The Saudi king made a cash desk for Moscow luxury hotels. The delegation of the king of Saudi Arabia made a cash desk for Moscow hotels Leisure and business
On October 4, Business FM received information that during the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia and his retinue to Moscow, they would fill all available five-star rooms around Red Square and the Kremlin. One of the hotels is 100% booked.
The royal will stay in the capital until 7 October. During this time, several very important meetings should take place. Already now we can say with confidence that in the Lubyanka area, Kuznetsky bridge, as well as Manezhnaya Square, finding a free place in a top-level hotel will not work. Special attention important guests decided to give Four Seasons, St. Regis and National. It was these objects that were considered the most worthy of receiving a delegation from Saudi Arabia. The work in hotels is in full swing, as you need to please everyone. In general, the Saudis arrived in in large numbers– about 1000 people. For the most important of them - the king - all rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel were booked until October 7th.
According to Yunis Teymurkhanly, CEO and the owner of one of the St. Petersburg hotels, such measures are mandatory, as they are part of the protocol requirements for the accommodation of persons of this level. Important guests should get everything they expect. If the king felt that the hotel should be filled with his retinue for the duration of his stay, then so be it. Important guests - special rules. In practice, in most cases, guests of this level are accommodated in the official residences of the countries they visit. In this way, the maximum level of security can be ensured.
But, the decision on which accommodation facility to choose is determined only by the protocol of the two countries. The monarch's delegation may perceive transport accessibility and security in its own way, and therefore the choice may well be different. As happened in the case of a visit to Moscow. Speaking of hotels, which have become the choice of the delegation, their kitchens even exceed the capabilities of the state residence, which, as a rule, is offered to important guests. Most likely, the king will invite various guests, including journalists. During the visit of politicians, his own chefs will treat not only a large delegation, but also all those invited.
Already on October 4, one could notice that there were an unusually large number of traffic police officers on the roads of Moscow, which, most likely, was dictated by increased security measures. The king must understand that all necessary measures have been taken in connection with his visit. The vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of the Russian Federation believes that traffic in the center for this period can be considered significantly complicated, but Moscow has long been accustomed to this. The capital city often receives distinguished guests, so it will work at the usual pace. The delegation is actually very large. There is another nuance, all the guests wished to stay exclusively in top-level hotels, the latter were happy about this.
The Ritz Carlton hotel on Booking.com indicates the cost of a room from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night on October 8. In total, the hotel has 334 rooms.
It is worth recalling that in early 2017, the Saudi king had already taken a 31-day trip to Asia. In order for the trip to be as the king had planned for himself, he had to take 459 tons of luggage, which included 2 elevators, as well as 2 Mercedes-Benz S600 cars and a retinue of 1,500 people. The age of the monarch is 81 years.
MOSCOW, October 3 - RIA Novosti. During the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia to Moscow, his retinue will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels - completely, representatives of the hotels told RIA Novosti.
According to a source close to the organizers of the visit, in many rooms the situation will be changed to a more familiar one for guests, in oriental style. Moreover, for several high-ranking members of the delegation, their favorite carpets will be brought specially from Saudi Arabia.
Already now in the area of Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no free places in five-star hotels. RIA correspondent visited several hotels, including Four Seasons, St. Regis, "National" - those in which the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. "Most early booking available from October 6," RIA Novosti was told at the reception of one of the hotels.
In total, the Saudi delegation will number about a thousand people, a source told RIA Novosti. Most of the delegation will be settled in hotels in close proximity to the Kremlin.
One of these hotels, with about 200 rooms, will be fully occupied.
Already now, on the dates of the visit of the king, it is impossible to rent a room at the hotel for any money. The RIA Novosti booking department explained that the situation of a complete lack of rooms rarely develops, and it is associated with the "check-in large groups". Now all the rooms are sold out until October 8, the reservation department offered to check in at later dates.
The cost of a double room in a hotel starts from 41 thousand rubles per night. A room with a view of Manezhnaya Square costs 59 thousand, with a view of the Kremlin and Alexander Garden - 137 thousand. The most expensive and spacious rooms (with an area of about 500 square meters) cost about a million rubles per day (the price depends on the season and hotel occupancy). They are considered the most expensive hotel rooms in Russia.
"The hotel was completely filmed by the king's entourage," one of the hotel's representatives told RIA Novosti. The hotel management had to cancel several events for these days - private banquets and weddings were planned at the hotel. In addition, pork dishes were excluded from the hotel menu.
Now at the entrance to the hotel and around it, security has been strengthened, they are allowed into the hotel only upon presentation of a guest card.
In addition, a source close to the organizers of the visit said that in some rooms the stop will be changed from European to Eastern, and the Saudi delegation is also carrying its own carpets and furniture.
Michal Schmetz, general manager of one of the hotels in the Asian region, told RIA Novosti that replacing furniture in rooms or even plumbing is a common practice for wealthy guests, especially from the Middle East. “They are more comfortable with carpets and low trestle beds. If necessary, we change the furniture at our own expense. Old furniture is sent to the warehouse, and instead of it we put new furniture in oriental style. After the departure of distinguished guests, of course, no one throws away “oriental” furniture - it is also sent to the warehouse before the arrival of new guests," Schmets said.
Also, posters appeared in Moscow with a greeting from the "Russian-Saudi Investment Fund" addressed to "the custodian of two Islamic shrines, His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud." The poster is made in Russian and Arabic and is decorated with a portrait of the king.
Earlier, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that the visit of King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Moscow would take place on October 5. A RIA Novosti source reported that the king would visit Moscow on October 4-7. According to him, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and a package of documents is being prepared for signing.
Before the meeting between the President of the Russian Federation and the King of Saudi Arabia, the Russian-Saudi Investment Forum will be held on October 5, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Kirill Dmitriev, told reporters. In addition, the week of Saudi culture is held in Moscow all week long.
According to press reports, on the eve of the king's visit to Indonesia in March this year, 459 tons of various equipment, including two Mercedes S600s and two electric elevators, were delivered to Jakarta from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi delegation consisted of 800 people, including 10 ministers and 25 princes. 27 flights were made to deliver people and cargo to Jakarta.
On Thursday, October 5, the King of Saudi Arabia was received in the Kremlin. The arrival of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is significant not only because this is the first visit of the monarch, but also because the negotiations with the Guardian of the two shrines (al-Haram mosques in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina) were supposed to dot the i in questions related to the oil market and military-technical cooperation. Amid the Kremlin's gilding, the Saudis, accustomed to luxury, decided the fate of a package of arms contracts worth more than three billion dollars. And the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, who celebrated his birthday, photographed with interest the place for the throne in the Andreevsky Hall.
All can kings
Muscovites could learn about the forthcoming visit of the king not only from the news. In early October, the Russian-Suad Investment Fund placed posters on the highway from Vnukovo Airport with a greeting to "His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia, the Custodian of the two Islamic shrines." The delegation, numbering almost a thousand people, rented all the luxury rooms in the most expensive hotels Russian capital. In an effort to please guests accustomed to oriental luxury, the rooms were refurbished, carpets were laid and low trestle beds were placed. The king himself stayed at the Four Seasons. This hotel chain is partly owned by his nephew, Prince Al-Walid.
There are legends about how the king and his retinue travel. The amount of luggage carried is especially impressive - the bill goes to hundreds of tons. Aircraft transport equipment, cars, elevators and even an escalator ladder, the length of which when folded is 15 meters. That's where he got in trouble. The technical specialists who arrived as part of the delegation collected this royal know-how on their own. But on Russian soil, something went wrong. The 81-year-old monarch stepped onto the escalator, drove a third of the way, and the gangway jammed. The elderly king, leaning on a wand, with difficulty climbed several steps on his own.
The Kremlin went off without a hitch. Since a state visit - the highest level of all possible - implies a magnificent welcoming ceremony, taking into account the age of the monarch, it was nevertheless reduced. By tradition, the delegations of the two countries lined up along the Andreevsky Hall. In this front room of the Grand Kremlin Palace, restored in the 90s, a place for the throne was also designated. More precisely, a throne with replicas of royal chairs. It was in this direction that Vladimir Putin led his guest, circling the vaults of the hall with his hands and telling something with the help of translators.
When the king and the president left the hall, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, approached the throne. He stood out against the general background with his paramilitary outfit - a dark green jacket. Left alone for a few moments, Kadyrov took out his phone and photographed the place for the throne. And then he posed for his Instagram with the leaders of Ingushetia and Tatarstan. All three represented the Muslim part of the Russian Federation.
Arab journalists, meanwhile, warned Russian colleagues against a mistake: the name of their king should be pronounced in full and only in full. “No way! Only Salman bin Abdulaziz!” - one of the guests spoke in perfect Russian, raising his voice with respect.
Waited ten years
Relations between Moscow and Riyadh have not always been smooth sailing. The first official visit of representatives of Saudi Arabia to Moscow after the collapse of the USSR took place in 2003. For the current king, who took the throne in 2015, the current visit is the first in a new capacity, but he already visited Moscow in 2006, being the ruler of Riyadh.
But Vladimir Putin visited this Arab country only once - ten years ago, but he remembers that trip with warmth. He was received royally, with a cannon salute and a cavalry escort. The monarch put the entire palace at the disposal of the guest and generously invited him to change the schedule of the visit at his own discretion. The road in front of Putin was strewn with rose petals, and the dancers spectacularly presented a dagger (one can imagine what the president's bodyguard went through at that moment). The colors were added by the outfits of Russian journalists - they had to wear hijabs.
Just a few years before that visit, Russia accused Saudi Arabia of financially supporting Chechen terrorists. Riyadh expressed dissatisfaction with Moscow's attitude towards the Muslims of his country. But in the name of a joint fight against terrorism, the parties entered into a dialogue. Then Putin left the kingdom with the highest award of the kingdom - the Order of Abdel Aziz. Finally, he invited the then King Abdullah, the half-brother of the current ruler, to pay a return visit to Moscow. The visit had to wait ten years - Riyadh preferred to look towards Washington.
Kalashnikov and wheat
Before the visit of Salman bin Abdulaziz, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that the meeting of the leaders would be “a turning point in relations and bring cooperation to a new level, providing a fruitful contribution to stability in the Middle East and North Africa". The fact that Moscow really has high expectations, especially in terms of military-technical cooperation, was told to the Kommersant newspaper by sources working in this area.
According to the interlocutors of the publication, the Russian side has prepared a package of arms contracts worth over three billion dollars, including the supply of several divisions of S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems. For ten years, Moscow tried to enter the Riyadh arms market, but it never came to contracts.
As a result, through Rosoboronexport, only an agreement was signed to organize licensed production of AK-103 assault rifles and cartridges for various purposes in the kingdom. Of the 14 papers certified by the delegations, one can single out an agreement on research and cooperation in outer space and a program in the field of the use of atomic energy. Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture has agreed on the supply of Russian wheat to Saudi Arabia, although the export of Russian barley already accounts for almost half of bilateral trade worth more than $200 million.
Salman bin Abdel Al Saud positively assessed Russia's efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria. And he did not fail to prick Iran. “We emphasize that the security and stability of the Gulf region and the Middle East will require Iran to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of states, refraining from activities to destabilize the situation in this region,” the king said slowly, checking papers covered in large print. Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, he noted that relations between Moscow and Riyadh, according to his estimates, "are characterized by the coincidence of views on many regional and international problems."
"It was a friendly, thorough conversation, based on the mutual desire of Moscow and Riyadh to consistently build up mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas," Lavrov said after the talks. His colleague Adel ibn Ahmed al-Jubeir used stronger language. In his opinion, "relations between the two countries are reaching new horizons, which we could not even imagine before."
Finally, King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited Vladimir Putin to visit. The Russian President accepted the invitation and promised to visit Saudi Arabia again. But he didn't set a deadline.
The cost of living for the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his retinue during a visit to Moscow from October 5 to 7 can be up to $ 3.3 million, according to a study conducted for RBC by OneTwoTrip travel service specialists.
Earlier, RIA Novosti reported that the Saudi king and a thousand people of his retinue will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square. They will stay at the Four Seasons (Moscow), Ritz Carlton, St. Regis Nikolskaya and National. In particular, the delegation fully rented the Four Seasons Hotel. The cost of only the presidential suite in it is 1 million rubles.
“Depending on accommodation, 1,000 guests will need from 500 to 1,000 rooms. Including accommodation in all Four Seasons rooms, as well as suites at the Ritz Carlton, St. Regis and National get about 326 rooms, that is, to accommodate the entire delegation, at least 430 more rooms of a different category in these three hotels are needed, ”the experts calculated.
If we take into account the cost of not only suites, but also standard and superior rooms, as well as an extra charge for group accommodation from 10 to 50%, then the total cost of living for the Saudi delegation could be from $2.2 million to $3.3 million, experts say.
According to Kommersant, especially for the arrival of the king, the situation in some rooms will be changed: carpets will be added, furniture will be changed. “The cost of such a transformation is difficult to calculate. We can talk about tens of thousands of dollars,” OneTwoTrip experts say.
According to Kommersant, Saudi Prince Al-Walid, the nephew of the king of Saudi Arabia, owns a stake in the Four Seasons hotel chain. “Without a doubt, this will make adjustments to the final price,” says the study received by RBC.
Some drop in the ratings of specific hotels due to the impossibility for regular guests to check in for this period “will be more than offset by the income from the accommodation of delegations,” Vyacheslav Sapozhnikov, editor-in-chief of the Hotelier.PRO industry portal, told RBC. According to him, the reputation of hotels - "long-playing moment."
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's visit to Moscow after the incident at Vnukovo-2 airport. When the king got off the plane and began to descend the escalator ladder, it broke down and the monarch had to go down on his own. As RBC adviser to the President of Russia, Elena Krylova, the delegation of Saudi Arabia brought the escalator ladder with them, but she could not specify the cause of the breakdown.
During his visit, the King of Saudi Arabia held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The press service of the Kremlin reported that the build-up of bilateral cooperation in trade, economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres will be discussed, and joint documents will also be signed.
The retinue of the king of Saudi Arabia during his visit to Moscow will occupy all the free rooms of five-star hotels around the Kremlin and Red Square, including one of the hotels - completely. This was reported by Business FM on October 4.
The visit of the royal person will last from 4 to 7 October. Already now in the area of Manezhnaya Square, Lubyanka and Kuznetsky Most there are no free rooms in five-star hotels such as Four Seasons, St. Regis and National - those in which the delegation from Saudi Arabia will stay. In total, the Saudi mission will number about a thousand people. And for the king himself, all the rooms of the Ritz Carlton hotel were purchased until October 7th.
For the first time, two additional questions were included in the survey of metropolitan travel agencies organized by BANKO following the results of the summer season, the answers to which made it possible to find out retail preferences in the field of MICE tourism and work with VIP clients.
According to the site Yunis Teymurkhanly, owner and general director of the Helvetia hotel in St. Petersburg, such measures are dictated by the requirements of protocols for the placement of persons of this level. “As a rule, figures of this magnitude stay at official residences on the territory of the visited states, where maximum security can be ensured. But the final choice of accommodation facility is determined by the protocol of the two countries. The monarch's delegation may have its own security concerns and transport accessibility. In addition, the dining options at the Four Seasons and the Ritz Carlton exceed those of a government residence that is typically provided to guests of this caliber. The king will probably invite politicians and journalists to his place. In this case, his own chefs can provide food not only for a large delegation, but also for guests,” the expert said.
On October 4, an unusually high density of traffic police officers could already be observed on the roads of Moscow, which is likely due to increased security measures. According to Vadim Prasov, vice-president of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia, the center will most likely have difficulties with road traffic, but Moscow, as a capital city, is used to it. “The delegation is really large, and none of the status guests wants to live in “three rubles”. Hoteliers, of course, will not have any objections,” commented the expert.
On Booking.com, rooms at the Ritz Carlton hotel on October 8 can cost from 35 to 112 thousand rubles per night. The hotel has 334 rooms.
Recall that earlier this year, the Saudi king undertook a 31-day trip to Asian countries, in which he was accompanied by 459 tons of luggage, including two elevators and two Mercedes-Benz S600 cars, as well as a retinue of 1,500 people. The monarch is 81 years old.
