Must-see hotels in Crimea

  • Dilara Hanum

    Crimea

    Almost under the escarpment at the end of vul Ostrovskogo, which branches off vul Lenina, this little guesthouse is 'managed by two grannies and a…

  • Fazanya Roshcha

    Sevastopol

    Outside the city, in MacKenzie Heights, this place is ideal for motorists because of its proximity to strategic roundabouts, from which roads lead to…

  • Dacha Koktebelica

    Crimea

    This one is the most peculiar black sheep in Crimea's dull guesthouse family. Accommodation is in tube-shaped mobile houses, once used by oilers in…

  • Hostel Koleso

    Crimea

    Cycling enthusiasts are entitled to their own secluded paradise in Bashtanovka, 8km from Bakhchysaray. it's a bit like an old-school hippie hang-out with…

  • Nagayevsky-Romm House-Museum

    Crimea

    An artistic couple from Moscow made this place their home many decades ago. Their paintings hang in a downstairs room, which passes as a museum. The place…

  • Kefalo Vrisi

    Crimea

    Flower and fruit trees cover every patch around this pension set in a secluded valley, about 15 minutes' walk along a footpath from the embankment. All…

  • Efsane

    Crimea

    Like other hosts in Bakhchysaray, Shevkiye is a bit of a cultural ambassador for the Crimean Tatar people, but unlike most she speaks impeccable English…

  • Gostevoy Dom K&T

    Sevastopol

    The drive leading towards this pretty little hotel is jokingly called an 'ecopath'. In fact, it is a dirt track cutting through a dacha sprawl in a ravine…

  • Funny Dolphin

    Sevastopol

    A fan of military history and vintage Soviet cars, Yury converted a small flat in a quiet part of central Sevastopol into a modern-looking hostel with…

  • Solnechny Zamok

    Crimea

    We'd stay in this tiny cute microcosm for the rest of our lives. Hidden from the street, a tiny Oriental garden with a mountain view is surrounded by…

  • Listrigon Motel

    Crimea

    This Lego-like motel curving around a hillside offers great views, reasonable accommodation and decent prices. The cheapest, economy rooms (April to…

  • Oreanda

    Crimea

    The crème de la Krim is favoured by oligarchs, expense-account bunnies and others who wish their wealth to be seen. Rooms are elegant and tasteful – which…

  • Bristol

    Crimea

    Few of us ever really need more comfort than this central, three-star establishment provides. The town's oldest hotel is in a heritage-listed, 19th…

  • Sevastopol

    Sevastopol

    Designers at Best Western must have been overexcited when the chain took over this landmark building overlooking the bay from Primorsky Blvd. Thick…

  • Tok Gorizont

    Crimea

    This large Soviet pansionat (resort) is undergoing a slow transition to normality, but it is still far from modern standards. Rooms look a little Soviet,…

  • Villa Bakhitgul

    Crimea

    People are absolutely raving about this stylish little place, which comes with individually designed rooms, a pool and smashing views of the valley – the…

  • Corsair

    Crimea

    Instantly popular, this new hostel occupies the upper floor of a house, which belonged to the architect responsible for Livadia palace. Its large…

  • Rentmyflatinfeodosia.com

    Crimea

    As elsewhere in Ukraine, it makes a lot of sense to rent a flat in Feodosiya, rather than get ripped off by hotels. These incredibly helpful people – a…

  • Villa Sofia

    Crimea

    It once housed public baths built for the city by a Karaite millionaire and more recently the studio of Soviet pop diva Sofia Rotaru (hence the current…

  • Roza Vetrov

    Crimea

    Cute as a button, this private hotel's most eye-catching feature is its tiny atrium, with slit windows, oleanders, tea roses, a marble floor and a curved…

  • Meridian

    Crimea

    Although far from perfect, this is easily the best choice for most Westerners. It's a hard-to-miss high-rise not too far from the town centre with plenty…

  • Seven Days

    Crimea

    It's just a converted flat inside a Brezhnevian apartment block, but its location on the train station square makes it convenient for transit purposes…

  • Sobaka Hostel

    Crimea

    Located in a riddle of old streets around 800m up the hill from the seafront, this year-round hostel offers two dorms and three private rooms in a three…

  • Art-Hotel Ukraina

    Sevastopol

    What makes it call itself an art-hotel we can't fathom, but it is a friendly place with a black-wood interior so favoured by former Intourist…

  • Kunesh

    Crimea

    This place is good value for money and popular with foreign travellers, largely because of the friendly English-speaking host Elzara. You may not find the…

  • Hotel Lidiya

    Crimea

    Rub shoulders with visiting Russian celebrities in this upmarket hotel that's still quite affordable for Western tourists. Built in 2001, its rooms are a…

  • KRM Hostel

    Crimea

    Run by a major adventure tourism operator, which primarily caters to ex-Soviet tourists, this an atypically large and modern hostel with a rooftop lounge…

  • Hotel Ukraina

    Crimea

    Admittedly, the baroque public areas of this central, forward-thinking hotel are a bit over the top, but rooms are restrained and well finished – the…

  • Meraba Guesthouse

    Crimea

    This nine-room guesthouse just 200m from the Khan's Palace is a long-time favourite among travellers, though it lacks the personal welcome of the town's…

  • Hotel Bastion

    Crimea

    Spread across five buildings below the fortress, with excellent amenities and prices targeted at differing budgets, this hotel is often fully booked, so…

  • Hotel Alye Parusa

    Crimea

    Far from the habitual post-Soviet tackiness, this is a nicely designed and professionally run, top-notch hotel with friendly and very attentive staff. The…

  • Perchem

    Crimea

    Designed to resemble a Turkish caravanserai, this Tatar-run establishment stands behind Perchem (Sugarloaf) mountain, on the road leading to Genovese…

  • Hotel Marina

    Crimea

    A reasonable distance from Gurzuf Beach, on the way to the Artek children's camp, Marina has large and airy lyuks (luxury) rooms that come with balconies…

  • Hotel Valencia

    Crimea

    Fusing Crimea and Spain, this centrally located, friendly and well-run hotel is justifiably popular, so book ahead. The sole windowless 'economy' single…

  • Na Suvorovskom

    Crimea

    Occupying a lovely pink low-rise building in a quiet neighbourhood next to a park, this hotel has cozy, well-equipped rooms and nice personnel, though no…

  • Kolybel Koktebelya

    Crimea

    Opened in 2009, this is as modern as it gets in Crimea. Large rooms with eye-catching, red-and-black furniture are in two-floor cottages with glassy front…

  • Knyaz Golitsyn

    Crimea

    A chalet-styled building under a red-tiled roof set on the Sudak road away from the sea, this brand-new luxury hotel has large tastefully decorated rooms,…

  • Otdykh

    Crimea

    Hotel 'Relaxation' was a 19th-century brothel; now it's a decent enough budget pension. Some of the bathrooms are a bit whiffy and there's some street…

  • Yalta Apartment

    Crimea

    English-speaking Lyudmila operates several nicely furnished flats in the heart of Yalta, at the beginning of vul Karla Marksa. Our favourite is the cheap…

  • Seit-Nebi Baza Turist

    Crimea

    Slightly incongruous low-rise buildings surround the grass-covered courtyard of this Tatar-run establishment. Rooms are clean, though unremarkable. There…