I have never stayed on the 43rd floor. It determined the choice of the hostel for my March business trip to Moscow. Before that, I stayed in the historical centre, so the hostel in the Moscow International Business Centre is unique. It turns out that it is possible to stay in the Empire Tower in the business heart of the capital at an affordable price.
Upon arrival, you should present your passport and obtain a security pass in the lobby of the tower. Only after that you can get to the high-speed elevator and ascend.
ICON has given a second life to dozens of old suitcases in the design of the hostel. As in many other hostels, it is customary to leave your shoes at the entrance. Disposable slippers are free.
The hostel in Moscow City has to be more expensive than others. A bed in a female dormitory room costs 1,500 rubbles. I have never paid that much money for any hostel. But the views from the window and the hospitable atmosphere are worth that money. By the way, it is the cleanest hostel I’ve ever seen until now.
I left my stuff in the room and immediately ran to the huge windows to admire Moscow at night.
At night we can observe the secret life of the offices! Not the simple offices, but those in the towers of the Federation complex. The 95-storeyed Vostok Tower is still the tallest in Europe and Russia, and its “sister” – the West Tower has 63 floors, almost like ours.
There are very high ceilings and lots of air here. Each compartment has a standard set of a lamp, a socket and a hanger. A folding table was a pleasant surprise for me. The mattress is comfortable, the bedsheets are clean, but there is one thing that might be a plus for one and a minus for another. The second tier is located quite high and the stairs are quite steep. If there is a fear of heights or it is physically difficult to climb, it makes sense to book the “bottom bed” in advance. They are very comfortable here.
The closet is located high, but there is an auxiliary system. Showers, bathrooms are simple and stylish. At 8 a.m. they were already cleaned by a cleaning lady.
This morning it turned out that I had bad luck with the weather. But it’s still beautiful! Unfortunately, you can’t spy on the Federation Tower in daylight hours anymore.
The hostel’s price includes a light breakfast and tea and coffee any time.
I enjoyed the views of Moscow despite the weather. Next to the Federation Tower, there’s a fancy golden Mercury Tower. It is known that 75 floors of the “Mercury” are served with 29 elevators.
The Chief Architect of the Mercury Tower Frank Williams said in an interview that this building should become the first ecological skyscraper in Moscow. During the project development the experts have ensured that 75% of offices were illuminated by natural light during the day, the system of rainwater intake was created for subsequent use, 10% of building materials were produced within a radius of 300 km from the building. Reinforced framing made the Mercury Tower resistant to earthquakes of up to 6 points.
The third transport ring is in traffic jams; Moscow is going on business. I am sitting in the hostel’s lobby and drinking tea. The last time I stayed in the fashionable youth “Kedy” (en. – sneakers) hostel with dance groups and rock bands, but here people are quite different, both adults and young. At 8 a.m. some of my neighbours were dealing with cargo transportation, discussing the advertising budget and the upcoming exhibition, and negotiating in German.
The new life of the old suitcases is a great solution.
People are arriving to work, the situation with parking in Moscow City isn’t better than anywhere else.
I didn’t want to leave that cosy place with spectacular views of the city. I felt ashamed of my idleness, but a young man, who studied a book about art on the sofa, didn’t care about the frenzied activity of others.
The entrance to the underground station “Vystavochnaya” is two minutes away from the hostel, but I won’t go there. I want to be able to explore the surrounding area before my work program starts. When I first visited the Moscow City area, there was nowhere to buy water. With Afimall shopping centre life got better. And there are plenty of other places to leave money now.
On the photo, you can see “The Tower on the Embankment” and some other walls. The idea of creating a business quarter appeared in 1991, but the decision to build Moscow City was taken in 1994, and the first buildings appeared in 2001.
Moscow City was built on the site of a former quarry on an area of 100 hectares. Now 12 out of 23 buildings have been built, 7 are under construction, the rest is in the project.
The buildings look like kids’ blocks! Especially the reverse side of the Capital City complex, 76 and 65 floors, looks like familiar toys from childhood.
I’ve stayed in the hostel on the 43rd floor in the 60-storeyed Empire Tower, and there are its neighbours – the Capital City complex and the Evolution Tower with 52 floors.
The section “Blogger sketches about hostels in Moscow.”
