About Us...

Well, the story of this company begins with me, Ed Ryder. As a hobby, I had been studying the Russian language in suburban Philadelphia at West Chester University for 2 years when my professor announced that he was leading a 5 week Russian language study trip to Saint Petersburg. I had to jump on that offer!

 

Prior to my departure, I hired a private guide that had been referred to me by an internet friend and he was there at the airport waiting for me when I arrived. It was June 5th, 2000.

 

I had never been to Russia before and everything I was seeing out the bus window during the drive from Pulkovo Airport to our dormitory in the city was absolutely fascinating. The sights became more and more interesting as we drove deeper into the core of the city. Wow...

 

After we arrived at the dormitory, I dropped off my suitcase, left my fellow students behind, and immmediately began exploring the city with my guide.

 

I can't tell you how stunned I was with all that I saw. I was amazed with this city. It was so vibrant and dynamic. There was beautiful architecture everywhere. And it was oh-so-different from Philadelphia. Being there was thrilling, and my guide absolutely made it the greatest adventure of my lifetime up until that point. He immersed me into the city, it's culture and attractions, and even helped me to make new Russian friends!

 

It was all a giant feast of adventure that made me feel enthralled and ALIVE. It was so exciting. I savored every moment! By the conclusion of the 4th day I had seen and done so much. I had become comfortable and familiar with the city.

 

Meanwhile, my study-mates back at the dormitory were having a different experience. They were hanging out, playing cards and drinking. Sounds like fun, huh? The truth is -- they were intimidated. They stayed close to the dormitory for safety. It took 4 days for them to go out and do some exploring on their own. In comparing my experience to theirs, the difference was huge! I rocked it right from the start. I saw it all and did it all. And it was great. My fellow students had been missing out for sure! I owed it all to my guide.

 

There was no way I was sharing him. This guy was the secret to my success in this town. We continued exploring out into the suburbs and even going to some other regional cities. I found it very easy to make new friends over there. (Russians can be incredibly kind, generous and fun.)

 

One of the friends I made that summer was a serious business woman. She and I started this business together about 18 months later. Thanks to her, we attracted very highly qualified guides to our team. In time, she chose to focus more on her career and exited the business. I expanded service to Moscow and Kiev, Ukraine.

 

When we started this business, I got the idea to visit all of the hotels in Saint Petersburg in order to see the rooms, snap photos, write reviews and put it all on the web (www.hotelinspector.com). This was quite an adventure, because back then in early 2002, the state of Saint Petersburg's hotel infrastructure was pretty bad. There were really only 4 top hotels in the heart of the city at that time, plus a few mini-hotels that were good, but most hotels back then were "soviet crappy." The facility quality was poor and the service attitude was equally as bad or worse. In all, Saint Petersburg had about 100 hotels at that time.

 

Two years later in January 2004 I was visiting hotels again, but this time things were different! I almost could not believe my eyes... the pace of change had been incredible! Saint Petersburg had a new air of prosperity. Many, many very nice cafes and restaurants had opened. There were many high-end shops. New shopping malls had arrived. Dilapidated squares that were like slums had been completely beautified. There were beautiful new pedestrian streets. Many historic buildings and monuments had been restored. And many mini-hotels had opened! Major new hotels had arrived too. And older hotels had been updated to western style. And another thing... two years before, many hotels that winter barely had any guests, but now the hotels were buzzing with activity thanks to an influx of business travelers. It had been an incredibly quick transformation.

 

In March 2004 I spent 22 days in Moscow visiting all of their hotels. I saw that if it weren't for the 1980 Olympics, the hotel shortage in Moscow would have been far more severe.

 

Moscow is sort of interesting, but it feels a bit like a giant American city. It's fun to arrive in Red Square so that you can say you've been there. But Saint Petersburg is where it's at. Saint Petersburg is far more interesting!

 

The strategy of having guides in other cities wasn't panning out. In Kiev, there was no interest. In Moscow, there was just too great of a guide shortage.

 

Saint Petersburg is where our strength has always been. This is where we have on-the-ground managers available 24 hours a day for any issue or emergency.

 

If you are someone who wants to get the most out of your Saint Petersburg visit, then you have found the right pathway to get you there.

 

Click HERE and fill out our "Let's Get Acquainted Form." You can expect a reply within 24 hours, and as a bonus for inquiring, we'll send you our Saint Petersburg "Insider Tips" data sheet, which can help you to plan a more successful visit.

 

So what do you say? Are you ready for Saint Petersburg? A feast of adventure awaits! Just be sure to contact us early in your trip planning in order to make certain you can get one of our terrific guides.

 

Ed Ryder