Budget Accommodation & Hotels in Moscow, Russia

Note: The prices (in $ US, unless other prices are provided by the hotel) given are per room, not per person. The hotels are listed in alphabetic order. If you have any suggestions or recommendations, please, send it to us through the Feedback form.

Budget Hotels, East Moscow:

Izmailovo Hotel
 
Izmailovo is a huge hotel complex (more than 4000 rooms!) built in Moscow suburbs to host the Olympic Games of 1980. The location is quite nice, as the hotel is just

Standard Double, Photo by Izmailovo Hotel, so it looks a bit better than it really is :-)

next to the metro, and it's about a 20-minute ride to the center. There's also Izmailovsky Park just opposite the hotel, where many locals go on a picnic, do mountain biking, jogging, or just walk around.
The hotel itself consists of a few buildings, Alfa, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. The Alfa and Gamma-Delta buidings are used to accommodate tourists. Most of the people who stay in Izmailovo hotel are budget-concious tourists from Russia and abroad. The quality of the rooms is very basic, but where else will you get a private double for $40 in Moscow...
Alfa Hotel has better quality rooms and is slightly more expensive. Gamma-Delta has more basic facilities, but if you're lucky you can get really cheap accommodation there.
The standard business-class rooms at Alpha Izmailovo hotel start at $75 / night (single or double), the standard rooms at Gamma-Delta Izmailovo start at $50 / night (single or double). There are better quality rooms in both hotels, which are more expensive ($80 for a renovated room, $120 for western standard rooms). Don't be fooled by the photo, as the standard room looks too good on it, but it is still very liveable. Breakfast is not included and is about $7. Credit cards (Visa, MC) are accepted.
The rooms have double beds, some furniture, private showers and toilets and some have a TV and a telephone. There are a few restaurants around where you can have a meal for about $5-$10.

Address: Izmailovskoe Shosse, #71.
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Contacts: tel +7 (495) 166-0145, 166-0163 (Izmailovo Alfa),
Area: east Moscow, metro Izmailovsky Park (2 mins), 20 mins ride to the center (by metro)
 

Budget Hotels in North Moscow:

Gostinichnaya Ulitsa
Several hotels still remain on this street which was historically a hotel district. It’s not much of a location though its proximity to VVTs Exhibition Center probably attracted guests in times past. At any rate the area still offers a slice of Moscow suburbia, with the requisite concrete apartment blocks and nearby train yard, and it is only a fifteen minute metro journey from the center (metro Petrovsko-Razumovskaya, grey line). Gostinichnaya Ulitsa itself was obviously designed by someone who found red brick aesthetically pleasing; every building in the street is made from it. A wide, tree-lined strip runs down the middle of the street and several restaurants, cheap eateries and a small market can also be found here.


Vostok Hotel
A ten minute walk from the metro and you will see the facade of the Hotel Vostok. However, for some reason the hotel is not actually in this building but in the one behind it, off the main street. The real Vostok Hotel has the same ugly red brick design as the pretend one and is an unimpressive sight from the outside. Inside is somewhat more appealing. The interior is simple but clean and inoffensive. Some of the receptionists speak English and are helpful enough, if not strangely uppity considering the nature of the hotel.
The rooms are a decent size and clean but once again quite bland. Furnishings are beyond the call of duty with many single rooms sporting a sofa, doubles boasting a desk and a couple of chairs and all with large fridges, small televisions and ample wardrobe space. Singles cost between $40 (1150r) and $60 (1700r) depending on how wide you like your bed, doubles go for $80 (2200r) and, while the three-room “half-lux” suite is nice, for $145 (4200r) you can do better elsewhere. Breakfast isn’t included but the buffet costs just $6 (170r) and dinner sells for $9 (250r). Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

Address: Gostinichnaya Ulitsa, #9a, Bldg. 3
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Contact: Phone: +7 (495) 482-4037, 482-4039, Website: www.vostokhotel.ru
Area: North Moscow, metro Vladykino (grey line). From the metro walk straight down Ulitsa Botanicheskaya, go under the highway and past the Hotel Altay and then turn left into Ulitsa Gostinichnaya. From there you’ll see the fake Vostok Hotel.

Zarya is owned by Maxima Hotels, the same company that owns Irbis hotel. The major differences between the two are that Zarya has about twice as many rooms and some of them aren’t renovated. The non-renovated rooms have the same facilities and are still quite

Standard Double at Zarya Hotel

nice but are cheaper with singles costing $65 (1800r). Most of the doubles are renovated and are priced at $110 (3000r).
A much bigger hotel, the corridors here are maze-like and very simply adorned. The hotel has a conference hall but no business center. Patrons are welcome to use the business center at Irbis. Reception is small and under renovation. All other facilities and prices are the same as at Irbis. The security guards are quite evident, although not obtrusive, which might have a positive or negative effect on your attitude. Overall both Irbis and Zarya are excellent hotels for their category.

Budget Hotels in Central Moscow:

Akademicheskaya Hotel
This is perhaps the only budget hotel in Moscow center. Single rooms start at $45 / night, double rooms cost $50 / night (Visa & MC are accepted). The interior was renovated recently and represents the local management's vision of the "western standard".
A really good thing about this hotel is that there's 24-hour English-speaking reception and you can book your room through the phone. The safe and lockers are $1 / day each. Breakfast is not included and costs $3 in the local restaurant.
The room facilities are quite basic, but you get a private shower and toilet.
As Akademicheskaya hotel is owned by the Russian Science Academy, the people who stay there are mostly academic staff and local business travelers on budget.
The hotel is located on a busy square, next to Leninsky Prospekt avenue, so it might get hectic in peak hours. But the location itself is great in terms of the variety it offers. The New Tretyakov gallery (modern art) is just a 10-minute walk, Gorky Park is 5 minutes walking, the Kremlin is 5 minutes by public transport, there's lots and lots of good restaurants, grocery stores, and cafes around, as well as fast food places. A good place to eat is Ginnotaki restaurant on the opposite side of the Garden Ring, which serves Japanese food and is opened 24 hours a day. A meal is about $10 per person.
Address: Donskaya St. #1. Contacts: tel +7 (495) 959-8157 / fax +7 (495) 238-5239. Area: central Moscow, Zamoskvorechie area. metro Oktyabrskaya (2 minutes).

Alexander Blok Hotel (Ferry)
A single or double room is 1440 R ($50). Cards: V and MC. At one time this hotel used to be a ferry, and it is said by some that it was also served as a parlor house. Rooms are tiny with just enough room for a double bed. There is a restaurant, bar and casino in the ferry, so the first floor is noisy at nights (try to settle in the second).
The breakfast is $1-$2. The hotel is close to the World Trade Center Moscow, and there are many really expensive restaurants that area.
It is a 20 minutes from the metro station (which is a real challenge because you have to cross first busy avenue without the help of crosswalks and a second one with a unlit pedestrian subway with a strong urine smell inside) or catch a taxi for 50 R ($1.7). The guards are suspicious and receptionists a bit nervous, but otherwise okay.
Safe and lockers are free.
Address: Krasnopresnenskaya naberezhnaya (embankment), 12a. Contacts: phone: +7 (495) 255-9278. Area: north-west centrum. metro Ulitsa 1905 goda (violet line). Turn left as you exit the station. Soon there'll be a road, cross it and on your right there will be another road - cross it too. Then you will be in front of McDonalds. You should keep it on your right and go straight down the street. Take the first big turn on the left, cross the road, and find any road to go in the same direction. Soon you will be near the river, turn right and in 10 minutes you are in front of the ferry.

Kievskaya Hotel
The simple, very spacious, but run-down single with only with a sink inside and common showers and toilet is 500 R ($17). The same double (very spacious and very crappy, with shared toilets and showers) is 650 R ($22). 'Improved' rooms are 1100 R ($40) for a double with two rooms, a shower, a toilet, and a bath inside. Despite the relative cleanliness of the 'improved' rooms, the corridor is still very old and nasty.
This hotel is located next to Kievski railway station, so frequent guests are Ukrainians, shifty businessmen, and strange men getting a one-night stand. Surprisingly, the lobby is renovated and looks ok, but the smell of cheap soviet cigarettes reveals the fact that it is just another run-down Soviet hotel. However, the receptionists try to be helpful, and security does their job. In all, the only problem is the corridors and the rooms, and some of the guests; otherwise it could be a good place. The staff does not speak English. This is the cheapest hotel in Moscow center, though not comfortable at all: you'll only want to sleep there.
Address: Kievskaya Ul., #2. Contacts: phone: +7 (495) 240-1444, 240-5210 (reservations). fax: +7 (495) 240-5388. Area: west center, Arbat. metro Kievskaya (circle, blue), just outside the exit.

Tsentralnaya Hotel
Singles for $20, doubles for $35. Only cash is accepted. There are common showers and toilettes. The rooms are not very nice, but with a big effort you can call them cozy.
Great location in downtown Moscow, on the main street Tverskaya, and last century old building provided with an opportunity to make something special. They succeeded — a den full of characters that look like a mix of provincials, prostitutes and shifty fellows.
The receptionists are soviet-style women with blond hair and a "Piss off, I'm tired" attitude. But the guard is very helpful in a way: if ask him for directions, he may propose some escort "entertainment".
Actually, perhaps it's worth staying there - all the places: clubs, museums, galleries are within reach. It is a really great place to experience something different.
Services: They can register your visa for free, whether you stay or not – you can pay for one night, get your registration and leave.
Address: Tverskaya ulitsa, #10. Contacts: phone +7 (495) 229-8589 (no English, please :-). Area: Tverskaya (center), metro Pushkinskaya (3 mins) or Tverskaya (3 mins).

Hotels in South Moscow:

Bega Hotel
Single - 930 R ($32), double - 1250 R ($42). They say there was a difference, but refused to show the rooms. Visa and MasterCard can be accepted, but the staff said that sometimes they could not connect to the bank. Visa registration is only for the period of stay.
A horse racing track is nearby, so you can gamble there. There is a nice night club in a building at the race track called "Bega" ("bega" is horseracing in Russian). The hotel is worse than average, but parking is overcrowded with expensive cars - I don't know why.
Address: Begovaya Alley, #11. Contacts: phone +7 (495) 945-5213. Area: south Moscow, metro Begovaya (the first carriage from the centrum of Moscow), trolleys #20, #86 or a bus #27 - third stop. When you exit the bus, the race-track is in front of you, approach it and turn right, walk along the race-track fence to the high big grey building, cross the parking lot, and enter the building.

Hotel Salyut
Salyut is a towering, ominous three star hotel which stands on the corner of Leninsky Prospekt and Prospekt Vernadskogo. Its position perched above these two major roads gives great views of Moscow’s southern outskirts… and lots of cars. Several receptionists were ‘working’ at the desk but only one was serving customers and doing so very slowly. The receptionists don’t speak English. Rooms are quite pricey considering the location and quality, with standards costing ($50) 1490r for single and ($70) 2080r for double while the renovated rooms are $60 (1890r) and $95 (2630r) respectively. Buffet breakfast is included and Visa and Maestro are accepted.
The business facilities in Hotel Salyut are quite good with two large conference halls and two meeting rooms. The rooms are Wi-Fi equipped with a day’s use costing $15 (450r). Travel tickets as well as tourist services are offered in the foyer and the hotel has a casino, shops, several restaurants, bars and a beauty salon. The rooms are fine even if cheaply furnished. The bathrooms are modern even in the standard rooms although there is a noticeable difference between the two room categories.

Address: Leninsky Prospekt, #158
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Contact: Phone: +7 (495) 234-9252, Website: www.hotelsalut.ru
Area: South Moscow, metro Yugo-Zapadnaya (red line) - about 15 mins by metro to the center. Come out of the metro (exit last car from center and to the left) and walk straight along Prospekt Vernadskogo for about 15 minutes until it meets with Leninsky Prospekt and there it is. Otherwise you can take buses #144 or #720 or minibus #22 from the metro.


Tsentralny Dom Turista (Central Tourist's House)
Singles are $25, doubles are $36, and renovated doubles are 50$. They say they will allow three people in a double. That saves some money.
There is a fridge, a TV, a bath, and a shower in each room. They will register your visa only for the period of your stay. It's quite a busy place, so it's better to reserve a room beforehand.
Located in South-West Moscow, good area, but quite far - around 25 minutes metro - from the Centrum and 10 minutes walk. The staff is quite friendly.

Address: Leninki Prospekt, #146.
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Contacts: phone +7 (495) 434-9467 / fax +7 (495) 438-7756.
Area: south Moscow, metro Yugo Zapadnaya (orange line), buses #62 or #84, the 2nd stop to the direction of Leninski Prospekt. The hotel is on the corner of the street you arrive on and Leninski Prospekt.

Universitetskaya Hotel
Standard single - 500 R ($18), large single - 700 R ($26), standard double - 768 R ($29), large double - 950 R ($34). The standard rooms are very small. They accept Visa, MasterCard, and Eurocard.
Located near Moscow State University, it was a special student's hotel some years ago. Now it's the property of the Russian Orthodox Church. The only hint of this is icons in every room (they said that if you mind sleeping in a room with a saint in it, they will remove the icon). Strange staff - there were plenty of people at the reception desk, while only one girl was working.
Address: Michurinskiy prospect, #8/29. Contacts: tel +7 (495) 939-9770. Area: south Moscow, metro Universitet (red line), take the last track from the center, walk out, in from of the metro station there's a bus stop, take trolley #34 get off at Michurinskiy Prospect stop - third). When you go out of the bus, right in front of you on the other side of the road there will be a high grey building - this is the hotel.


Yunost Hotel
A single is for 1100 R ($38), a double is for 1200 R ($40). They register visas only for the period of your stay in the hotel.
Located next to Luzhniki stadium and within 10 minutes walk from Novodevichi monastery, it is quite nice area, but a bit away from the Centrum.
Address: Khamovnichesky Val St, #34. Contacts: reservations / reception phone: +7 (495) 242-4861 / fax +7 (495) 242 0284.
Area: south Moscow, metro Sportivnaya (red line). The exit to Luzhniki stadium, turn left, walk 1 minute, the hotel is on your left. Just outside the metro.

Yuzhny Hotel
They have only doubles for 1000 R ($34), 1200 R ($40), 1400 R ($47). Only cash is accepted. The rooms are like apartments and there's a kitchen with a stove, a fridge and a kettle. In a cheap room the kitchen is very small, just to cook, while in the two other more expensive rooms the kitchen is bigger. The most expensive room is a three-room apartment while the others are just two-room apartments.
In cheap rooms the kitchen is very small, just large enough to cook, while in the two more expensive rooms the kitchen is bigger. The most expensive room is a three-room apartment while the others are two-room apartments.
Description: 20 minutes from the city center by the metro and 15 minutes by foot. Different people stay there: Some foreigners because it is the cheapest option with a kitchen, and many people from Caucasus - which means that it can be too loud at night.
They forbid your guests to stay after 23.00, but I talked with the guards and they said it's a easy problem to solve - just give them some tips.)
Address: Leninskiy prospect, #87. Contacts: phone +7 (495) 134-3086 / fax +7 (495) 134-9326. Area: south Moscow, metro Novy Cheremushki (orange line) then take buses #1 or #113 (two stops) or walk - 20 minutes

Budget Hotels in East & North-East Moscow:

Baikal Hotel
A tiny single is 400 R ($14), double (2 rooms) - 940 R ($34). Cash only. There are no currency exchanges around so get your rubles beforehand. Breakfast is available for $1 in the local restaurant.
This Moscow hotel is located 25 minutes by metro from the centrum and 11 minutes walking. The hotel is a building with a large blue neon sign on it - right in front of the "Tourist" hotel.
There are slot-machines in the lobby, in case you have more money than you need. There are strange people who are not very friendly, and strict guards create tension.
Address: Selskohozyastvennaya ul, 15/1. Contacts: tel +7 (495) 189-7529 / reservation: +7 (495) 189-8802. Area: north-east, metro Botanicheskiy Sad (orange line) walk out of the metro and walk in the direction opposite form the centrum, cross the railway and turn left, the first street on your right will be Selskokhozyaistvennaya. (11 minutes walking)
 
  

Turist Hotel
It was late in the evening when I got out the subway station. There was a blue electrical sign far in front of me – civilisation. The only road led to the park without lights in it. There were no people and nobody to ask for help. I crossed an unknown river. In ten minutes I reached a blue sign and saw people again. -"Where is the hotel Tourist?" -"Over there." They showed me a building with no entrance, surrounded by a fence. I managed to find the entrance. Inside there was a lonely receptionist who told me that a single room costs 600 R ($21) and a double - 950 R ($32), breakfast included, but refused to show me the rooms.
Address: Selskohozyastvennaya St, 17 #2. Contacts: tel (495) 187-6836, 187-7045 (inquiries). Area: north-east, metro Botanichesky Sad (orange line) walk out of the metro and walk in the direction opposite from the centrum, cross the railway and turn on the left, the first street on your right will be Selskokhozyaistvennaya. (10 minutes walking)

Outside of Moscow: Countryside Accommodation

Uncle Pasha's Dacha at Tver Region, Staritsa village.
Uncle Pasha has set up a countryside guesthouse offering traditional style accommodation, horseback rides, and trips in the hills over the Volga between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Private "dacha", home environment, gentle animals, and very inexpensive. The $25/person/day includes shelter, food, and unlimited unescorted rides. Riding companions and instructors can be arranged. Working holidays are possible.
More info at www.russian-horse-rides.com . Write to paul_voytinsky@yahoo.com or call 8-916-117-1527 from within Russia only.