THE NEW RED

If location is everything, then Paul Ehrlich's ritzy stay in Moscow says it all

I’M ENJOYING MY second vodka martini on Moscow’s Ritz-Carlton rooftop bar
Overlooking Red Square and the Kremlin. The close-up, panoramic view from my
12th-floor, box-seat-like vantage point is testament to the glory of Moscow – one of
The world’s most famous and overwhelming sights. And at 8.30 on this summer
Evening, the golden onion domes of the churches are sparkling in the late-afternoon
Light. A bit surreal, making happy hour seem as if it began at midday.
Under a steel-and-glass dome, the O2 Lounge is one of the top places for Russia’s
Cool in the capital city. Beautiful women, all fashionably attractive –and with or without
Men in dark designer suits – drink Imperia vodka or Dom Pérignon champagne
To wash down Beluga caviar, oysters and platters of first-rate, flown-in sushi brought
By waitresses who, themselves, could be models in another country (or life). The
Rich, sexy and (maybe) important lounge on cream-coloured leather sofas, snuggle
In red-velvet, bucket-like Fabergé chairs, or hit the late-night illuminated dance
Floor.

Other than a small, juice-drinking group talking to a Russian Orthodox priest who
Wandered out of a Dostoyevsky novel – long grey beard, black gown and hat, and
Large silver cross on a chain around his neck – the place has a futuristic feel that
Could serve as a metaphor for the new Russia one sees shoving its way in between
The Soviet-styled architecture that ranges from bulky cement-coloured
Buildings to the “Seven Sisters,” nicknamed for the towering, tiered, Stalinist-
Gothic skyscrapers that define the city’s skyline (most can be visited, having
Since become hotels and prestigious apartments).

The bar is also in complementary contrast to the rest of the hotel, which is considered
Moscow’s finest (and thus has the jump on the Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental
And Grand Hyatt, among others yet to open). The Ritz has a heritage-site look
And feel that’s fitting for its location, but this, too, is a modern Moscovite twist, albeit
With a hospitality history.

Once the site of an 18th-century travellers’ lodge, it became the Paris Hotel from
The late 19th century until it was demolished in the 1930s. Later, the 22-storey,
State-run Intourist hotel was built here, only to be torn down in 2002 to make way for
The more lavish US $350-million Ritz. German interior designer Peter Silling & As- sociates, working with Mosproject, one of the largest architectural firms in Moscow,
created the hotel’s imperial-style look, redolent of the fabulous, decadent Russia of
the 19th century: classical facade, grand gold-leafed marble-clad lobby, sweeping
staircase and museum-quality art and bronzes.

“The hotel was designed to fit into the cultural and historical setting of Moscow’s city
centre,” says General Manager Sandeep Walia. “Its architecture and design are quite
eclectic, but it’s all meant to create an atmosphere of comfort and warmth.”

It does. The 334 seriously opulent hotel rooms, said to be the city’s largest, include
22 suites (each about 1,390 sq ft). The décor shows lots of dark cherry wood and
oak, sumptuous brocade fabrics, spacious marbled bathrooms with body-sized bathtubs
and walk-in rain showers, large flatscreen TV s, plus tech touches such as layers
of remote-controlled drapes and lightning, high-speed Internet and iPod
docks. But it’s the king-size feather bed with its cloud-like pillows and Frette Italian
linen that, for me, is the highlight of the room. It’s like sleeping on a pile of money.
Admittedly, I sorta got obsessed with it, fantasising being happily bed-ridden. After
my first night, I strip off the comforter, sheets and padding – making a slight
mess of the room – to find the source of this different kind of horizontal happiness
(Sealy Sleep Experience Plush).

During the day I do manage to leave the room, starting with a morning view of Red
Square while breakfasting on the Club Lounge balcony. It’s an open buffet, but for
a richer meal – literally – there’s the Tsar’s Breakfast, at the royal price of 90,000 roubles
(about HK $23,000) for two. It includes a bottle of Cristal champagne, Kobe beef
steak with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and truffle omelette, foie gras with caramelised
apple and pain brioche, a selection of imported Italian prosciutto and
cheese, a generous portion of beluga caviar with blinis, sour cream and quail eggs,
fruits, pastries and freshly squeezed juices. Oh yes, and coffee or tea.

Open all day, the Lounge serves afternoon tea with Russian and Asian touches, a
range of champagnes and vodkas, and a selection of cigars. The hotel also has two
main restaurants: Caviarterra (Georgian for “land of caviar”) serves traditional Russian
and Georgian cuisine (definitely start with borscht, and try the extremely filling
beef stroganoff); and Ginkgo provides a culinary tour of Asia – a range of dishes
from Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and China.

There’s a cosy bar on the lobby floor, but if you’re with a few friends, Petrus is a private
room in which to enjoy an expansive – and expensive – range of wines and rare spirits.
A shot of Macallan 55-year-old Old Lalique can set you back 50,000 roubles (about
HK $12,700). There’s also one of the largest private collections of rare 1907 Heidsieck
champagne, priced about HK $195,000 a bottle (you’re not paying for the bottle, but a
piece of history). Recovered from a ship that was sunk off Rauma, Finland, by the German U-22 submarine on November 3, 1916, it was salvaged on May 27, 1997.

That drink would go well with the 11th-floor presidential suite, if you need a 2,600-sq-ft
room with bulletproof windows and doors, a panic room with its own energy and telecommunication facilities, a grand piano, sauna, Jacuzzi, office and boardroom. Notables that have stayed in the suite include President Obama and his wife when he
was here to meet President Dmitry Medvedev, and the less-presidential Beyoncé,
Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise, who, according to Director of Public Relations Sergey
Logvinov, said, “I couldn’t sleep because of the view [of Red Square] from the
bedroom.” For me, the price of 430,000 roubles (HK $110,000) a night plus 18 percent
VAT would alone keep me awake.

Paul Ehrlich flew to Moscow courtesy of Cathay Pacific Airways. The airline flies
non-stop to Moscow three times weekly – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

SOME MOSCOW MUSTS

Red Square
Tolstoy wrote in War and Peace that every Russian felt Moscow to be a mother. When
Napoleon was about to enter the city, looking down from the vantage point of
Sparrow Hills, he said, “There it is at last, this famous town.” You can understand the
feelings of both as you enter Red Square. Being in awe is not an overstatement – this is
where some of the humanity’s greatest and most far-reaching cere-monies and conflicts
played out on the black cobblestones, since worn to a polish by generations of hoi polloi.

On one side of the Square is Lenin’s austere marble tomb; on the opposite side is the
glam-filled GUM (pronounced “goom”), an architecturally stunning shopping mall
tenanted with prestigious international brands. Stand in the middle and you see
where Russia has been and the direction in which it’s going (the Father of the Revolution
must be screaming in his tomb: “I didn’t see that coming!”). The Square also features St
Basil’s Cathedral with its iconic multicoloured onion domes, white-walled churches with
golden cupolas, and the Kremlin. Guided tours of the Kremlin are restricted, so make
arrangements well ahead of time.

Novodevichy Cemetery
Here lies much of Russia’s history – literally. With its gnarled trees and overgrown
foliage, this famous resting place – which is on Unesco’s World Heritage List – has a
serene, park-like atmosphere. Among the famous figures buried here are the writer
Anton Chekhov, the composer Dmitri Shostakovich, the poet Mayakovsky, and
former leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Boris Yeltsin. There are lots of Soviet
military with serious-looking busts festooned with medals, as well as sculptured
gravestones representing occupations, such as an aircraft for a famed pilot,
or representations of the person, such as a dancing ballerina. Guided tours are
available. The cemetery is next to Novodevichy Convent, also worth visiting. Founded
in 1524, it served as a retirement home for noble and royal women who either
entered by choice or, like Peter the Great’s elder half-sister, were confined there.

The Russian Underground
Moscow’s subway system is mind-boggling: a winding, snaking system with multiple
levels and hallways that can leave you bewildered and with no idea how to get out. A
map helps, if you can find one, but best advice is to go with a guide because it’s
worth experiencing. Built during Stalin’s reign, it has stations that portray, in life-size
bronzes, the Russian people; another station resembles a palace; some feature
stunning frescos.

Winzavod
A former wine factory converted into a centre to develop and exhibit contemporary
art in Russia. The 215,000-sq-ft gated property includes lots of galleries in old brick
buildings, while underground – where huge vats of wine were once produced – are large
art installations. There’s also a cafe, workshops and bookstore. Check the
schedule for shows, festivals and events.

winzavod.com

Cafe Pushkin
One of Moscow’s most famous restaurants, serving high-quality local cuisine. The
building looks like a 19th-century aristocratic home that was carefully preserved.
It’s actually a fake, but the details are so convincing, it’s hard not to believe the
noblesse once hung their ushankas here. What is authentic is the high-class food and
extensive wine list. Open 24 hours in case you crave blinchiki (Russian pancakes) with
black caviar after a night of clubbing. Reservations essential.

26A Tverskoy Blvd; cafe-pushkin.ru