MaMaison Pokrovka Suites
It bucks the Moscow trend of bigger-is-better, and it's a bit off the well-trod tourist track — and that's exactly why this boutique hotel is such a welcome find. The 84-room property, occupying a funky, blocky-looking modern building, is set just a five-minute drive east from the Kremlin — yet the neighborhood, filled with prerevolutionary mansions, medieval Orthodox churches, and chic cafés and boutiques, has managed to stay under the radar of most travelers. A mix of savvy executives and artsy hipsters, however, has discovered the Zen sanctuary-style guest rooms, many with muslin-canopied beds, polished stone bathrooms, and orchids perched sinkside and bedside. The bold, minimalist style is echoed in the common spaces, which include an eclectic restaurant hung with globular chandeliers, a petite Algotherm spa, and elevator banks splashed with black-and-white photo murals of Moscow street life.
Insider Tip: Sample Uzbek cuisine at Khodja Nasreddin in Khiva, a restaurant nearby where diners kick back on pillows and feast on lamb pilaf and succulent apricots.
Room to Book: The top-floor Chairman Suite, with its light fixture in the shape of a near-life-size horse. It's coveted, so book well in advance.