Must-see hotels in Russia

  • Belka Hostel

    Listvyanka

    This purpose-built hostel located at the far end of ul Chapaeva provides top-notch digs for backpacker prices, leaving Listvyanka’s other flat-footed…

  • Nikita’s Homestead

    Olkhon Island

    Occupying a sizeable chunk of Khuzhir, this intricately carved timber complex has grown (and continues to grow) into one of Siberia’s top traveller hang…

  • Ulan-Ude Travellers House

    Ulan-Ude

    So central is this high-ceilinged apartment hostel, you might even catch a glimpse of Lenin’s conk from one of the windows. The 14 beds are divided…

  • Hotel Baltschug Kempinski

    Zamoskvorechie

    If you want to wake up to views of the sun glinting off the Kremlin’s golden domes, this luxurious property on the Moscow River is the place for you. It…

  • Hotel Tsentralny

    Yekaterinburg

    Opened in 1928, this historic hotel is housed in a grand art nouveau building in the heart of town and has seen its fair share of celebrity guests. It has…

  • Iris

    Krasnoyarsk

    Housed in a 19th-century former religious school for girls, the romantic French theme and impeccable personal service set the Iris apart from most…

  • Baikaler Hostel

    Irkutsk

    Experienced tour guide Jack Sheremetoff had a super-central apartment hostel in Irkutsk long before the word even entered the Russian language. Despite…

  • Brick Design Hotel

    Meshchansky & Basmanny

    Not only is this boutique hotel cosy, thoughtfully designed and very centrally located, it also doubles as an art gallery, with original works by Russian…

  • Hotel National

    Presnya

    Now operated by Starwood Resorts, this 1903 beauty occupies a prime location at the base of Tverskaya ul, just across from Alexander Garden. As such, some…

  • Hovel Hostel

    Krasnoyarsk

    A sparkling oasis for budget travellers who have made it all the way here through Siberia’s snowy wilderness, this boutique hostel features a large…

  • Eva Hotel

    The Urals

    Located in the centre of town on a quiet street, Eva Hotel is a delightful boutique stay with just 10 light-filled rooms. Staff are courteous and will…

  • Aldyn Bulak Yurt Hotel

    Tuva

    Cupped by bare hills at an attractively sacred site by the Yenisey River, the luxury yurts at this upmarket complex have flushing toilets, air…

  • Soul Kitchen Hostel

    St Petersburg

    Soul Kitchen blends boho hipness and boutique-hotel comfort, scoring perfect 10s in many key categories: private rooms (chic), dorm beds (double-width…

  • Azimut Hotel Murmansk

    Murmansk

    Slap bang in the very centre of the city, the Murmansk branch of this international hotel chain boasts spotless rooms with underfloor heating and flat…

  • Petrov Dom

    Suzdal

    Vlad and Lena offer three nicely furnished rooms in their wooden dacha-style house with a lovely garden on a quiet side street. It's a great option for…

  • Schloss Hotel

    Kaliningrad Region

    This decadent hotel offers elegance to the max. Its renovated, snow-white mansion was once the hunting lodge of Prussian King George Friedrich and today…

  • Izba Hostel

    Vladivostok

    It's quite a leap to believe you're in a 'traditional Russian hostel' given Izba's location in a thoroughly Soviet tower block, but the charming staff at…

  • Lucky Hostel

    Sakha Republic & Magadan Region

    Magadan's shiny new hostel has a giant sign, meaning that you won't be tramping around for ages trying to find it, as is often the way. Dorms are spick…

  • Hotel Metropol

    Moscow

    Nothing short of an art nouveau masterpiece, the 1907 Metropol brings an artistic, historic touch to every nook and cranny, from the spectacular exterior…

  • Belmond Grand Hotel Europe

    St Petersburg

    Since 1830, when Carlo Rossi united three adjacent buildings with the grandiose facade we see today, little has been allowed to change in this heritage…

  • Rachmaninov Antique Hotel

    St Petersburg

    The long-established Rachmaninov still feels like a secret place for those in the know. Perfectly located and run by friendly staff, it's pleasantly old…

  • Alexander House

    St Petersburg

    This historic building opposite the Nikolsky Cathedral dates back to 1826, and contains a beautifully designed guesthouse. Each of the 20 rooms are named…

  • Loft Hostel 77

    Presnya

    This sweet spot offers stylish dorm rooms (if that's not an oxymoron), fully equipped with lockers, individual lights, orthopaedic mattresses and privacy…

  • Hotel Volkhov

    Veliky Novgorod

    This centrally located, modern hotel runs like a well-oiled machine, with nicely furnished rooms, pleasant English-speaking staff, laundry service and…

  • Zolotaya Rybka

    Eastern Siberia

    Well signposted from ul Olkhonskaya, SB’s best guesthouse maintains immaculate and imaginatively designed rooms in three buildings, providing glimpses of…

  • Hostel Troika

    Northern European Russia

    This friendly, centrally located hostel is perhaps the region's best budget option. Clean and bright rooms are equipped with bunk beds and shared toilet…

  • Skvorechnik

    Golden Ring

    At this 'Birdhouse' you may not want to leave the nest. Six artfully designed rooms are fitted with natural materials (wood, cotton, Kostroma linen),…

  • Crystal House Suite Hotel & Spa

    Kaliningrad

    Sitting on a quiet slice of parkland overlooking the Lower Pond, Kaliningrad's first five-star, all-suite hotel is minimalist luxury at its best, with…

  • Hotel de Paris

    Presnya

    Steps from the hustle and bustle of Tverskaya, this is a delightfully stylish hotel tucked into a quiet courtyard off the Boulevard Ring. Situated on the…

  • Andrey & Sasha’s Homestay

    St Petersburg

    Energetic Italophiles Andrey and Sasha extend the warmest of welcomes to travellers lucky enough to rent out one of their three apartments (by the room or…

  • Astrakhanskaya Hotel

    Astrakhan

    This old luxury pile, dating from the 19th century and situated two blocks from the waterfront, has been given a thoroughly decadent makeover, with…

  • Dom Skazochnika

    Kaliningrad Region

    The name means 'House of the Storyteller', and what a fairy-tale place this is. Named in honour of fantasist Ernst Hoffman, this enchanting guesthouse has…

  • Butik Hotel 12

    Kaliningrad Region

    Who would have imagined such a smart boutique hotel in Zelenogradsk? The stylish, minimalist design features a lobby awash in colour and light. The rooms…

  • Congress Hotel Malakhit

    The Urals

    This hotel has reinvented itself as a spa hotel with a sauna, a small sauna pool and treatments. Rooms are modern and clean, at rates often considerably…

  • Black Point Hostel

    Russian Caucasus

    Surrounded by pine trees, this black-painted wooden hostel has a hip, relaxed vibe with both spacious dorms and private rooms (a couple of luxury ones in…

  • Dvor Podznoeva

    Western European Russia

    This classy hotel in a 19th-century building is Pskov's best, with comfortable, nicely decorated rooms. An added perk is complimentary use of the pool,…

  • Yelizovo B&B

    Kamchatka

    This charming option is located away from the centre of town (take bus 7 from Yelizovo's bus station to the magazin fiord stop), but it allows you to get…

  • LEAPrus 3912

    Russian Caucasus

    For a touch of luxury at 3912m, LEAPrus is worth splashing out on. There are 12 bunks in two barrel pods with a third pod for the dining room and a…

  • Russo Balt Hotel

    Arbat & Khamovniki

    With 15 rooms in an exquisite art deco building, the Russo Balt is as intimate and elegant as it gets in Moscow. Standard rooms are on the small side, but…

  • Red Star Hostel

    Yekaterinburg

    This excellent hostel opened in 2014 and has quickly established itself as a comfortable, very professionally run place, with 44 beds divided among male,…

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