once upon a december
The sky is an even carpet of grey. It promises snow and, indeed, snowflakes soon begin to fall. From the vantage point of Bellevue – the rooftop restaurant of Kempinski Hotel Moika 22 – white layers begin to settle on the even expanse of St Petersburg rooftops. It’s mesmerising; hypnotic, even. In the near distance – merely a few paces away from the hotel’s front door – the ornate mint-and-white Winter Palace is getting little dusting of snow, which is a beautiful picture when one is comfortably ensconced in heated pleasure with a glass of champagne.
The last imperial capital of the Russian Empire, St Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, and the site of many earth-shattering events from the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861 to October Revolution in 1917. If Moscow is vast and sombre, St Petersburg is snug and beautiful. Neoclassical and Russian Empire-style buildings in cheerful shades of pastel line the city’s warren of canals, holding centuries of stories; and nowhere is this more true than at the city’s spiritual centre in Palace Square – where the Romanov Dynasty’s last residence, the Winter Palace, stands. This is a city where every cobblestone and every wall has experienced history, and this includes its Kempinski, housed in a mansion overlooking the Moika River built by Dutch engineer Basil von Witte in 1853.
With the mansion’s classical façade faithfully retained, the interior has been completely reconstructed to modern standards within the original framework that wraps around a central courtyard. It is meant to replicate the look and feel of a grand St Petersburg manor of noble origin, but look closer, and you’ll also notice a touch of naval here and there. The lobby’s Von Witte bar, for example, is peppered with miniature ships, seafaring art and antiques recovered from wrecks among deeply-comfortable leather chairs and exposed brickwork. A deep navy blue carpet defines the public spaces and corridors – evoking the colour of the deep sea – which carries through to the rooms (from RUB10,000/RM665 per night). A smart combination of blues and hardwood hues re-imagines the look of a captain’s cabin, particularly in a Duplex Suite (from RUB16,000/RM1,065 per night) where balconies open out to an even sea of roofs, and the onion-domed silhouette of the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood in the distance.
Strict height restrictions in the centre of St Petersburg means that the Kempinski’s rooftop gives an uninterrupted view of that skyline, which must rightfully be described as ‘glorious’. That description applies to the menu at Bellevue, as well. Anchored by its signature dish of Kamchatka crab with avocado and curry oil and the signature L’Ermitage dessert (a delightful white chocolate sphere inspired by a snow-covered Winter Palace), the dishes are an education into Russian fine dining. In the winter, diners are enveloped by a glass frame that keeps the chill at bay, but in the summer – particularly during the luminous White Nights of nearly round-the-clock daylight – the outdoor terrace is the place to be; simply because blinis, champagne and a royal view go well even past midnight. Breakfast, at Beau Rivage on the ground floor, also clings to the Russian tradition; scrambled eggs with caviar and sour cream is a hearty start to the day, as are the enticing selection of honeys.
The hearty breakfast preps guests for a day of exploration. Where to start? The Winter Palace, of course. Now known as the State Hermitage Museum, it is a must for any guest in St Petersburg, with one of the world’s greatest collections of art and cultural artifacts. Further afield, there are the famed golden fountains of the Peterhof Palace and the Amber Room at Catherine Palace, as well as a requisite ballet performance at the Mariinsky Theratre. But guests of Kempinski also have unique options. The hotel’s art concierge team holds the keys to the city’s treasure trove of art. Highly-trained and expertly adept, they could arrange for private tours of the Hermitage, State Russian Museum or the Faberge Museum, or recommend a deep dive into galleries only connoisseurs know of, like the Erarta Museum of Contemporary Art. In fact, for a descendent of the Russian Royal family, the art concierge team recently had Vladimir Palace cleared so the titled guest could enjoy a private tour without any distractions. Proof that for the Kempinski Hotel Moika 22, anything is possible. All you have to do is ask.
