Nevsky prospekt is like a river flowing somewhere aside. It never sleeps, thousands of people stroll this street all day long, even at night there are enough walkers admiring the beauties of the old architecture. Nevsky prospect is a true pride of the city; the tourists coming here find themselves in a strange whirl: this is the place visited by great writers, artists and other known art workers and this is you who is walking along this street representing such an unusual succession of generations.
A number of narrow streets radiate in various directions. They seem to be needed to give you rest and calm when you are already tired of the fuss peculiar for this busy street of St. Petersburg as Nevsky prospect. These back lanes the more contrast with Nevsky prospect the more people turn form their favorite route to be lost in these quiet streets. One minihotel of Petersburg appeared right in the border of these two worlds. Through its windows tourist city and personal – even a bit intimate – city mix into a single whole with its traditional St. Petersburg’s mysticism and unexpected hospitality.
The mystery of the city is the following: only that person can find a key to the door that leads to true St. Petersburg, who won’t feel like a stranger here who came just for the sake of sightseeings. You can look at whatever you like, but, according to the great people, to look does not mean to see. That is why the minihotel in St. Petersburg opened its doors to the people who wish to become friends with the city, so enigmatic even for its native residents.
This small hotel stands on the border between busy Nevsky prospekt and quiet Karavannay street. It is called “Polikoff”, the name that embraces the mixture of something Russian and European, like many other things in St. Petersburg. You have probably heard the expression – Peter I opened the window to Europe, then St. Petersburg is this very window. There are various rooms in this minihotel to satisfy any demand. If you come to the city on the Neva alone, then a single room is becoming a some sort of your personal apartment here, that gives you an opportunity to view St. Petersburg from the inside as if you are living here like a native city-dweller rather than a busy hasty tourist taking pictures of anything you see. If you come here with your loved one, in this case “Polikoff” will offer you a romantic room, so quiet and cozy enough to replace your native home for a while. This city is imbued with romance, but in order to see and feel it you need to strip off the mask of feigned business-like manner and tourism.
This balance, between comfort and quiet and the rich life of the northern capital, is part of the minihotel’s essence. Come and you’ll experience this extraordinary atmosphere. Here you will find yourself being between West and East, quiet and noise of Nevsky prospekt, romance and mysticism of the old streets. Probably, this is the only way to comprehend the city, which throughout its history has been and still is the the most mysterious, mythical and incomprehensible city of Russia.