Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Where to Stay
in Moscow
Moscow has everything the dis-
criminating hotel guest could dream of—
for a price. The boom in Moscow hotel
space since the Soviet Union's collapse has
focused almost entirely on luxury or busi-
ness-class accommodations. Demand is so
high for the scarce midrange hotels that
they have little incentive to offer discounts
or perks. Nonetheless, the major chains
continue to expand into this hungry mar-
ket, and lower-priced options are not far
behind.
Most of the better deals on hotels are
found beyond the Garden Ring Road, well
away from the main sights. This can be a
major factor in your Moscow experience,
since traffic to and from the center can eat
up a chunk of the day. However, if your
hotel is near a metro station and you're
comfortable on public transport, this can
reduce travel time considerably and make
faraway accommodations more bearable.
See “Neighborhoods in Brief ” in chapter 4
for a review of the districts referred to
below.
Note:
The prices below may look
shockingly exorbitant, and they're rising
sharply every year. Almost no tourist pays
these “rack rates,” or the highest official
rate a hotel offers. You can almost always
get a discount at these hotels—even 50%
or more—by reserving through an online
travel agency or even the hotel's online
service. Unless noted, rack rates listed here
are in U.S. dollars, and do not include
breakfast or the 18% VA. When you
reserve online or through a travel agent,
VAT is usually included. Many hotels
charge for Wi-Fi in-room but offer it free
in the lobby.
Suites are quite common even in older
Soviet hotels, and always mean an extra
room with sofa, unless noted. A double
quite often means two single beds, pushed
together or across the room from each
other. Make it clear when you reserve if
Currency Confusion
Many hotels, restaurants, and chic shops list their prices in “monetary units”
(abbreviated Y.E. in Russian). The unit was essentially another way of saying
“dollars” while adhering to the Russian law that forbids businesses from trading
in any currency other than the ruble. This practice doesn't make much sense
now that the ruble has been as stable as the dollar in recent years, but it per-
sists nonetheless. Today the monetary unit is pegged to the dollar, the euro, or
somewhere in between. Restaurants and hotels will have a note at the front
desk and on the menus or price lists indicating the current “monetary unit
exchange rate” (for example: 28 rubles = 1 Y.E.). It's a good idea to have a small
calculator handy for times such as this. Even if the price is listed in dollar-
pegged “units,” however, you have to pay your bill in rubles. Whew!
