We were in St Petersburg for tourism and our travel agency in Lebanon as well as some reviews over the net pushed us believe that this hotel was centrally located. This is not true at all. Depending on what you mean by centrally located... 45-55 mn walk to center and in very corporate area. To be honest it was close, 15 mn walk, to the main train station but so what!? Actually this hotel should be rated 4 stars and as a corporate hotel for seminars and conventions only NOT for tourists.
Plus the staff is not friendly at all at the reception: "No flexibility for early check in or late checks out" and in the end you have to pay a tax that we were not informed of "to register our passports"????
The buffet breakfast was as a standard of a 3 stars hotels
Much better to pay a supplement rate for a hotel centrally located than to pay the difference for taxis from the hotel to the city!

A truely luxurious hotel down to every detail. 10 minute walk from the Moscow train station end of Nevsky.

Staff was very kind particularily Regina went out of her way to find us Ballet perfomances ice skating and more.

We got a really good price of 150 Euro per night through easytobook. com

Eitan@hag.co.il from Israel

My colleagues and I travelled to St Petersburg and arrived late in the evening.
Upon getting into the restaurant in the Grand Hotel Emerald around 9.45pm, we waited for someone to take our drinks order. It took 20 minutes to do that and at 11.45am, some of us had not even received our starters which was a simple rocket salad. Even to get 3 drinks we were told 10 minutes, which turned into 20. There were no more than 12 people in the restaurant. The Service was appalling. One of the restaurants main staff took our orders yet upon challenging them regarding our starters and some of the main course meals, they couldn't remember.
Sadly, no matter how much we complained, they would only offer 50% discount on food we never received.
The Room service isn't much better.

I have stayed here a couple of times while in St. Pete. It is a old style posh hotel with a nice attrium where you can have meals and good rooms. It is 10 min walking distance from the Metro and about 20 min walking from Nevksy Pospect. It provides a good price performance ratio.