Though I’m not sure it was meant as a marketing tactic per say, the hotel’s slogan is what sold us on staying there…”Hotel Ural, opening to guest our heart.” How could we NOT stay there!?!
From the train station we grabbed a cab and got completely ripped off! Our driver demanded 1000 Rubles (over $30 USD) for a 10 minute ride across town. Its a hazard of being a foreign traveler and not knowing the language enough to effectively protest. It left me feeling used, cheated and downright angry.
So we stomped into the hotel frustrated and on edge. And then, suddenly, our anger melted away as we gazed around the beautifully modern lobby of Hotel Ural. It was by far the most modern facility we’d seen in Russia so far. Everything was shiny and new and the staff even spoke English!
We were on cloud 9…until we got to the 4th floor.
Apparently the renovations started and ended with the lobby because ours was a dark, claustrophobic floor and our room a stark throw-back to Soviet-Era minimalism. But hey, we were in Central Russia so the room actually held a certain amount of charm.
Even though it was musty, the beds rock-hard, the TV and mini-fridge inoperable, the drapes moth eaten and the floors creaky as hell, the room was a novelty.
In the bathroom, a long faucet swiveled to be used both with the sink and the tub/sitting shower.
Each morning there was an impressive buffet breakfast in the basement that had Russian, Western and Eastern options – crepes, made-to-order omelets, miso soup, rice, sausages, cabbage salad. After eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning for two weeks straight, we were overwhelmed by so many options.
After one night at Hotel Ural, we felt at home. We forgot about the egregious abuses of our cab driver and looked forward to exploring Perm.
