This hotel, perhaps the most lavish in St. Petersburg, has hosted such illustrious guests as Tchaikovsky and Dostoyevsky since its opening in 1824. The interior is all Russian Imperial opulence, with marble, gold, velvet drapes, and heavily detailed columns and statues. Stay in one of the historic suites if your budget can stand it: the Dostoyevsky suite is in the corner, since all of the writer's characters lived in corner rooms; the Fabergé suite is done in lilac, pink, and gold, since those were the colors often used in the jeweler's precious eggs. The hotel has everything you will need for a luxurious time, including a grand staircase, an award-winning restaurant where an evening gown wouldn't look out of place, and such charming details as butler service and a caviar tasting bar.