Best Luxury Hotels in Moscow for Discerning Travelers

River views were what a couple wanted from the Radisson Collection, and they found them indoors, at a table in one of the bars overlooking the water as evening came on. The landmark tower gave the stay a sense of occasion, and afternoons slipped by between the indoor pool, the hot tub and the spa. Their suite felt properly grand. There is no open-air terrace for sunset cocktails, so guests set on an outdoor rooftop should know that before booking.

Two colleagues who had just closed a deal celebrated at the rooftop bar of the Radisson Blu Olympiyskiy, and they chose well. The panoramic city view made the setting feel special without any fuss, and the restaurant up there turned a drink into a long dinner as the lights came on below. The mood stayed elegant and quiet all evening. Couples will appreciate the same calm, while anyone hoping for a high-energy club night will find it too subdued.

In the depths of a Moscow winter, a couple at the Four Seasons found their favorite hour in the indoor pool under its glass roof, swimming while daylight faded overhead. Afternoons went to the spa, evenings to one of the restaurants and a drink in the bar before a plush suite. The glass roof gives a sense of sky without stepping into the cold. Travelers after an open-air rooftop bar with skyline views will need to look elsewhere.

A business traveler who spent a winter week at the Safmar Grand never once missed an open-air terrace. After long days of meetings, the routine was the indoor pool, a spell in the hot tub, then dinner in the refined restaurant and a last drink at the bar. The spa filled the one free afternoon. Anyone hoping to watch Moscow light up from a rooftop will be disappointed, because this hotel keeps its pleasures indoors.

For an anniversary, a couple booked the Chekhoff with one plan in mind: dinner and cocktails in the restaurant and bar on the upper floors, with Moscow's lights filling the windows. They lingered there well past dessert and found the mood polished rather than loud. Their small dog came along without fuss, a real plus of this pet-friendly hotel. Anyone hoping to swim or lounge on an open rooftop should look elsewhere, as the experience here is dining.

Friends celebrating a birthday booked the Swissotel Krasnye Holmy for one reason: the rooftop bar and its panoramic view over Moscow. They went up just before dusk, watched the city lights spread to the horizon and stayed long after dark. The atmosphere was lively and polished, so reserving ahead and arriving early paid off. The next day, the spa and indoor pool helped everyone recover. Anyone wanting a quiet, intimate terrace may find the crowd too much.

Opera lovers who booked the Metropol around a night at the Bolshoi, a short walk away, spent most of their stay indoors and did not mind. Between the antiques in their room, the soaring atrium at breakfast and an afternoon in the indoor pool and spa, the hotel itself became the attraction. After the performance, a drink at the polished bar closed the evening. They knew going in that there is no rooftop or outdoor terrace, so the views here are architectural.

Travelers drawn to the Hilton Leningradskaya come for the landmark building, and one couple who stayed there spent their evenings under the ornate ceilings of the cocktail lounge rather than outdoors. Days ended with laps in the indoor pool and an hour at the spa, which suited a cold-weather trip perfectly. The building itself felt like part of the sightseeing. What it does not have is an open-air rooftop, so sunset views of the skyline mean heading elsewhere.

Travelers arriving by train at Belorussky Station appreciate how close the Safmar Palace is, and one couple used that ease to make the most of a short stay. Evenings were spent over a long dinner in the elegant restaurant, followed by a drink in the piano bar while someone played softly. The upscale room was a calm retreat. There is no rooftop, terrace or outdoor view here at all, so anyone wanting the skyline at dusk should book elsewhere.

Cocktails, not views, were what pulled two friends to the Hotel Continental for a weekend in Moscow. They started evenings at the hip cocktail bar, moved on to dinner in the elegant restaurant and spent the mornings recovering in the spa and fitness center. The refined room made a comfortable base. They knew in advance that the hotel offers no rooftop terrace or pool, and for a skyline sunset they planned a drink at another address.

A dinner booking at the rooftop restaurant was the highlight of one couple's stay at the Hyatt Regency Petrovsky Park. They arrived as the evening light was going and lingered over a long meal with the panoramic city view slowly turning to lights. Mornings were gentler, with a swim in the indoor pool and time in the spa. Their suite's kitchen made a slow breakfast easy. Those wanting a casual, lively rooftop bar will find the dining focus more formal.

Spa first, dinner upstairs: that was the rhythm a couple settled into at the Sadovnicheskaya Hotel. After an afternoon of treatments, they headed to the rooftop bar and restaurant, ordered a drink as the light dropped over Moscow and stayed for a long, unhurried meal with the cityscape below. Room service covered lazy mornings. The atmosphere is serene and elegant rather than festive, so guests after a high-energy party scene should look at livelier rooftops.

Guests who chose The Rooms for a long weekend came for the service and the quiet elegance of the rooms, and those delivered. A couple who stayed there spent evenings between the restaurant and the bar, ordered room service for a lazy breakfast and brought their dog along without trouble. What they did not get was any outdoor view: there is no rooftop to climb to at dusk. For skyline drinks, they walked out to another address.