The Astoria's neighbor got a total makeover in 2003, courtesy of Olga Polizzi, sister of Sir Rocco Forte and designer of his divine grands. That's because Sir Forte took over the management of this five-star, instantly making these 193 rooms some of the most desirable in the city. Guests here get the same great Isaac Square location, plus signing privileges at the Astoria's facilities, and decor that's almost as lovely. Here are parquet floors; heavy drapes and matching armchairs in burgundy, grey, or cream; Volga linens; and dark-stained wood. There's satellite and cable TV, but the marble-tile bathrooms aren't so attractive—and you have to graduate to the Club Floor or a suite before you get a robe. The Italian Borsalino Restaurant (gnocchi, osso buco, tiramisu) is very pleasant, and Caviar, a ground-floor Russian bar with panoramic views of Isaac Square, opened in December 2006.

This echt palace from the czarist era opened its doors in mid-2003 as a luxe hotel, having already established a following among the moneyed and reckless with the Taleon Club casino within the same walls. The 29 rooms (to be joined by an additional 70 by the end of 2007) are designed to appeal to the high rollers; they have a Vegas sensibility, with brocade, polished walnut, gilding and molding, Italian marble and whirlpool tubs, and hand-painted reproductions of the best of the Hermitage, all in color schemes ranging from gold and cream to bordello red. The Taleon restaurant has a good reputation with people who dress up for dinner; the Victoria is more relaxed, especially at breakfast. There's also a bar, a café, an oyster bar, and a cigar lounge—just as well, for one feels practically obligated to puff on a stogie here.

The advantage of staying in a hotel built in 2003 in this city is that everything works—from broadband and Wi-Fi to satellite TV and AC. The drawback is history deprivation, though local architect Eugine Gerasimov has done his best to override that by designing a replica of a grand 19th-century mansion. There's not much to gaze at in the 92 rooms, with their ersatz-classical look, but they're comfortable, bright, and inoffensive. Spring for a suite and you get your own Jacuzzi and sauna. Hotel facilities are better than the reasonable rates suggest. There's 24-hour room service, three restaurants, a casino, and a spa with several ways to sweat: Turkish bath, sauna, and Russian banya, plus a gym with classes in yoga and—let's hear it for the Tae Bo revival!

The top hotel in town is part of Sir Rocco Forte's collection (sisters include Hotel de Russie in Rome and the Angleterre here in St. Petersburg) and couldn't be better placed—by St. Isaac's Cathedral. As always with Sir Rocco's digs, the 213 rooms strike a balance between traditional and contemporary, leaning here toward the classic, in a winter palette of white, beige, blue, and red that was installed in a 2002 redo. There are parquet floors, brass bedsteads with Russian linens, dark-stained wood furniture (some antique), and white marble bathrooms—all hung on such good bones. (Note, however, that most Classic standard rooms have no external view but look out on the inner courtyard instead, as do the ten 650-square-foot Olga Polizzi–designed Ambassador Suites, which were opened in spring 2007.) The grand 1912 building has beautiful proportions, with spacious lounges and parlors downstairs; have caviar and vodka in the Davidov bar, and afternoon tea in the Rotunda Lounge in the opulent lobby. Plus, there's a gym and a Clarins spa with a sauna and Turkish bath, which opened in 2003. The hotel takes particular pride in its concierge team, who give insider tips, score tickets, and generally help to negotiate what can be a tricky city: At these rates, you should give them a thorough workout.