The Wonderful World of Dance travelled to Moscow to visit the Bolshoi Ballet and to shoot the cover and feature photos for our an upcoming edition of our magazine. We’re going to keep our cover artist under wraps for now, even though we’re bursting with excitement about the photos, which are just divine!
But what we can tell you about our trip to Moscow is the fabulous Hotel Akvarel Stoleshnikov which we discovered, that’s just around the corner from the famous Bolshoi Theatre.
Akvarel Stoleshnikov is located in a courtyard off one of the most glamorous streets in Moscow, that’s filled with Gucci, Prada and Russian designer names. It’s like a little 5th Avenue or Bond Street. In fact, to find the tugged away entrance head to Hermès, and shimmey down the little alley that takes you to the glass doors.
We love the situation of the hotel, which is a 4 minute walk to the Bolshoi Theatre in the heart of Moscow’s historic centre and a short stroll over to the famous and astounding Red Square. We certainly appreciated being able to quickly dash back to the hotel when it’s -6 outside and snowing!
Akvarel Stoleshnikov‘s rooms are cosy and well designed with all the latest mod-cons, soft slippers and bathrobes, and a comfy bed that gives a great night’s sleep.
We spent a lot of time dashing to and from the hotel between visiting the Bolshoi, arranging clothes for the photoshoot, doing interviews, and it was nice to come back to friendly and helpful reception staff, who gave us excellent recommendations for restaurants, bars and city sights.
After a relaxing night, wake up to a hot breakfast in their cool dining space. With ballet being shown on the TV, I was in dance heaven! I don’t know if they chose the channel especially for me – if so, thank you Hotel Akvarel!
We tried the Russian breakfasts, which was perfectly cooked, even though it was slightly unusual for our western tastes – definitely give the Russian omelette and pancakes a try!
We would definitely recommend hotel Akvarel Stoleshnikov, especially if you’re heading to Moscow to see the Bolshoi. The night at the Bolshoi Theatre was one of the dreams and literally brought tears to my eyes, as we watched the opening night of Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo & Juliet.
Seeing the Bolshoi in Moscow has been on my dance list for a long time, and the experience certainly lived up to my expectations. It was quite special to sip Russian champagne at the ornate bars during the intervals at the Bolshoi Theatre. Tickets are like gold bullion – so book WAY in advance if you’re going! In fact, book your tickets before you book your flights or you will be disappointed.
