Was here for several nights on business in late '10. Other reviewers have rightly pointed out the "Soviet" (e.g. cheap, worn out) character of the hotel. However, if you spend the extra money for one of the "business class" rooms (instead of settling for a standard room), you will be pleasantly surprised.
The $45 (?) price for a standard was tempting, but the business class room I got for roughly $80 was worth every penny. They are busily converting rooms to a higher standard, and mine was clean, reasonably spacious, and attractive. Breakfast included in the room rate is on the top floor and was a plentiful buffet. I'd also recommend the small, cozy restaurant/lounge on the ground floor, where I had an excellent chicken salad sandwich and beer.
Yes, the ground floor is dark and spooky. (Why don't they turn on the lights in the former USSR?) And the staff were overwhelmed when my group got in - I waited for 45 minutes before I got to the front of the line. But on the whole, the Hotel Belarus can be an enjoyable experience. Just one proviso: DO NOT let them give you a "smoking room," which is what I got stuck with when I returned to Minsk at the end of my trip. It was business class all right, but it reeked of cigarettes and was just horrible.
- Belarus Hotel Minsk
