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Arktika gets winter coat

Reconstruction of hotel Arktika down-town Murmansk has finally started. The hotel has been closed since 2007. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Reconstruction work on hotel Arktika in Murmansk is finally underway after five years of standstill.

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The tallest building in the Russian Arctic capital is covered with scaffolding as new thick insulation is put in place from the ground floor to the very top. Being the largest in Murmansk, hotel Arktika was infamous for cold draught coming straight through the walls and windows bringing an extra charm to your overnight stay in the long-lasting winter period.

The 17 floors hotel closed its doors in 2007 for highly needed reconstruction. Restoration work was however neglected for years flavored with funding disagreements between the town authorities and the investors.  

First stage of reconstruction will be finished next December and final stage will be completed by December 2014, according to an info-poster on the construction site.

Re-opening of hotel Arktika with nearly 200 rooms will be highly welcomed. Limited capacity in town is heating up the prices for existing beds at the few other hotels, as earlier reported by BarentsObserver.

Another clear sign of the heated hotel market in Murmansk is the real estate prices. The building where budget-price hotel Moryak is located is for sale at a price tag of $20 million (€16,1 million) the prospect reads. Hotel Moryak is located next to Norwegian owned Park Inn Polyarny Zori.