The Metropol Hotel is a five-star hotel located in the center of Moscow. Its construction took place from 1899 to 1905. The initiator of the project was Savva Mamontov, who commissioned the initial design from William Walcot. The Metropol building plays an important role in shaping the appearance of Theatre Square and Revolution Square, being the largest public building of the Art Nouveau era and a significant historical and architectural monument of Moscow.

On the site of the modern Metropol, there was a three-story hotel with baths, built according to the design of Osip Bove and known as 'Chelyshi' since the 1830s. In the 1890s, Savva Mamontov acquired this hotel and the adjacent land to realize his idea of creating a cultural and leisure center with a modern hotel complex, restaurants, a theater, and art galleries. The competition for the best project was won by architects L. V. Kekushev and N. L. Shevyakov, but Mamontov chose the design by William Walcot, which took fourth place.

Construction began quickly, planning not to demolish the old hotel but to reconstruct it and combine it with new buildings. However, Mamontov was unable to complete the project: he was arrested on charges of embezzlement, and although the court acquitted him, he was ruined, and his property, including the Metropol construction, was used to pay off debts.

The new owners invited Lev Kekushev and Nikolai Shevyakov to refine the complex. Changes were made to Walcot's project: the central hall, originally designed as a theater for 3000 seats, was converted into a restaurant. The construction was overseen by V. V. Voeykov, but in 1901, a fire destroyed the interiors of the nearly completed building. The restoration was led by architect S. P. Galenzovsky, and the work was supervised by P. P. Wisnevsky.

In 1905, the Metropol was ceremoniously opened. It was a unique complex for its time with 400 rooms, each of which was unique. The rooms had refrigerators, telephones, hot water, and electric elevators. In 1906, the first two-hall cinema in Moscow, the 'Modern Theater,' opened at the hotel, and the editorial office of the magazine 'Vesy' was located on the sixth floor.

The Metropol restaurant, which accommodated up to 1700 people, was popular among various social strata, including thoroughbred horse owners and racetrack players. During major events, the restaurant was decorated. For example, during the New Year's celebration in 1911, a dinner 'Aviation Carnival' was held at the Metropol with a mock airship hanging from the ceiling and models of the 'Bleriot' airplane in the halls.