Irkutsk
With its Kolchak-inspired name, this cosy 13-bed apartment hostel has become well-established digs for Trans-Siberian wanderers. The lower bunks sport…
Must-see hotels in Russia
Astrakhan
This is arguably the city's most impressive hotel, occupying a late-19th-century palace situated on one of the stateliest pieces of real estate, 100m east…
Lake Baikal
A real architectural solianka (apart from the soup, this Russian word means a mix of random items that happen to be at hand), this modern turbaza has a…
Eastern Siberia
The city's most elegant hotel occupies an Alpine-styled wooden chalet with tastefully designed rooms, where the smell of natural wood all but suppresses…
Irkutsk
The stated goal of opening sister hostels in every major city of the world is yet to be achieved, so for now this hyper-ambitious project is confined to a…
Krasnoyarsk
Centred around a rather characterless courtyard, the 81 light-filled rooms at Krasnoyarsk’s top business hotel are immaculately maintained and have become…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Special for its small size and friendly staff, the Sretenskaya boasts a romantic Russian atmosphere. Rooms have high ceilings and tasteful, traditional…
Moscow
Chocolate lovers rejoice – this charming hostel will soothe your craving. Bring your favourite brand from home for their collection. In return you’ll get…
Zamoskvorechie
Yes, it's just another IBIS; but in Moscow, knowing exactly what you’re getting is a big deal: affordable, comfortable rooms and professional, reliable…
Listvyanka
On a ridge behind the shore road, cute little wooden huts (named after Baikal’s winds) with stove-heaters, private toilets and hot water (but shared…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
This tiny 11-room hotel in a graceful 19th-century building is situated on a quiet residential lane. The hallways are lined with plants, and paintings by…
Arbat & Khamovniki
This place exudes (and requires) good vibes, with its wacky and wonderful mural-painted walls and pillow-strewn 'lounge zone'. Dorm beds are actually…
Zamoskvorechie
Set in the historic heart of Zamoskvorechie, Na Kazachyem recreates the atmosphere of an 18th-century estate. The light-filled atrium, bedecked with a…
Irkutsk
This timber-built 14-room boutique hotel in the 130 Kvartal has an unpretentious feel with a brown-beige colour scheme and stripped wooden floors sporting…
Northern European Russia
Right near the river, Hotel Palisad has compact, modern rooms, decked out in neutral tones, attentive personnel and a generous buffet breakfast featuring…
Lake Baikal
Not too busy with its main occupation, Port Baikal's pretty railway station is part-timing as a hotel. Clean and bland in an almost nostalgically Soviet…
Listvyanka
This chalet-styled log house has a large common balcony with a distant view of the lake, and pine-scented rooms with soft mattresses and good shower…
Zamoskvorechie
This very regular branch of the Park Inn chain – think slightly impersonal, predictable comforts – boasts a prime location within walking distance of the…
Kaliningrad Region
This luxurious hotel is a good choice for pampering. Its indoor pool, surrounded by landscaping and murals, is big enough for a decent swim. Families with…
Kaliningrad Region
This playful boutique hotel has silver-screen-themed rooms ranging from Little Red Riding Hood to Gone With the Wind. Even the standard rooms come with…
The Urals
Nine clean and pleasant rooms make up this friendly hostel, located close to Perm-II railway station, about 15 minutes' walk to the centre of town. There…
Kaliningrad
This inviting mini-hotel comes over all country lodge, with ivy creeping over its old German-stye walls and a delightful garden. Rooms are simple and…
Kola Peninsula
This forest-green, outwardly classy, neoclassical-styled hotel has 61 good-sized rooms, some of which have massive bathtubs. It’s central, modern and the…
Northern European Russia
Cute little hotel a couple of blocks from the kremlin, with classic decor in its several buildings and on-site restaurant (full board available). Rates…
Kaliningrad
Clean, friendly hostel in the historic Amalienau neighbourhood, about 3km west of the city centre. Accommodation is in 10-bed mixed, male-only or female…
Yekaterinburg
This excellent four-star chain hotel in the centre has variable rates and good deals online. Rooms are clean and comfortable and service always comes with…
Krasnoyarsk
Comfortable and professionally run with rooms approximating Western standards, albeit without air-conditioning. Satellite TV includes Western channels and…
The Urals
This hotel has friendly, efficient staff and, as well as the usual business facilities, bicycles for hire. Mini-standard rooms for singles cost R2900, and…
Irkutsk
Well-established, cosy backpacker hostel around a 10-minute walk from the train station offering a kitchen, washing machine, a high bathroom-to-bed ratio…
Irkutsk
Yet to live up to its immodest self-description, this airy modern place stands out in the long list of Irkutsk's claustrophobic converted-flat hostels…
Zamoskvorechie
This tourist hotel has a top-notch location across the bridge from Red Square, which makes it great value for money. All rooms are on the 1st floor of an…
Kaliningrad
A very pretty, good-value boutique in a charming neighbourhood close to the historic Amalienau quarter. Loads of 19th-century period touches lend a homey…
Kaliningrad Region
Opposite St Michael’s Cathedral, this cute cottage with a pretty garden offers basic accommodation in simply furnished rooms with wooden beams. Downstairs…
Volga Region
This reliable chain offering doesn't disappoint: large, clean rooms, good breakfasts and helpful multilingual staff. The central location is convenient to…
Irkutsk
Freshly opened when we visited, this brightly coloured hostel occupies a new building and has lots of common space, unlike its labyrinthine competitors in…
Lake Baikal
The only fully fledged resort in the whole of Baikal, the Riviera is good value for money, with simple though tastefully decorated summer-only wooden…
Eastern Siberia
A funky piece of architecture, this triangular-shaped hotel has modern rooms with large comfy beds and attic-like reclining ceiling. There is a restaurant…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
In a street lined with foreign embassies, this apartment hotel is indeed an embassy of style, with large and fully equipped apartments facing beautiful…
Eastern Siberia
Abakan's slickest sleeping option is this top-notch business hotel with large and tastefully furnished rooms and two sophisticated restaurants on the…
Listvyanka
The 13 comfortable twin rooms in this timber guesthouse around 800m back from the lake are a good deal. Its sister guesthouse in Bolshie Koty offers…
