This is the second Lotte Hotel to be opened in Russia. The first one was Lotte Hotel Moscow, which the South Korean hotel operator Lotte Hotels & Resorts opened in 2010. The hotel had quickly gained the reputation as one of the best hotels in the capital and went on to receive more than three dozen prestigious awards, including Condé Nast Traveller, World Travel Awards, World Luxury Hotel Awards and a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. The secret of this rapid success lies in the ‘Touching your heart’ philosophy of Korean hospitality.
The St. Petersburg project is of special importance for the group. The South Korean holding Lotte Group invested $120 million in the construction and aspires to create the best hotel in the Northern capital.
“Our goal is to become the best hotel in St. Petersburg. We still have a long way to go. We have already passed the first stage—the construction. Abundant marble decorations, original designs, modern equipment and the historical location are all distinctive features of the new project. Our next task is providing impeccable service. Our goal is to create the team that will follow the main principle of Korean hospitality—to win the hearts of the guests by giving them service of unsurpassed quality. “Touching your heart” is the basis of Lotte philosophy that elevates the guest relationship on a new level. That is the reason why we pay so much attention to personnel training,” —the hotel’s General Manager Uwe Kunz said at the opening ceremony.
The 150 hotel rooms have been designed in great detail by Japanese Naoko Horii Design Concepts Studio. The interiors feature several types of marble and natural wood, luxury Italian furniture by Sevensedie, exclusive German textiles, 100% wool English carpets by Brintons and 11 different types of pillows filled with goose down, sheep wool, lavender and mint blend, etc. It offers two stylistic concepts: the ‘classic’ rooms on the second and third floors of the hotel, and the contemporary design rooms on the fourth and fifth floors. The 7 suites, including a spacious presidential suite with an area of 216 m², provide the special feature of the hotel. Careful attention is paid to personal care products: there are Molton Brown beauty product sets to be found in all rooms along with special BVLGARI sets for the suites. A magnificent stained glass chandelier was especially created for the hotel lobby, and a five-meter painting of the Church of the Savior on Blood was specifically commissioned to the famous St. Petersburg artists Yury Selikhov and Ilya Palkin.
For those who fancy champagne with a background of astounding panoramic views, L Terrasa bar was created on the sixth floor of the hotel. The bar’s terrace rightfully claims the top rank among the city’s best viewpoints: what could beat the spectacular views of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Nicholas I monument, the Moika River and the panoply of St. Petersburg roofs?
To stay in Lotte Hotel St. Petersburg and not pay a visit to the Spa is unthinkable. The famous Mandara Spa brand not only offers a network of spas, but represents a unique Balinese body care tradition. Asian medicine secrets, ancient methods, special beauty philosophy along with modern cosmetology achievements and the best masseurs invited to St. Petersburg from Bali all create excellent reasons for visiting the Mandara Spa. Along with short treatments, the spa also offers complex holistic rituals: for example, ‘Refreshing breeze,’ which includes a relaxing aromatic bath for the feet, lime and ginger body wrap, a mini-facial aromatherapy bath and Balinese massage, or ‘Perfection’ with lavender cleansing, aromatic exfoliation, and foot or body massage with warm stones.
