When I finally crossed the border from Poland into Kaliningrad in August 2016, I was looking forward to my stay at the Ibis Kaliningrad Center. At the third time of asking, I secured an amazing 4 day visa for Kaliningrad. I was able to collect my visa on the border and get ready to explore. Despite the fact that I backpacked through 20+ ex Soviet Union regions and territories, this was my first time in Kaliningrad, the European part of Russia as many refer to it as. Kaliningrad borders Poland and Lithuania.
Having stayed in Ibis Hotels a lot down the years, including in Bahrain and Kuwait, I couldn’t wait to get checked into my room here at the Ibis Kaliningrad Center. The Hotel was very impressive, I was made to feel at home straight away and I was on the 6th floor in Room 612, with a great view. Here are my favourite things about this hotel.
1.Prime Location – Downtown Kaliningrad City
Kaliningrad City is a bit of a sprawling beast, moreso than I imagined. The Ibis is bang in Kaliningrad Center which made a perfect location for my sightseeing. Here are my tips on backpacking through Kaliningrad City.
I was right next to Kant Island so I could easily tour the Cathedral, the riverside walks by the fishing village and a short dander down Lenin Boulevard to Victory Square. I will write more about the sightseeing when I have time.
2.Excellent Food – Lunch, Breakfast, Dinner
I had a fantastic breakfast and a business lunch here. I had Russian sausage and potatoes with a herring salad as a starter and washed down with a coffee and a local juice.
Breakfast was a huge buffet, similar to my other stays in Ibis Hotels.
3.Good Staff
Good staff and a high level of customer service are essential to me these days when I travel. I spoke to the bar and reception staff and they were all very welcoming and friendly, especially Constantin and Michal. Michal even found time to have fish with me on his night off!
4.Perfect Room
I am used to staying in Ibis Hotels now and I know what to expect from them. Even so, each time when I walk into my room I anticipate clean and cosy room and I had it here. In the magic of Kaliningrad I also had a good night’s sleep!
I took advantage of the laundry option too and got some laundry done – well needed when you travel as much as I do.
5.Working WiFi Everywhere!
The amount of places I have been with crap WiFi in this modern age is ridiculous. And while some people might say I shouldn’t care, well I should. All the money I earn comes through online work so I need to have good WiFi to get my work done. Here at the Ibis, I could Skype from my room, blog from the lobby, tweet from the bar etc. Excellent, consistent WiFi.
Here are the details for booking the Ibis Kaliningrad Center:
MOSKOVSKY PROSPEKT 52
236006 KALININGRAD
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
How to reach the hotel
GPS :N 54° 42′ 34.81” E 20° 30′ 18.81”
Contact the hotel:
- Tel. (+7)4012/596430
- Fax. (+7)4012/596431
- [email protected]
Here are my videos from my time at the Ibis Kaliningrad Center:
[…] I knew this was to be my backpacker spot in the city after a night of bliss and luxury in the trendy Ibis Hotel. I managed to get a visa for four days in the end. It meant three full nights in the country and a […]
[…] the start I stayed in the Ibis Hotel in Kaliningrad city centre for a night and later I headed out into a residential neighbourhood to spend a couple of nights at […]
[…] with me due to the fact that I know what to expect each time. I have stayed in the Ibis Hotels in places like Kaliningrad, Kuwait City and Bahrain. Every time, I found them to be very clean, cosy and exactly what I needed […]
[…] I also stayed at the brand new Ibis Gdansk (Poland) and the Ibis Kaliningrad City (Russia), each time enjoying the luxury and comfort of my room as I travelled through cities to inspire my […]
[…] this, in the summer of 2016, I also stayed at the brand new Ibis Gdansk (Poland) and the Ibis Kaliningrad City (Russia), each time enjoying the luxury and comfort of my room as I travelled through cities to inspire my […]
[…] Judge for yourself whether it’s a good or bad thing that all the staff in bars and restaurants by the Old Town Square speak English these days. All that aside, it was reunion time for me and again I stayed in my trusty Ibis – the Hotel group that I made my favourite on my world travels, previously staying at Ibis Hotels in places like Bahrain, Kuwait and Russia. […]
How much is a single room at the Kaliningrad Ibis?
Hi Rob, it’s hard to answer as rates always go up and down, weekends are busiest, as is summer season. Book directly from the hotel or try the Agoda link – https://www.agoda.com/en-gb/ibis-kaliningrad-center/hotel/kaliningrad-ru.html?cid=1613714 Enjoy your trip to Kaliningrad, I loved it! Jonny
[…] Hotels as one of my consistent brands to stay in. I have so far stayed in their hotels in Poland, Kaliningrad, Kuwait, France and Bahrain. Next it was the turn of the Cote d’Ivoire or the Ivory Coast. I […]