Novotel Arkhangelsk Hotel

We stayed at that Novotel for five nights in September as individual tourists (we came to Arkhangelsk by car from Moscow). Three of us. Two standard rooms had been booked two weeks in advance by phone (no prepayment!). The check-in was a tad messy since it appeared that our rooms had no river views. We paid for an upgrade and got ones with a view, but it was so cold inside that an A/C was useless. We asked for another room change. No problem, they said; just pay for an upgrade again. What the hell, folks?! Thanks to God, the issue was solved to our convenience, and further on, our stay was really smooth. The rooms were large, with guest WCs; they faced the river (what sunsets, Jesus Christ!), were well-equipped, and daily cleaned. The guys at the reception were helpful, attentive, and wore real, natural smiles (I mean it! chain hotels' staff usually wear face masks). Open buffet breakfasts were copious, diverse, and quickly replenished. They're served in a hall facing the harbour. We liked their Reka restaurant in the evenings too (see my separate review). They do not offer porter service, but there was always someone to help us with our luggage. Free, validated, guarded, round-the-clock, open-air parking behind a boom bar could accommodate at least twenty cars. To cut a long story short, recommended. (There's no swimming pool in there, however, just a sauna.)