5-star hotels in Saint Petersburg

The historic centre, near the Hermitage, St Isaac’s Cathedral or Nevsky Prospekt, is the most convenient area. Grand Hotel Moika 22, for example, stands opposite the Hermitage and is a two-minute walk from Nevsky Prospekt.

Not necessarily: the centrally located Palace Bridge has a spacious aqua zone with an indoor pool and saunas. Outside the centre, consider Tsar Palace in Pushkin, which has a pool beneath a transparent dome, though a refundable deposit starting at RUB 10,000 is required at check-in.

For a more intimate trip, consider the 40-room Ekaterina, which has a family café; a larger group may find the 195-room Petro Palace and its range of room categories more practical. Petro Palace also has a fitness centre with a pool for relaxing after sightseeing.