Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
80
BED & BREAKFASTS,
HOMESTAYS &
APARTMENT RENTAL
Opting for less conventional accommoda-
tions can inject your trip with individual-
ity and flexibility—or it could tangle you
in scams and unfulfilled promises. If you
choose wisely, these three options can offer
comfort, charm, and a convenient location
at a reasonable price. Be aware that they
lack many of the security features and
financial guarantees of big hotels, and that
rates and quality vary widely.
Just because a Russian hotel calls itself a
“bed-and-breakfast” doesn't mean it will
look anything like what you'd expect. Rus-
sian tourism gurus have taken the term to
mean just about anything: an upscale
urban hotel, a room in a student dormi-
tory, a spotless apartment serviced by a real
estate agency, or a cramped room in a fam-
ily's apartment vacated just for the dura-
tion of your stay. There is no single body
regulating who or what can call itself a
B&B. The website www.bnb.ru, for exam-
ple, is a portal for Russian accommoda-
tions of any category, from high-end
Marriott hotels to long-term real estate
deals. The main thing to keep in mind is
that in Moscow and St. Petersburg, bed-
and-breakfasts are urban experiences, not
village cottages with fruit fresh from the
orchard. Russian B&Bs usually occupy a
single apartment or a floor of an apart-
ment building. Some were once commu-
nal apartments, with entire families
sharing single rooms and the whole floor
sharing a single bathroom and kitchen,
but today they are entirely renovated and
quite comfortable. To help you avoid mis-
understanding, the reviews in chapter 5
(“Where to Stay in Moscow”) and chapter
12 (“Where to Stay in St. Petersburg”) are
as thorough as possible.
In St. Petersburg, you'll see lots of
places advertised as
“mini-hotels.”
These
are often a renovated floor of an apartment
hotels of 12 to 30 rooms have opened up,
often occupying a few renovated floors of
an apartment building. Most are centrally
located and inexpensive, and offer eager,
individual service that the big hotels lack.
Unfortunately, Moscow's powerful hotel
industry has kept this phenomenon largely
at bay in the capital.
Hostels and traditional bed-and-break-
fasts are rare though growing. Several
companies rent out furnished apartments
at rates much lower than the hotel rates.
Quality varies widely, with some offering
warm and helpful English-speaking hosts,
others offering daily maid service and
hotel-style assistance, and still others offer-
ing nothing but a key. Get the opinions of
previous guests through websites such as
www.frommers.com or www.virtualtourist.
com before booking.
Russian hotels tend to be emptier in
winter and busier in summer, especially
around St. Petersburg's White Nights festi-
val from late June to early July. Rates usu-
ally reflect this. Be aware of any big
festivals or holiday events that might fill
up hotels (see the “Calendar of Events”
earlier in this chapter for guidance).
Neither Moscow nor St. Petersburg
offers an official reservations service, and
your chances of just showing up and get-
ting a room are slim, even in hostels. You
are strongly recommended to reserve in
advance by phone or online; the cost is
usually lower that way as well. Another
advantage of reserving ahead is that most
hotels will arrange for your visa, and regis-
ter it once you arrive (see “Entry Require-
ments” earlier in this chapter).
Hotels often have “floor monitors”
employed round-the-clock who in the
Soviet era often acted as KGB informers;
now they're basically nosy chambermaids
and sometimes they'll make guests tea.
Russia's star-rating system is only gradu-
ally adjusting to the international standard
and is an unreliable source of judging
quality.
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