The best accommodations Russia

Budget & Tips

Budget. In larger cities, it is fairly easy to find very inexpensive youth hostels where you can book beds via the usual platforms (Booking, TripAdvisor). In Moscow, for example, it is possible to stay for RUB 300 per night. In fact, these hostels have somewhat replaced the Soviet-style obchejitic hostels for students and young workers. While students are still accommodated in the U-towns, for many young people from the regions and other former Soviet republics trying their luck in the big Russian cities, the youth hostel has replaced the hostel and has become the most economical way of accommodation: they settle there in the medium or long term. The bedding is inevitably of poor quality, but it is well received. For young tourists for whom comfort is not the first priority, it is really a very good way to immerse themselves in Russian daily life, make friends and practice the language. Indeed, in some establishments, there are sometimes almost no tourists at all!

In general, however, prices are still much lower than in Europe. For a dormitory bed in a better quality hostel, you can expect around 700 RUB (+/- 10 €), and from 2,000 RUB for a single hotel room.
Many small establishments, between the boutique-hotel and the guesthouse, offer very good value for money without being cheap. You will find accommodation in charming and well-kept hotels for a budget ranging from RUB 1,500 to RUB 3,000 per night. Of course, the quality of the services remains sometimes a little random: here a very good breakfast but bad bedding, there a successful decoration but noisy pipes.
For those who would prefer a slightly more aseptic comfort, there are still the big chains, which are present in all the major Russian cities (Radisson, Holiday Inn, Hilton, etc.). We spend a little more, but in return, no unpleasant surprises! On the other hand, the standardised locations sometimes lack charm.
The perfect compromise is the former large Soviet "Intourist" hotels, which were intended to accommodate foreign visitors exclusively. They can be found in all the major cities of Russia, occupying imposing buildings in the centre. The interior setting is generally beautiful, often still in its vintage juice and a little pompous, the staff are at the top of their game and the quality of service is equal to that of the big chains. To recognize them when you make your reservation, remember that often the beautiful old Soviet hotels are named after the city!

Recording. Although it is often more pleasant than a hotel, renting apartments via platforms such as Airbnb is not really practical for European travellers to Russia. The reason for this is, of course, the check-in. Indeed, once arrived on the territory of the Federation, foreigners have 7 working days to carry out the registratsiya, i.e. the notification to the authorities of your presence in a place. Usually, it is the hotel that takes care of this automatically as soon as you settle in, as they are entitled to do so via a dedicated channel. If you are staying with a private individual (whether a friend is hosting you or you are staying at a rental property), it is up to them to register you, by going to the migration office or the post office. The procedure requires you to queue long enough and so most rental companies choose not to offer it (which is technically illegal). So if you really don't want to stay in a hotel, you will have to find an apartment whose owner agrees to register you (sometimes for a small fee). In order to check in, you will have to provide your passport and migration card, which is a precious sesame that is issued to you upon arrival on Russian soil and should not be lost under any circumstances

Technically, registration is the responsibility of the host, so in the event of a breach it is up to the host to pay the fine. Technically, too, in practice, the police cannot require the foreigner to produce his or her registration during an inspection. In reality, these rules are applied only very randomly by the police and the administration. It is therefore much preferable to always make the registration properly and to always carry the stub of the form with you in order to be able to prove it

The important thing, however, is to check in at least once every 7 working days. So, if between two stays in establishments that practice registration, you wish to stay 3-4 days at a private home, in a place where you will not be registered, it is possible. If you are travelling with an e-visa, which has a maximum duration of 8 days, you are not obliged to register, as 8 days is equivalent to less than 7 working days (weekends are considered as non-working days)

Finally, be aware that some accommodating youth hostels (such as the famous Cuba Hostel in St. Petersburg), can register you for the entire duration of your visa, even if you only stay a few days. You can then wander with peace of mind to places where registration is not practiced!

To be booked

It is always best to book your room or bed in advance. In season, it is quite possible to find yourself in front of an entire hotel or hostel. The easiest way to do this is through the website www.booking.com, which works very well in Russia and even offers apartments and detached houses in rural areas for booking. Except for very rare exceptions, all the hotels and hostels in Russia are listed there, there is something for every taste and budget.

What's very local

What could be more Russian than an afternoon in the sauna? It is a possibility in many hotels which, without being spas, offer some balneotherapy services, including the inevitable Finnish sauna. Depending on its size, it can sometimes be reserved and privatized for the moment at a lower cost! The most mobile will be able to go at the end of the idleness by reserving a dacha at the edge of a lake or a river, to spend the weekend there to grill skewers!

For food lovers

It's a pity, the concept of the house + table d'hôtes is not yet too practiced in Russia. On the other hand, it is frequent that the restaurants of the big hotels are among the best in the city. And more and more, we are seeing the blossoming of small, charming hotels in the "boutique-hotel" format, whose young owners are also keen to offer a culinary alternative. These are generally solid values: everything is done on a human scale and the cuisine is modern and refined.

Smokers

Smoking is not permitted inside hotel rooms and common areas. However, many establishments have rooms with balconies where smoking is permitted. In some Soviet-era buildings, all rooms have balconies. Otherwise, this can be expressly requested when booking. Sometimes the balcony is reserved for ranges of a slightly higher price than the standard room. In any case, you will be able to smoke in front of the hotel or on the terrace of the café or restaurant if there is one.