►Practicalities ► Accommodation ► Atmospheric hotels of Russia 

  

  After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited a terrible hotel infrastructure. During the crisis of the 1990s these hotels were used less and less and gradually deteriorated. The cleanliness level went down and cockroaches moved in, the furniture and bathroom equipment was in need of restoration and of course the quality of service did not progress to the level expected in the post-Soviet years. In short, foreign guests were far from impressed by the range of hotels on offer, although for some it no doubt added to the exoticness of a trip to Russia!

  However now the picture is completely different. The economic boom of the 2000s saw the establishment of private hotels, although the level of service here still left a bit to be desired as the new owners had little experience of the hospitality trade. It was only by the 2010s that modern, well-designed and comfortable hotels were becoming widespread in Russia and today it is possible to find a good hotel of a high standard in most large Russia cities and popular tourist destinations.

  In this respect we have prepared a list of some of the most interesting hotels in the country which have a special atmosphere, whether due to their concept, or to their location or the building in which they are situation.

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Famous sights located nearby:

• Valaam island
• city of Sortavala
• Ruskeala mountain park
• Pellotsary island

  Pine trees, a massive lake, rocky landscapes and fresh air – all this is awaiting you around the Dacha Vintera Park-Hotel. The hotel has 24 rooms, six two-storey town-houses and five cottages with a fireplace, sauna and a view of the bay, all of which harmoniously fit in with the surrounding landscape and even complement it.

  Gustav Vinter, after whom the hotel is named, was a famous doctor who opened the first radiology department in Finland.

  He had a passion for holidays in the nature with games in the fresh air, sailing on Lake Lagoda and having picnics in the forest. He also had an interest for landscape gardening which he studied in Italy. He applied these skills in his own dacha which is now a museum. These passions are shared by the creators of the hotel which is located close to the museum.

The severe northern architecture, the natural materials and the amazing views can’t help but make an impression so that you will want to return.

Famous sights located nearby:

• Astrakhan Kremlin and Dormition Cathedral
• Volga Delta
• Batu’s Saray

  This mansion dating from 1868 with a view of the Astrakhan Kremlin was once owned by one of the richest families in the city – the Khlebnikov merchants. This is demonstrated by the fact that each of the bricks is marked by the symbol “Бр.Х.” standing for the Russian for the Khlebnikov Brothers. The house was later used as a polyclinic but then abandoned until 2005 when it was bought by the father of architect Anna Lesik. After eight years of restoration work the architectural monument was reborn by Anna Lesnik and her husband and now it is one of the best 3* hotels in Astrakhan.

  It has practically been restored to its original appearance: the iron entrance gates, the moulding, the brickwork, the oven, the doors and even wooden wardrobes featuring the family coat of arms have all been laboriously restored. The owners also live at the hotel, having built their own residence in the loft of the building.

  The hotel offers the standard services for 3* hotels - standard rooms, semi-luxurious and luxurious, which are designed in a classical style with calm tones. In the morning you will wake to the bells of the Dormition Cathedral which is located on the other side of the road in the Astrakhan Kremlin – the main sight in the city.

Famous sights located nearby:

• Pavlovsk Palace
• Catherine’s Palace
• St Petersburg

  This unique hotel is located in an actual castle built on the orders of Emperor Paul I. The Pavlovsk Bastion, or the Great Folly of Paul as it is also known, was built between 1795 and 1797 on the site of the Mariental small hunting house.

  The castle consists of a two-storey pentagonal structure with an inner courtyard and two oval towers. It is surrounded by earthen fortifications consisting of bastions, ravelins, lunettes and flèches. The castle also had an artillery of 28 weapons and was included on the military register of fortresses of the Russian Empire.

  By the 21st century the castle was in a sorry state. However luckily it caught the attention of the famous Russian philanthropist Sergey Gutsait. Full repairs works were carried out on the building, and where possible restoration work was performed.

  As a result a boutique-hotel with 22 individually designed rooms in an old-English style was created where guests can relax in the atmosphere of a mediaeval castle. The price of a room start at USD 200 for one night with breakfast.

Famous sights located nearby:

• Levitan Museum
• Kostroma
• Ivanovo

  Plyos is a Golden Ring city which is somewhat less popular than Suzdal or Yaroslavl, mainly due to its location. However it is certainly worth visiting thanks to its picturesque surroundings on seven hills on the bank of the River Volga.

  The small city once had intentions of becoming an elite dacha resort for Muscovites, and then a tourist hotspot on the Golding Ring, but now it is more than content with being a charming and peaceful city with occasionally holds summer festivals and receives its fair share of visitors. There are only a few small hotels here, and the most famous of them is Chastny Visit, which incidentally is also one of the most expensive hotels on the whole of the Golden Ring route.

  The hotel is a whole complex for guests consisting of several small Russian-style wooden houses. The oldest house here was built in 1886. All rooms are fitted out in a rich, dacha-inspired Russian Revival style.

  The hotel’s windows open out onto a spectacular view of the River Volga and the hills of Plyos. Another of the main reasons for visiting this hotel is its restaurant. Here you can try real homemade Russian food served as a course of meals. The owner, Yelena Manenan, opened this hotel with her French husband and French influences can also be seen here.

  Many representatives of Russian high-society have stayed here, including Dmitry Medvedev and his wife, who have a dacha located near to Plyos. The price of the most expensive room here is USD 500 per night which is what you would pay for a room at a 5* hotel in the centre of Moscow.

Famous sights located nearby:

• Vologda Kremlin
• Kirillov
• Ferapontovo Monastery

  Vologda is famous for its wooden architecture and Hotel Biblioteka follows these traditions by being located in a wooden mansion complete with carved wooden-lace window frames. But the best is waiting for you inside as the interiors of the rooms are created based on world literature.

  If you are a fan of Dostoevsky you can stay in The Gambler room with a concise interior with pastel tones, if you like Alice in Wonderland you can take the fantastical room in the attic, or if The Arabian Nights is more to your liking then the glittering and delicate room based on the stories is for you.

  The hotel is small with just 10 rooms, but it also has a gastropub, a banya and a book shop which are all open to the public. There are books all over the place and it is possible even to swap books with your own.

Famous sights located nearby:

• Dubna
• Second tallest Lenin monument.

  Once a pioneers’ camp (the Soviet equivalent of the Scouts) was situated here where children from Moscow would come to spend their summer. After the camp was closed, the territory was bought up and the Art Veretievo festival began being held here.

  Now it is a country hotel which recreates the atmosphere of a Soviet pioneers' camp, but for adults. It consists of several houses where up to 100 guests can be accommodated. The houses bear the same names as a camp would – such as Leaders House, Pioneers House, Club House. Each were designed by famous designers and artists.

  Dotted around the territory of the estate are many art installations – Pioneers’ Alley with typical sculptures found in a pioneers’ camp alongside an alternative monument of Pushkin; standing next to fir trees are some fantastical pieces, while in other places there are wooden silhouettes.

  It is a great place to come to to escape from Moscow and immerse yourself in a world of art and nature. You can swim in the river here, have a barbeque, relax in the banya, row a boat or just unwind reading a book in the forest accompanied by birdsong.

Famous sights located nearby:

• Annunciation Cathedral

  This hotel is located in a historical building dating from 1826 which has retained the atmosphere and decoration of that period.

  The hotel’s centrepiece is the hearth which is decorated with 19th century tiles made at the Bergengeym Ceramic Factory and surrounded by old wooden beams.

  The hotel claims to be the first designer hotel in Russia. It has 40 rooms which are equipped with modern technology and provide a high level of comfort.   The hotel’s exterior has a fairy tale feel – with beautiful windows on beige walls, bright blue shutters and playful drain pipes.

All this creates a harmonious appearance welcoming you into the modern fairy tale atmosphere of the hotel.

  The Rossia Sanatorium of the Soviet of Ministers of the USSR is how this hotel was known in its former life when it was a place of rest for the Soviet elite, including popular actors and singers. It was even visited by Yury Gagarin, the first man in space.

  In 2006 it was refurbished (Paco Rabanne and designers to Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands Suzanne Loggere and Patrick Brugman had a hand in such process) and became a luxurious boutique hotel.

  One of the best features of the hotel, apart from the extravagant splendour, is its own 15-hectare sub-tropical park with giant maple trees, magnolias, oleanders, rhododendrons, orchards and vegetable patches where vegetables and herbs are grown for the hotel’s restaurant. In fact the park is so large that guests are transported on golf-carts and get to the beach by lift.

  Unsurprisingly the hotel is now one of the most expensive in Russia – a room can cost you up to USD 3,000 a night with breakfast.

  From the warm shores of the Black Sea in Sochi to a communal room in St Petersburg on the bank of the River Moika. The Soul Kitchen Hostel is located in the centre in the Lipin tenement building which dates from 1863. It was used in several scenes of the Master and Margarita film as well as in several series.

  The interiors were restored and decorated in a way to retain the feel of a Soviet communal flat. Original details have also been preserved – for example mouldings on the ceilings, fireplaces and ovens, wallpaper and the original doors have been turned into computer desks.

  The hostel has both communal rooms and individual en suite rooms. It may still be a hostel but the prices here are understandably higher than at the more ordinary hostels found in Russia’s Northern Capital.

►Practicalities ► Accommodation ► Hotels in Russia

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• MORE ABOUT HOTELS • 

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HOTELS

  Practically all cities in Russia will have at least one hotel, but hotel standards vary from region to region. It is also true that a three-star hotel in a big city like St Petersburg is likely to be worse than a three-star hotel in a small provincial city such as Yelabuga.  

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OTHER FORMS OF ACCOMMODATION IN RUSSIA

  Along with hotels there are big range of other form of accommodation in  Russia  - hostels, guest houses, apartments, sanatorium and holiday houses. These accommodation is normally cheapper than hotels, and the level of comfort is usually lower, there are some exceptions though. 

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