May 29, 2014

Review about by Marciana Poland

Rating: 4
Bobby, We got back last night from our trip and I wanted to thank you for all your efforts on arranging our Russia tour and give you our feedback. It was wonderful!!! There was a slight change made to our itinerary, but we think it was for the best. We were originally scheduled to visit St. Isaac's Cathedral on the second day after going to the Hermitage, but it was instead made part of our City Tour on our first day. On our second day, we ended up being so overwhelmed by the four-hour tour of the Hermitage, it would have been too much to go to St. Isaac's Cathedral immediately afterwards, so we were quite happy with this change. Both of our guides were great! Anastasia accompanied us on our first two days and she is truly knowledgeable about art history as well as being quite sweet. Maria was with us the second two days. Maria is personable and gave us a great perspective on the city, the Romanovs as well as Russia and its people. Maria also was the one who had made the restaurant reservations we had requested in advance of our arrival and we really appreciated her help with that since many people in Russia do not speak English. When we pulled up to the Nevsky Forum Hotel, I was a bit concerned because the outside of buildings are in considerable need of repair and it was not obvious that a hotel was there. However, once we got inside, we found it to be a lovely boutique hotel. The staff were always so helpful and friendly, constantly asking if we wanted tea or coffee, or even house-infused vodka if it was evening. Any directions to restaurants or obtaining taxi cabs or explaining how to take the bus or trolley car were quickly and cheerfully given. We had no trouble getting rooms with king-size beds and the beds were comfortable and the rooms were spacious, clean and attractive. The breakfast was included in the room price and the food was good with a nice selection of changing offerings. The hotel's location on Nevsky Prospekt couldn't be beat in terms of proximity to shopping, restaurants and sights. So, all-in-all, it was a fabulous experience and we will keep East West Tours in mind for future trips and also recommend your agency highly to others. Regards, Marciana Poland
Marciana Poland

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