In a country that is known for terrible customer service, the Novotel delivers an epically awful experience. Arriving at just before midnight with my pregnant wife and 11 month old son, it took very close to an hour for them finally to find our reservation (notwithstanding the confirmation e-mail, which I gave them from Expedia) and give us our room.

Not content with simply double billing us for the stay, they decided that triple billing would the best way of ensuring a memorable experience.

The breakfast buffet (which was around $35 USD) made me long for my Army days. However, in the Novotel's defence, I was in the Canadian Army, and we have excellent rations --by Army standards.

The litany of things that are wrong with this hotel is too numerous to mention. One example is indicative of it: they tried to charge 30 Rubles parking to the taxi that dropped us off at the entrance to the hotel.

In all my travels all over the world, I have never left a hotel more frustrated, bitter and angry.

Too expensive, nothing special about this place.
If you do not have early flight in the morning, better stay in the city center or hotels near Belaruskaya station (express train directly to the city center).

Be warned: We landed at 10:30 PM on December 19. At 02:30 AM we still weren't checked-in. According to other travelers this is not unusal at all. You might as well opt to stay in the airport if your stopover is less than 10-12 hours.

We had to wait from 10:30 PM to 12 AM at the transit desk in the airport before they could show us to the shuttle bus stand where we had to wait half an hour more before the shuttle bus arrived. On arrival at the hotel only one single receptionist (Irina) was able to process check-ins and since she didn't have a computer at the desk that we were shown to and her co-workers hadn't showed up for work we had to wait for 55 other rooms to be checked in before she could take us over to the "real" reception where her computer was located (and another 30-40 rooms where obviously waiting to check-in). One receptionist with no backup to call in a 450+ rooms airport hotel is incredible!

I know that they had to check-in a full Aeroflot flight from Ho Chi Minh City that arrived 3 hours late but since that plane was delayed already when it left Moscow the day before Aeroflot knew about this at least 28 hours before our arrival. I wonder why Novotel was completely unprepared for an event like this.

Our 4 year old son had to sleep on the floor until after 2:30 AM when we finally received our room. Room standard was horribel - dirty carpets, minimal furnishing, old blankets and towels, empty minibar, disconnected phone. Dirty common areas with remains of room services orders in front of every room. Below 2 star motel standard. Called reception to ask for the tea/coffee facilities that should be standard in our "Superior Novation Room" and were told only cold/hot water was available in the aisle. Asked for a deep plate and a spoon so we could prepare some food for our son. The response was: "No food order - no plates". We paid around 200 USD for a worse than 40 USD motel experience.

This was a complete disgrace to the Novotel brand.

This hotel is located near Sheremetyevo international airport. Aeroexpress train is right outside the hotel and brings you to Moscow center in 35 minutes. Rooms are modern, clean, everything is really fresh and well kept. Services are also good, staff is very professional, morning breakfast is the best you get in Moscow. There is wired and wireless internet in all rooms. Sometimes it is slow (I noticed for some reason it happens Tuesday to Thursday in the evening hours), but most of the time it works well. I would reccomend this hotel to everyone travelling to Moscow. You will not get this quality at such prices anywhere else in the city. I am a frequent visitor, and they do pay attention to that as well - you get to have nice small additions to your room even if you did not book them (bathrobe, slippers, etc.). I am on my way to Moscow already next week and again booked this hotel.