The hotel was built in 1970 by the Soviet state-owned travel monopoly Intourist on Tverskaya Street just north of Red Square.

[4] The hallways were decorated with three stained glass works designed by Leonid Polishchuk and Svetlana Shcherbinina.

The bomb exploded near the offices of Russian singer and State Duma deputy Joseph Kobzon.

[8] Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov called it a "rotting tooth" on Tverskaya Street.

[9] The hotel closed on January 7, 2002 after the last guests checked out and the city began demolition shortly thereafter.