As other reviewers have said and is obvious from the photographs on your booking pages , the building dates back to the sixties. The first room I was shown, was on the 6th floor, had no airconditioning and a poor view looking at another block of the hotel.
The new room had more modern furniture. My visit to Sochi coincided with that of a friend staying at another hotel meters east. That hotel, the Edem, also hasa a large salt-water pool, but one not divided all day into swimming lanes.
It's beach access is also more 'natural' than that at Zhenchuzhina - so I spent my days at the Edem even though there was a R charge for poolside R just for the beach. Breakfast was plentiful and Ii thought the choice available was fine - better than in other Russian hotels I have stayed in over the years.
I only tried the Limpopo restaurant, but had two good meals, accompanied by live variety performances one the 'normal' show, the other a 'special' for which there was a small charge to reserve a table. Both shows were fine - if you like the sort of thing that is very common on Russian TV. And yes, the high-end nightclub on the 'Platform' which has nothing I did not visit either the lap-dancing bar or the strip club in the Zhemchuzhina, nor did I succumb to the blandishments of the prostitutes who materialised late at night in the Xhemchuzhina's lobby Why would I with my girlfriend almost next door?!
I'm pretty sure I was the only non-Russian in the place, but reception staff helped out when my own command of Russian let me down But the hotel, staggeringly, does not provide a 'visa service' - perhaps because they get so few non-Russians. I would happily stay there again The location is great, on the seaside. However, the service and personnel is from old soviet time. The system of check out is absurd - your room first is controlled by lady who is your floor attendant, then she calls to reception if everything is ok and then the second control.
