Uncomfortable in Moscow

My two daughters and I traveled to Moscow in October ’08. Via the Internet, we had arranged for an apartment with Uncle Pasha, aka Paul or Pavel or Pasha Voytinsky (www.unclepasha.com). His website was attractive and he quickly answered our e-mails. We requested a room for three people, close to the metro, at $100 per night.

When we finally arrived at the apartment (identified as “Street Skakovay, the house 15/1, apartment 5. A floor 1 — underground stop ‘Belarussky’”), we were met by Valentina, who spoke no English. My daughter had to talk with a translator on the phone.

The apartment, 12 blocks from the metro, appeared to have not been cleaned in a long, long time. The refrigerator was full of leftover food. There was mold all over the bathroom and in the refrigerator.

We had asked for beds for three persons. What we got was a three-quarter bed with a plywood bottom and two inches of styrofoam plus a single couch/daybed sort of thing.

We stayed Oct. 17-19, then, as a side trip, took a train to Riga, Latvia, continuing to St. Petersburg on the 21st (Sept. ’09, pg. 29) and returning to Moscow for two more nights, Oct. 23-24. All together, we stayed in Moscow five nights at a cost of $600.

We requested a different apartment (I no longer have the address) for when we returned to Moscow from our train trips. When we got back, we took a taxi there. After (a wait), Valentina’s daughter arrived to let us in.

This apartment was no better. The pullout couch was broken and the other bed was just as bad. The next day, Valentina sent a repairman to fix the couch. She also advised us that there was a mat behind the TV we could have slept on. I am 74 years old and am not about to sleep on a mat on the floor!

When we complained, she said if we didn’t like it we could go get a hotel. Well, hotels in Moscow are very expensive, so we stayed.

Before we left, Valentina showed up to collect the keys and the balance of the rent due. We gave her the $200 we thought was due, but she wanted monies for having to move our luggage to the new apartment, even though she hadn’t told us anything about being charged. We argued slightly about that and she gave in but was not happy.

JUDY MATTLIN

Lancaster, OH

ITN e-mailed copies of Ms. Matt­lin’s letters to Pasha Voytinsky (Uncle Pasha, Ovchinnikovskaya naberezhnaya 8, kv. 508, 115035 Moscow, Russia) at manfriday@yandex.ru and was sent responses that included the following from Mr. Voytinsky.

Spoke at length to Valentina, my assistant who dealt with these clients. Having showed up in the morning (Oct. 17), they did not give Valentina a chance to prepare the apartment. They arrived on a different flight from the one that was indicated, several hours before.

From what I see, everyone was quite accommodating towards them.

By all means, publish their letter. 100% positive feedback about my apartment does not look natural.