This Review of the Four Seasons Lion Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia is a 2018 update of our prior visit some years ago. The hotel is as beautiful as ever, and the current General Manager is Felix Murillo, a Four Seasons veteran who has been the GM at Four Seasons Marrakech, and the Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Istanbul at Sultanahmet, Four Seasons Buenos Aires and Four Seasons Mexico City.
Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St Petersburg Location and Check-in
The Four Seasons St. Petersburg is located at Voznesensky 1, across from St. Isaac's Cathedral. It's no coincidence that the magnificently restored hotel complements St. Isaac's–the same renowned French architect who designed the cathedral, Auguste de Montferrand, also designed the palace, which was built 1817-1820 for Prince A.Y. Lobanov-Rostovsky and his wife.
We checked in late morning, and as our room wasn't quite ready, we did some work in the lobby. Once our room was ready, one of the staff from reception came and personally escorted us to our room. Don't miss looking up at the lobby ceiling, with its beautifully restored ceiling moldings. St. Petersburg has very strict regulations for historic buildings, and the palace, which went through many incarnations before becoming the Four Seasons, had no fewer than 40 layers of paint that the restoration team had to remove as part of the painstaking process of restoring the facade and its interiors to their former glory.
Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits at Four Seasons St. Petersburg for TravelSort Clients include:
- Daily full American breakfast for two people per bedroom, served through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)
- $100 hotel credit ($200 for suites) once during stay
- Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in (excluding signature suites, villas, and private residences). Four Seasons Preferred Partner reservations enjoy upgrade priority over AMEX FHR, Virtuoso and all other reservations.
- Complimentary basic Internet in all guest rooms; complimentary premium Internet in all suites
Here's my Four Seasons St. Petersburg Video:
Four Seasons St. Petersburg Four Seasons Room
Four Seasons Rooms are located on the 1st floor (where they face towards the Admiralty Building and park, and have very high ceilings) or 3rd floor (where they face either the Admiralty and park, or St. Isaac's Cathedral). I highly recommend requesting one facing St. Isaac's Cathedral, as it's such a mesmerizing view. Be sure to check out the video above for more views of the cathedral, including from the terrace of a Terrace Room.
The palace itself is in a triangular shape, and Four Seasons rooms vary in size from ~400-600 square feet. On the right, immediately after entering, was a closet and also the honor bar, with a Nespresso machine and tea kettle.
Just down the hallway, on the right, was the bathroom, with a sink, soaking tub, separate glass enclosed rain shower, and toilet. The mirror has an embedded TV, so you can catch up on news while getting ready.
Bath products are by British fragrance house Roja Parfums:
As always, we slept incredibly well in the Four Seasons Bed, on the Signature Plush mattress pad that we'd requested. Those who prefer a firmer mattress can opt for the Signature Firm mattress pad.
There was a fresh fruit plate and bottled water as welcome amenities, and we also appreciated some complimentary white chocolate covered nuts by the espresso maker.
Four Seasons St. Petersburg Breakfast
Enjoy complimentary full buffet breakfast as a Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefit, or have an a la carte breakfast delivered to your room via in-room dining. When we were short on time, we had the buffet, which had a great selection of fresh fruits, smoked salmon and other smoked fish, cheeses, yogurt, smoothies, pastries, blini, salmon caviar and accompaniments, and other hot dishes.
You can also order an egg dish cooked to order as part of the buffet; in the video above you can see the open face omelet and Croissant Benedict that we ordered one day, both of which were excellent, if very filling. Another perennial favorite of ours are the Syrniki, plump farmers cheese pancakes, served with fresh berries.
Four Seasons St. Petersburg Spa
The entrance to the spa, which is open 9am-11pm, is located on the 2nd floor of the hotel, although there's a dedicated spa elevator that takes you to the top floor, where the Vitality Pool is located. The pool, with its circuit of jets, is only for adults, so kids may be disappointed by this aspect of the hotel.
The Verdict
This was my second stay at the Four Seasons St. Petersburg, and it remains one of my favorite city hotels. It's boutique in style, and perfect for guests who appreciate a hotel with a rich history, in one of Europe's most culture-rich cities. The location is perfect for visiting The Hermitage Museum (the 2nd largest art museum in the world), Nevsky Prospect (the main street) and even the Mariinsky Theatre, which is about a 20 min. walk.
I especially loved having a view of St. Isaac's, and highly recommend reserving a Four Seasons or Terrace room, and requesting a view of the cathedral. Food & beverage is also a strength of the hotel, and while the Italian restaurant gets good reviews, I prefer the Russian selections, both traditional favorites and updates of classics.
If you've stayed at the Four Seasons St. Petersburg, what was your experience?
Recommended Posts
Birch Restaurant Review, St. Petersburg, Russia
10 Travel Tips for St. Petersburg, Russia
7 Tips for Getting a Russian Visa, Including a 3 Year Russian Visa
If you enjoyed this, join 200,000+ readers: follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube and TravelSort on Instagram for travel inspiration.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book 5-Star Hotels with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits
Excellent information for our guests. Thank you! This is really a wonderful hotel!