This past September I decided to take a quick weekend trip to St. Petersburg. I had gotten a Russian Visa the year before, and was looking to maximize it given the expense and trouble it takes to get a Russian Visa.

When I learned my friend Dian was planning a trip, and cheap tickets were available, it only took a minute to decide “Back to the USSR”.

Unlike my previous trip to Moscow, weather could not have been nicer.  As this was a quick trip, I missed out on the requisite visit to the Hermitage Museum pictured above,  but I was in town long enough to get a feel for the city.

Another change from Moscow was the architecture and scale of the city which was more European and imperial than Soviet.

There are of course some very Russian Buildings including the ornately decorated Church on Spilt Blood.  The site was the location of Tsar Alexander II death, after a grenade and later a bomb.

 

My home during this trip was the W St. Petersburg, which had a fairly central location. I was grateful to be able to use one of our my Starwood Hotel Suite Night upgrades at this hotel.

The suite was nice, but not amazing.  I appreciated the extra space.  You need to stay 50 nights at starwood hotels in order to get the Suite Night Awards.  Because they are so hard to use, I’ve decided not to make a huge effort to earn them in the future,

 

 

As with most W Hotels,  the hotel had a fairly amazing bar.  This one was rooftop and I was able to enjoy a fairly nice sunset along with a great view of the adjacent cathedral.

 

I enjoyed my time in what is now my favorite city in Russia.  I plan to come back most likely in the summertime when the weather is just perfect,  maybe I’ll actually make it to the Hermitage museum next time.

 

-TK