After spending a week at the now-torn down Hotel Intourist in Moscow (where I still hadn't figured out how the toilet worked), the Hotel Volna was like a breath of fresh air. The original hotel had been renovated by Croatian investors and workers, and an addition of a tower was added to the old building. The rooms were clean and orderly, looking a bit as though they were furnished by IKEA. They were a tad small by American standards, but bigger than the Intourist, and in very nice condition. The bathroom itself was a joy, with a normal western-style toilet, and electrical outlets near the mirror for those of us who shave.

The hotel room also had a small refrigerator/mini-bar. The prices were steep as usual, but I usually availed myself daily of a Pepsi. I enjoyed the breakfasts, which were nice and fresh (especially the croissants, which were delightful). We only dined once in the Volna, and in the bar (the restaurant was featuring a balalaika trio at the time, which I wanted to see, but my companions did not). It wasn't anything special; I had a chicken sandwich and french fries, but the fries were out of this world. I'll give the Russians a hand ... they know what to do with potatoes! The rest of our time there we ate in downtown Nizhni at various restaurants.

We were advised by our Russian advisors not to wander around the neighborhood the Volna was in, as it was mostly a working class neighborhood (bear in mind, Nizni's a heavily-industrial town) but we disregarded their advice and had no problems at all.

Downtown Nizhni's rather scenic, especially it's Kremlin, and the vantage point overlooking the Strelka, the confluence of the Volga and Oka Rivers.