In a world full of hospitality players, and where everywhere can feel like the same place, it is not easy to find differentiation. In fact “unique” is more often than not simply a buzz word. Unless you are a sure fired adventurer at heart, “comfort” and “unique” have become mutually exclusive terms. Olga Malik, my colleague in a new venture called “Our Russia” magazine, she had just such a temporary respite on a business trip to St. Petersburg last week. As it turns out, a stay at the Angleterre Hotel ended up in a full scale interview and suggestive story. This is what you are about to read.
Whether you travel for business or purely for leisure, it’s a safe bet you are looking for something positively new, something that at least offers a temporary fantasy come true. Chances are that “special” story you are hunting for does not involve yet another Starbucks coffee shop or FRIDAY'S as main attractions of a hotel stay. This was not necessarily the case when Olga Malik headed to St. Petersburg to interview a Russian ballet legend, Artist of Russia, Nikolay Tsiskaridze (see slideshow image above).
Given my own expertise at covering hotel accommodations, I purposely researched luxury business accommodations on the chance Mr. Tsiskaridze might go on camera via RT at the hotel. A short search revealed my personal short list of a few close to the city center. Olga and I finally settled on the Angleterre Hotel (St. Pretersburg), owing to the hotel’s reputation online, and to the fact I had experience with a partner of the hotel, WorldHotels Group. As it turned out the interview took place at the Vaganova Academy, but the stay and the hotel’s story are worth telling alongside here.
