Crowne Plaza has done an excellent job training its staff as everyone seemed to be genuinely interested in whether my stay was okay. The front desk and concierge speak English extremely well or got someone right away to assist if need be. The cleaners were pleasant as well, as were the waitresses and cook in the restaurant. Sounds strange to be commenting on all this but friendliness can be hard to find in ex-communist countries. Rooms are very large and comfortable; the complimentary wireless still has a few bugs in it at times; and everything was very clean. The only complaint is one that can be attributed to most Crowne Plazas and that is poor lighting. This place will be the place to stay at once the gym and pool are completed this spring. I'll be back.

I stayed in the Crowne Plaza Minsk in December 2008. The hotel has been recently revovated and was really nice. I would recommend this to friends.

As usual, the good, the ok, and the bad.

The Good
- Hotel room was really nice. It was quite large and well furnished. I was not bothered by any external noises, so the walls appeared to be sound proofish (don't know for sure.)
- Clean. The bathroom, bedroom and the entire hotel was very clean. The staff did a nice job.
- Bathroom heated floors. Always a nice touch and well appreciated.
- In room safe. Large enough to store laptop.
- Pillow selection. There were multiple type of pillows available. Thank you Crowne Plaze.
- The room furnishings, again new, but very nice and comfortable. I could work and relax with ease in the room.
Location. Appeared to be in the heart of the city, although the restaurants we patroned were a drive away. In short, I do not know if there are solid local restaurants you can walk to. Likely - but I do not know.

The OK
- Breakfast. The offerings were decent and the service was good.

The Bad
- I scheduled a wake-up call that never occurred. While I had a back-up alarm, there is absolutely no reason to miss a wake-up call. It could have been caused by my fast-paced English, but the receptionist repeated it back to me........
- Payment options. American Express is not accepted, nor are Euros. So, bring your Visa, local currency or USD. I do give the Crowne credit for posting that they do not accept Amex on their website - I.e., the reason I brought Euros. Oh well, will know for next time!

So, overall the room comfortabliness was quite good. Even with the wake-up and payment issues, I would stay there again.

Enjoy Minsk.