«Santa resort hotel» is one of the best hotels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and has a well-deserved 4 stars. Its undoubted advantage is a good location. Around there are hills with coniferous forests, near the city recreation park, a zoo and a ski resort. For a comfortable stay, there are several options for rooms,an aqua zone, restaurants. In addition, there is a three-dimensional foyer with Japanese architecture, there are areas for entertainment and recreation inside the hotel. But first things first.
Ekaterina Pegova writes a review: “The buildings are located on a slope in the forest. The air is amazing, there is silence all around. Management and service here is of the average level. The rooms are cozy, the cuisine is delicious, the aqua zone is excellent.”
Hotel from Japanese architects
The rooms, made in the style of minimalism, have everything you need, which is befitting expensive hotels. A large bed with five pillows, a thick mattress and an “antibacterial” blanket that will presumably disinfect the sleeping traveler. On the wall opposite is a plasma with connected channels of Russian, English and Japanese television. Before bedtime, there is an opportunity to watch your favorite movie or wonder what Japanese television broadcasts to its citizens. Safe will save you from worries about the safety of money and documents. Climate control adds comfort to the heat, because in winter and so well drowned. Of the gadgets, you can note a kettle with constant water heating and a Japanese automatic toilet.
The furnishings are made of natural wood, carpet is laid on the floor, the interior is made in light colors. Overall cozy.
Standard, standard twin and studio rooms have an area of 30 m2, differ in the number of beds and pillows. To the latter there is a reverent attitude: when booking, they will be offered to choose a pillow for sleeping. Separately, you need to say about the toilet and bathroom: Japanese plumbing, a large mirror, a white coat, towels, instead of the usual hygienic set of a whole bar of cosmetics. Very touching care of hygiene – there is nothing to complain about.
The view from the balcony opens to the hills and forest, it is fresh and breathable easily. At a small table, it is good to drink coffee or wine, sitting in a chair, looking through the mail or reading something light.
The cost per day for standard rooms starts from 8000 rubles.
The suite has an area of 60 m2. There are already 2 balconies, 2 dressing rooms, a kitchenette, a spacious living room with a sofa and a coffee table. The cost per day starts from 17,000 rubles.
The price of any room includes breakfast from 7 to 10 am, access to swimming pools, saunas, gym and billiard room. Cleaning is done on a daily basis. The hotel offers free, unlimited Wi-Fi and parking for 70 cars. Laundry facilities are available where you can wash and iron your belongings.
For business trips, a special package with discounts is offered.
Evgen E. writes a review: “by Russian standards, a great place. I liked the overall atmosphere, level of service and facilities. Outside the window is a coniferous forest, a white snowball calmly falls with flakes. Soulful, friends!”
Aquazone
The spa is quite small, but comfortable and not noisy. It consists of a jacuzzi and three small pools with aero and hydromassage, each of which has a different water temperature. And two Finnish saunas: women’s and men’s. There are toilets, showers, changing rooms, but the main advantage is a spacious recreation area in the yard. Having warmed up in the sauna, refreshed in the jacuzzi, it is very useful to lie on a chaise longue, breathing in the fresh air of coniferous park forests. This can not afford guests of the city five-star hotels, forced to inhale street smog. The Japanese who built this hotel took into account the green environment around the hotel when zoning the spaces.
Restaurants & Bar
Buffet is offered in the morning as breakfast: 3-4 types of salads, fish cuts, several types of hot. And of course the abundance of greens, vegetables, pickles, snacks, sauces. From drinks coffee beans, tea, juices. The average level of the range of dishes, but you definitely will not stay hungry.
Restaurant “Rubin” has two thematic halls: European and Japanese. The design and interiors of the spaces correspond to this geography.
In addition to all the well-known dishes, a variety of sea gifts is presented as a separate item. A delicate crab pate, scallop in mustard, trumpeter with three sauces, etc. are offered. Variety of fish combinations: triple ear in Sakhalin, grilled halibut, fish plateau, wild salmon, etc. In addition to the marine theme, there is a main European menu with the usual meat, salad, pasta and burger.
Pan-Asian cuisine is represented by funny names for the Russian ear: myekukk, pulgogi, bibimpap. It’s really just beef and seaweed soup, roast beef with mushrooms and rice with appetizers.
Desserts are also present in the menu: strudel, tiramisu, ice cream, etc. A diverse tea card with herbal and unusual combinations is presented.
Prices in the menu are focused on rich Japanese: “lard, croutons, mustard” – 600r, “ribeye steak, baked potatoes, churasu sauce” – 2950r. Tea 200-350r.
However, given that the city center is a 10-minute walk away, you can not worry much about lunches and dinners. Those who want to eat something cheaper will always find an institution to their taste.
The bar card here is also able to surprise. A glass of wine costs 450-500 rubles. A glass of vodka 300-400 rubles. A bottle of beer “Asahi” 450 rubles. A glass of inexpensive Armenian cognac is offered for 400 rubles. And the most expensive Hennessy VSOP costs 1300p for 50ml.
Services and entertainment at the hotel
Billiards works around the clock. After checking in before going to bed, it is good to skip a glass of something you love and play billiards. There are two tables in the room: American and Russian. For relaxation there are comfortable sofas and armchairs.
The gym is equipped with imported equipment. There is a treadmill, barbell, dumbbells and other pleasures. The hall is recommended to visit instead of a smoking room, bar and billiards.
Tennis is represented here by two courts with a hard surface. The cost, excluding the rental of rackets and coach, is 1300r per hour. If the guest does not know how to play, it is possible to use the services of a paid coach. Who will tell and show all the nuances of the correct technique of playing tennis.
The cigar room is equipped with leather sofas, wood paneled and beautifully furnished. Guests can smoke cigars and conduct business meetings. The cost of renting a cigar room is 3000 rubles per hour.
Alexander Sysolin writes a review: “and here is cute … True, the walls are thin, but after arriving from Moscow you still sleep like a murdered. Balconies and nature around in the style of “chalet”. The restaurant is delicious, there is a separate sauna M and F, three jacuzzis. Rental office, and nearby lift. It’s a pity I came on a business trip, and then it is better to come here on vacation. “
Sports & Tourism Outside the Hotel
Ski slopes
Inside the hotel there is a rental of equipment for skiers and rollers. There is a large selection of skis, snowboards, boots, protective equipment, argamacs, snowshoes, etc. In winter, santa Risot has a sporting spirit due to the influx of skiers and snowboarders.
Not far from the hotel there are roller ski slopes of the resort “Mountain Air”. In winter, a shuttle service to the lift is sent daily. The resort has 20 ski slopes and 6 cable cars. Vacationers ride on two mountains: “Bolshevik” and “Red”. For recreation on the territory of the complex there are three cafes.
Yu.A.Gagarin TsPKiO
Next to the hotel is the central city park, founded in 1908 under Japanese docracy. There are ponds, paths, Japanese gardens, and in the spring cherry blossoms. A cinema has also been built, carousels, cafes are working, ice cream and other indispensable attributes of any city park are sold. A local attraction is a copy of the caravel “Santa Maria”, on which Columbus discovered America in the late 15th century.
Wind tunnel
Located a hundred meters from the hotel on the way to the city center. It’s unlikely you’ve ever flew in a wind tunnel. Most people have never heard of this kind of active entertainment. This simulator is a large glass pipe in which there is a continuous supply of strong air pressure. A person in such a stream should soar in the air, spreading his arms and legs to the sides. This is not only entertainment that helps to warm up even those muscle groups that are rarely used in other types of exercises. This simulator was developed for training parachutists.
Special training, as in a parachute jump, is not required here. It is enough to pass the briefing on the spot, however, there are also limitations. Persons are not allowed to fly: with spinal injuries, with a weight of more than 120 kg, with diseases of the central nervous system and heart, with pregnancy, in an alcoholic, narcotic and inadequate state.
The same company offers other interesting entertainment services: dog sledding, ATVs and snowmobiles. Complex for playing paintball in a group of 6 people, where in addition to equipment and a thematic field, you can rent gazebos with barbecue and a warm house for the night. Excursions for children to the military-historical park “Patriot”.
Sakhalin Zoo
In walking distance is the city zoo with many rare animals. Cats and birds of prey, waterfowl and meerkats, wolves and bears, etc. Children will especially enjoy this world of animals.
What else to visit in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
As a result of the war in 1945, the city returned to Russia after 40 years of Japanese rule. Wooden buildings of the previous periods are practically not preserved. The city has a museum of local history and geology, which exhibits an interesting collection. The museum building itself is an exhibit of Japanese architecture, which is practically gone on the island.
The main attractions and excursions are held in the vicinity:
- in the health resort “Sinegorsk minvody” there is a source of rare mineral water with a high content of arsenic, useful in small quantities. Water with arsenic is recommended for diseases of the joints and nervous system. In the village near the source there are healing mud;
- to the rookeries of sea lions excursions are arranged on a motor boat. The duration of the voyage is about 1.5 hours;
- two waterfalls with a height of 3 and 12 meters are also very popular with tourists;
- 20 kilometers from the city is a mud volcano “Yuzhno-Sakhalinsky” with a large vent;
- Lake Busse is an inland reservoir of Sakhalin, not connected with the Sea of Japan or the Sea of Okhotsk. Here you can go fishing and relax. Catching here is keta, pink salmon, taimen, herring, crucian carp, navaga and even smelt. But the lake is famous not only for fishing and valuable algae anfelsiya. The entire bottom of the lake is dotted with huge oysters and mussels, which are also tasted here. There are also trepangs, scallops and grass shrimp;
- Vaidinskaya cave is open for expeditions in the warm season, when the entrance is not hidden under the thickness of snow. Depth up to 70 meters and length up to 300. Inside it is very beautiful: stalactites, stalagmites, huge ribs on the walls, thickets of stone grapes and corallites. There are feelings that I got to another planet. You need to visit such a cave with special equipment and escort.
