While it once housed the Party elite, the National now opens its doors - and 258 sumptuously decorated rooms and suites - to everyone. Antique vases and paintings are paired with LCD televisions and DVD players to create rooms that embody both Moscow's past and present.

Of the National's two restaurants, the Moskovsky is the more formal - serving Russian and European cuisine - and with live piano music in the evenings and views of the Kremlin and Red Square it is easy to see why it has become so popular with Muscovites. The Alexandrovsky Bar specializes in the somewhat unlikely duo of cocktails, Italian food and homemade cakes for those with a sweet tooth.