Fodor's Expert Review Taleon Imperial Hotel

Between them, the buildings that make up the Taleon could tell the story of St. Petersburg—the restored structures from the 18th and 19th centuries were private homes, literary salons (where writers like Dostoyevsky read), and a famous cinema house. The main hotel areas are set in the former mansion of Stepan Eliseev, a prominent 19th-century banker and arts patron whose family collections are now displayed at the Hermitage. Given all this history, the hotel conjures up plenty of gradeur and romance: Guest rooms are awash in light-gold wall coverings, marble-topped furniture, and loads of inlay and ornate plasterwork. A personal butler adds to the opulence, as do such modern luxuries such as hydromassage tubs and a covered rooftop pool, and the restaurant serves champagne-and-caviar fueled Russian meals that can be as over the top as the rest of the place.The central location is steps from chic shopping, and a short walk to major sights.