Is the Izmailovo's Vega hotel a good choice for families?

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. The rooms are small, and the amenities are lacking. But if you're looking for a budget-friendly option, it might be worth considering.

How far is the hotel from the city center?

The hotel is actually pretty close to the metro, so it's not too far from the city center. But be prepared for a long walk or a pricey taxi ride.

Can I get a room with a bathtub?

According to the hotel's website, you can request a room with a bathtub. But be warned, the bathtubs are tiny and not exactly the most comfortable thing in the world.

Is the hotel's Wi-Fi reliable?

Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi was super slow and kept dropping. We ended up using our own hotspots instead.

Can I get a room with a kitchenette?

Yes, the hotel offers rooms with kitchenettes, which is a big plus for families or travelers who want to save money.

How much does breakfast cost?

Be prepared to pay a pretty penny for breakfast. We ended up eating out every day because the hotel's breakfast was just not worth it.

Can I get a room with a view?

Unfortunately, the rooms don't have much of a view. But the location is still pretty convenient for exploring Moscow.

Is the hotel pet-friendly?

According to the hotel's website, they allow pets, but be sure to check with them first to confirm.

Can I get a room with a balcony?

Unfortunately, the rooms don't have balconies. But the location is still pretty convenient for exploring Moscow.

Avoid the Izmailovo's Vega Hotel at All Costs

We've had some pretty bad hotel experiences in the past, but our stay at the Izmailovo's Vega hotel was by far the worst.

We were planning to spend a week in Moscow, exploring the city with our kid and celebrating my birthday. We decided to book a room at the Vega hotel, which was part of the Izmailovo chain. My husband had stayed there on a business trip a few years ago, and he remembered that some of the rooms had kitchenettes with microwaves, which was a big plus for us.

Lobby

The lobby looked like something out of a 90s casino. We were expecting a bit more from a 4-star hotel, but I guess you get what you pay for.

We arrived at the hotel on June 26th, and the receptionist seemed a bit overwhelmed. We had to wait for a while to check in, which was already a bad sign.

Before our arrival, the hotel had sent us a survey asking about our preferences, including our preferred floor and shower or bathtub. We thought that was a nice touch, but it turned out to be just a way to make us feel like they cared.

We wanted to pay for our breakfasts in advance, so we called the hotel from home to ask about the prices. They told us it was 750 rubles per person, but when we got there, they had 'increased' the price to 850 rubles. That's 1,700 rubles for two adults, and our kid eats for free.

We decided to skip breakfast and only went to their 'Duckling' restaurant once during our stay. The food was pretty meager, especially considering the price. We had dry macaroni, shriveled sausages, and wilted cheap sausages. The cheese was dried out and curled up, and the tomatoes looked plastic, although it was summer.

I asked the staff to make me an omelet, but it was the worst omelet I've ever had. I didn't even finish it. I don't know how you can ruin an omelet.

We, as a family, took the safest option - pancakes. What could be wrong with pancakes? They were completely inedible - rubbery and slimy.

The picture was completed by a broken yogurt bottle in the fridge.

Our kid went straight for the desserts, but managed to poke at and almost nothing eat.

Breakfast

We had a relaxed breakfast until half past eleven, and then we were only able to sneak out of our room at sixteen.

The toilet was infinitely occupied. Everyone in our group had to go.

I had a first aid kit and plenty of activated charcoal on hand.

My husband was green for three more days and was still sick in his stomach for the rest of the trip. We even called a community nurse when we got back home.

We had a great breakfast. And we got some much-needed rest...

But let's get back to the story about our room.

After finishing up at the front desk, we went to check in.

Exit from the elevator

These are the lobbies outside the elevators. It's a bit like a hospital, not a hotel (remember, 4 stars).

According to the idea, you're supposed to swipe your room key card to get into your section. But our door on the floor was open for a few days. Then they closed it.

All rooms, regardless of class, have the same size. Small.

TV and fridge

This is our standard room. There's a small fridge under the TV.

Tired furniture

The furniture is really worn out. Cheap and abused by guests.

The room was cramped and had tired furniture

We asked about an extra bed for the kid. They suggested we sleep with him. But the kid's six years old...

The kid was tossing and turning, sweating, and kicking us the whole trip.

Especially 'great' on the super-soft mattress.

Two mattresses

There are two big soft mattresses below and a thin soft mattress on top. You lie down and it's like falling into a deep pit.

Now imagine that pit is narrow and three people are spinning around in it.

I've never been so happy to sleep in my own bed again after 'Vega'. Everything is relative.

We asked for a lower floor in the survey. They gave us the 12th floor. With a view of the parking lot and the road.

View from the window

The windows only open a little bit for ventilation.

There's enough space to put your stuff.

Two adults can fit their modest luggage in the room, but it's a squeeze with a kid.

Closet in the room entrance

There's a convenient bench for bags near the room entrance. You can hang clothes on the hooks.

Entrance

But the bathroom was a letdown.

We specifically asked for a room with a shower...

Bathroom

What a pathetic excuse for a bathroom in this room...

Bathroom

The tap water was gushing everywhere. The showerhead was barely whispering.

Sink

The bathroom ventilation was non-existent. Zero.

I had to take a shower, and the next guys had to bring a birch branch.

The bathroom turns into a steam room in five minutes.

The broken lockWhen we checked in, the lock on the bathroom door wasn't working. Oh well, all good...

The toilet paper and other essentials arrived in the room a day late, only if the maid saw we'd used the previous ones.

There were no towels in the towel rack when we arrived, and they never showed up.

Eventually, they even stopped leaving liquid soap.

When we complained at the reception, they told us they'd changed the accommodation rules as of July 1st. Yeah, they'd reinvented the air.

I had my birthday during our stay at the 'Vega'.

We left for a walk in the morning, but I was sure there'd be a surprise waiting for me in the evening.

In previous years, we took our kid on a birthday trip, and here's what we got in a 4-star hotel in Dubai:

Birthday surprise in a hotel in Dubai

And here's what we got in Turkey:

Birthday surprise in a hotel in Turkey

What I got in the 'Vega' was nothing.

I was, to say the least, surprised.

I don't need freebies. I need attention.

I've gotta say, I was really disappointed with the service at "Vega". It felt like they didn't care about us at all, like we were just another faceless guest in a huge complex.

My partner was even more upset than I was.

He called the front desk and they just kind of mumbled something about not having that service, but then said they'd surprise us the next day.

The surprise was a birthday card and a cake.

Birthday card

And then there was the cake.

Birthday cake

But after our experience in their "Duck and Swan" restaurant, we were a bit hesitant to eat the cake.

One nice thing about the hotel was that they had an ironing board and iron attached to the wall in the room, and a separate ironing room on the floor.

It was located in a special little room.

Ironing room

To get the washing machine to work, you had to read this sign.

Ironing room

I, being a novice when it comes to business trips and hotels, was dancing the Macarena before I figured out what the signs were saying. I thought it was just the fire department's phone number at first, but nope...

Ironing room

The ironing board was actually pretty good. I was surprised.

The relaxation room, where they had a microwave and some couches, was located on a different floor. At one point, we went up, but the access was blocked. We went to another floor, but that one was blocked too.

When we called the front desk, they told us that from now on, access to the microwave would be limited to guests staying on the same floor as the relaxation room. It was like a premium service or something. And apparently, soap in the bathroom was a luxury too.

In my personal ratings, 'Vega' won all the awards and took the grand prize - 'Worst Hotel of My Life'.