafe, fitness center, spa, business center, conference hall and much more. In the near future, a casino will open as well as Russian and Turkish baths. 'The hotel has already been accommodating guests since the beginning of October, but could only have the official opening today after a testing period ended,' said Marketing Director Sergei Yablonsky. He also said that the hotel is targeting individual tourists, businesspeople, and corporate clients. 'We won't take anymore large tourist groups because we believe the other hotels in the city are colleagues rather than competitors,' said Yablonsky.

The planning and design of the hotel began in 1999. Construction began in 2000. Financing for the hotel came from Russian and foreign investors, including a German Bank. Approximately USD 20 million was invested in the hotel. It is expected that the project will pay for itself within ten years. The hotel is also the first hotel in Saint Petersburg to join the Summit Hotels & Resorts, which owns 145 hotels worldwide.

News source: www.rosbaltnews.com