Irkutsk Hotels, Accommodation, Homestays

Note: The hotels list is after this introductory text.

Irkutsk has accommodation for all budget and tastes: you can find a superb 5-star hotel for $150 US per night, or a very simple, stuffy, but cheap room for $15 US per night. Most of the hotels are located in the centrum of the city. There are aslo two good hotels ("Baikal Business Center" and "Sun") located near the main exposition center of Irkutsk (SibExpoCenter) and in 10 minutes from the airport — might be good option for business travelers.
If you want to save money, we recommend you to go to Listvyanka - a village on the shore of Baikal lake - the hotels there are of much better price-quality ratio and the prices range from $5 (!) to $75 per night, all of them are of a very good quality. See the Transportation section on how to get to Listvyanka, generally it takes about 1.5 hours by bus, there are about 5 buses a day from the bus station (the last one at 19.00) for 60 R ($2), or you can take a taxi or a car for about 300 R ($10), it'll take you 40 minutes. You can then come back to Irkutsk in the morning.
It is possible to find apartments for short-term rent in Irkutsk, but in most of the cases it will be of a very low quality (but cheap also — from $20 / night), so instead we recommend you to try to find a homestay. Like this the quality will be higher, the price stays the same (about $15-$20 / night), and you get a chance to meet local people.
If you feel like camping, don't do it in Irkutsk — there are simply no places, better take a bus or a car to Listvynka - a village on the shore of Baikal lake - and camp there (it costs about 300 R by car to go there and takes 1 hour).

May 2006: Hostels in Irkutsk
Baikalhostel
ul. Lermontova 136
1st floor, apartment 1
664043 Lermontova
email: baikalhostel@baikalhostels.com

Jack Sheremetoff's Central Hostel
Ul. Lenina, #9 ap 11
+7 (3952) 336 240
Full description below...
book now through way to russia

Here's a list of the hotels in Irkutsk (in alphabetical order):


Agat Hotel. (budget) One of the places, which is frequented by backpackers. Officially, they are not accepting foreigners, but “if there’s a strong need, we’ll find a place”. Quite neat rooms for 450 R ($15) for a person. Most of the times completely booked and there’s no point in reservation, because the hotel is for Russians only. However if you have a Russian friend you can ask him to book a place for you. Or better just show up and try to get in.
Address: Irkutsk, 5th Armii St., 12 (located very close to the railway station). Tel.: 297-325. Map: B1 - triange #7.


Angara Hotel. (moderate-luxury) The hotel is located in the centrum of Irkutsk on Kirov square, opposite the townhall. It is one of the oldest hotels in the city, there are 460 places, a business center, restaurants, sauna, airline tickets sale office, dentistry, hairdresser, money exchange office, an ATM, a casino, shops.
A very complex system of pricing and quality, which is so interesting that we will describe it fully.
Generally, they have different rooms and prices depending on which floor they are on. The cheapest rooms on 2 to 4th floors cost $50 for a single room and $74 for a double. But they are not worth it. Slightly better quality rooms are located on the 7th floor, where you can find “new furniture and equipment” and pay 50% more for that. A single costs $70, a double costs $115. The best rooms that are really good (at least they finally look like a 3-star hotel in Europe), are located on the 5th and 6th floors, which, in addition to “new furniture and equipment” have air-conditioning and a really stylish and inviting lobby and café. As in all places with Soviet past there’s one peculiarity: because there are not yet the newest TVs on these two floors, the rooms cost the same as on the lower floors: $50 for a single, and $75 for a double. The prices will rise when they’ll buy new TVs, but even at $115 the double on the 5th floor will not seem too much overpriced.
So, for the best bargain, try to get a room on the 5th floor, otherwise you can go to Baikal Business Center Hotel, which is further, but much better.

Address: Irkutsk, Sukhe-Batora St., 7. Tel.: (3952) 255-105, 255-106. Fax: (3952) 255-103. Web: www.angarahotel.ru. Map: B1 - triange #4.


Arena Hotel. (budget) Very centrally and conveniently located budget hotel that usually accommodates actors of Irkutsk circus, but is opened for everybody. The rooms are quite basic, but clean (no animals , and have separate bathroom and kitchen with a stove and fridge. One place costs 240 R ($8 US) per night. The hotel is closed at 12 night, but the receptionist will let you in if you're late anyway.

Address: Sverdlova st., #29 (opposite Central Telegraph office), Contact: (3952) 33-46-63 . Map: B1 - triange #6.


Baikal Business Center Hotel. (moderate-luxury) The hotel of Baikal Business Center is one of the best hotels in Irkutsk. It has 4 stars and the quality of rooms is quite good. A single room costs $130 US per night, a double - $150 US per night, breakfast is additional $5 per day.
Even though it is not in the centrum of the city (20 minutes by a car or minibus) and relatively expensive, the location is good, because it is just in front of Irkutsk Exhibition Center, 5-10 minutes ride from the city airport, and on the way to Listvyanka village (Baikal lake). Besides, there's a good cafe and restaurant in the hotel, and a nice park nearby. The quality of the service is perhaps the best in Irkutsk.

Address: Irkutsk, Baikalskaya St., 279. Map: D4 - triange #1. Tel.: (3952) 35-80-00, (095) 960-26-00. Fax: (3952) 35-83-83. Email: info@bbc.ru
How to get there: take a bus or minibus #16 or #16k from the central market to GorMolKombinate (15 mins, then a 5-minute walk), or take a tram #5 to SibExpoCenter. From the airport you can take the minibuses #90 or #92 to GorMolKombinat.



Baikaler Central Backpackers Hostel. This is more like an apartment, rather than hostel. Centrally located at the intersection of Karla Marksa and Lenina street, this hostel is in the heart of Irkutsk. Jack Sheremetoff, who runs it, offers great tours to Baikal and can provide a helpful advice on traveling in the region.
The hostel itself is quite neat and comfortable and has all the basic amenities (shower, bath, kitchen, lockers, etc.) You will also be provided with linens and towels. Laundry is $5 for a load. Visa registration costs 200R ($7).
There are two double rooms (shared accommodation possible) at $20 / bed, and one 4-bed dorm room at $16 / bed.

Address: Irkutsk, Lenina St., #9 ap 1. View Map Tel.: +7 (3952) 336 240 (hostel), +7 (3952) 929 686 (mob)
How to get there: From the train station it's either a 30 minute walk or a 5-minute tram ride (any tram, 3rd stop). A taxi will cost about 100R ($3). Building # 9 has a big red sign 'OPTIKA'. Proceed in its yard, walk along the green wooden house. The entrance is the second with the silver door if you count it from the left to the right. The apartment is on the 3rd floor with bright yellow windows.




Rus Hotel. (moderate) Very conveniently located close to all the city’s main sights this hotel has something from the Soviet times – perhaps because of its interior or just because it belongs to the government. The receptionists are trying to be polite and the rooms are quite clean, though overpriced. Most of the people staying there are individual travelers on the budget. A single with private shower and toilet cost 1100 R ($35), a similar double costs 1250 R ($40). The interior is nothing special, could be better, but livable. If you want something better, you can take the ‘lux’ double room for 1900 R ($65), which is slightly better than the previous two. In the summer the hotel is mostly booked, so it’s better to book in advance (however, if you’re coming for 1 day only there might be a room available).
There’s a nice souvenir, guide book and map shop inside opened from 9.00 to 20.00, an ATM, a city phone (1R for all calls) and a middle-priced restaurant, which is opened early.
Address: Irkutsk, Sverdlova st., 14. Tel.: (3952) 22-22-22. Map: B1 - triange #3.

Intourist-Baikal Hotel. (moderate-luxury) Located in a very nice place next to Gagarinsky Boulevard (a promenade street) and Angara river, but the hotel itself is painfully Soviet-like and ridiculously overpriced. We strongly recommend you not to stay there, but here's the information:
Double rooms from 2000-3000 R / person ($70-$100), breakfast included. Apartment-rooms (lux) for $500 (!!) / night. Single rooms from 2000 to 4000 R ($70-$130).
Amex, Visa, Master, Maestro cards are accepted. There's a bar, a souvenir shop, an airline tickets sales office (the best prices in Irkutsk!), a currency exchange office (the rate is better in the airline tickets sales office, than in the bank), a good train tickets office.

Address: Irkutsk, Gagarina Boulevard, 44. Fax: 250-314 (reservations accepted by fax only). Map: B2 - triange #5.


Sun Hotel. (luxury) Located close to SibExpoCenter exhibition center in the end of Baikalskaya street about 15-20 minutes by a car or public transport to the centrum. A good 4-star hotel made in European style providers a standard set of services (parking, meeting rooms, restaurant, sauna, hairdresser) and in addition to the main building has a few wooden houses outside. A single room in the main building costs $90-$110 a day, a double -- $125-$140 a day. There are a TV, a telephone, a minibar, a private shower and bathroom in each room. One can also rent the whole wooden house outside of the hotel for $560 a day (up to 5 people can share accommodation there).

Address: Irkutsk, Baikalskaya St., 295B. Tel.: (3952) 255-910 (reception). Map: D4 - triange #2.