# Moscow - Finding a Reasonably-Priced Hotel



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*In a booming Moscow, it's a bust for reasonably priced, quality hotels *
By MIKE ECKEL 
7 April 2006

MOSCOW (AP) - You'll find few people shedding tears for the destruction of the Hotel Rossiya, a dour, hulking behemoth that glowers at St. Basil's Cathedral and lurks near the Kremlin like a bad Cold War hangover. 

Ask tour operators, however, and you'll find plenty scratching their heads over the loss of its nearly 2,700 rooms and the dwindling number of Moscow hotels that are both moderately priced and of reasonable quality. 

A mix of bureaucratic regulations, astronomic real estate prices and poor planning has left Moscow with few mid-range hotels, forcing tourists and business travelers far afield for lodgings or resigned to glittering, five-star hotels with head-spinning room rates. 

"It's that desperate," said Helene Lloyd, a tourism market consultant in Moscow. 

In addition to the Rossiya, whose exterior has inspired nicknames such as "the suitcase" and "the square," other major hotels that have been demolished are the equally unlovely 430-room Intourist (nicknamed the "rotten tooth") and the nearby 1,000-room Moskva (whose image graces the labels of Stolichnaya vodka). 

The Ukraina, one of the few mid-range hotels remaining in the city center, was sold last year for US$274 million (euro227 million), a substantially higher price than expected that indicates the buyers want to refit it to serve the high end of the market. 

"The loss of so many rooms -- bringing the total room capacity lost to date to around 6,000 -- is expected to have a major impact on tourism in Moscow in 2006 and beyond," the World Travel and Tourism Council noted in a report last month. That is just under 10 percent of the city's total hotel rooms. 

An estimated 2.5 million tourists now visit the Russian capital annually, according to official statistics, bringing in up to US$1 billion (euro825 million) for the city each year. Moscow has one of the highest occupancy rates in the world at its roughly 170 hotels. When a trade exhibit is on, attracting business people from across the country and around the world, hotels are solidly booked -- though major business conventions are still often able to negotiate lower rates for large blocks of rooms. 

The vast majority of Moscow's more than 65,000 hotel beds, the WTTC noted, are of Soviet-era quality: a term invoking drafty windows, lumpy beds, surly staff and questionable plumbing. The International Olympic Committee inspectors that reviewed Moscow's bid to host the 2012 games last year cited a lack of three-star hotels as one of several problems. 

Real estate prices in Moscow -- which are among the highest in the world -- have meant that commercial office space and luxury residences are the fastest way to recoup costs and reap huge profits. For Western and Russian hotel investors, four- and five-star projects yield higher, quicker returns, said Gennady Lamshin, acting director of the Russian Hotel Association. 

Foreign chains including MeriStar Hospitality Corp., Wyndham International Inc. and InterContinental Hotels Group are pushing through Russia's infamous bureaucracy to enter Moscow's hurly-burly business climate, and a raft of new projects for high-end hotels are either under construction or slated to break ground in coming years. 

In fact, the glut of projects largely four stars and up could end up flooding the market, said Arthur de Haast, global chief executive with consulting group Jones Lang LaSalle, potentially pushing down rates. 

"The number of projects out there at the moment, if they all get constructed, there is a danger of causing oversupply in the luxury segment of this market," de Haast said. 

As for mid-range hotels, two moderately priced Holiday Inns have opened in recent years -- adding 340 rooms -- but experts say it will be at least two years and likely more before any sizable block of rooms comes on the market to serve Moscow's nonbusiness, non-luxury travelers. 

The Rossiya is slated to be replaced with a new project, including a concert hall and movie theater, along with at least 1,500 rooms that officials say will carry mid-range prices -- but tourism analysts say 2010 will be the earliest that any number of its rooms will be available. 

"Unfortunately, most of the supply we're aware of is four- or five-star hotels, so there's not a lot to attract leisure tourists," said Lasse Restolinian, a hotel consultant with London-based HVS International. 

------ 

Associated Press writer Jim Heintz contributed to this report.


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## Skyman (Jan 4, 2006)

Moscow terribly needs hotels


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## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2004)

Somehow I think Moscow doesn't want any tourists. Idiotic visa requirements, no reasonable priced hotel rooms, corrupt police officers that likes to annoy tourists, only cyrilic signs in the metro and other public transport...it's really sad, because I would love to visit Moscow.


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## Zaqattaq (Nov 17, 2004)

My dad and I have been looking to go to Moscow for summer since December but we can not find a good hotel for a good price. Any help?


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## coth (Oct 16, 2003)

[email protected] said:


> Somehow I think Moscow doesn't want any tourists. Idiotic visa requirements, no reasonable priced hotel rooms, corrupt police officers that likes to annoy tourists, only cyrilic signs in the metro and other public transport...it's really sad, because I would love to visit Moscow.


EU visa requirements are much more idiotic. And I don't see Chinese signes in EU as well. Moscow welcome only those who respect local culture (Moscow culture, not Russian).




zaqattaq said:


> My dad and I have been looking to go to Moscow for summer since December but we can not find a good hotel for a good price. Any help?


There is big hotel complex Izmailovo (largest hotel complex in Europe). Five 30 storeys, afaik, 3 star, sections.

Here is official site of Gamma and Delta sections.
http://www.izmailovo.ru/

Double standard costs just 2060 roubles ($74) according to this page.
http://www.izmailovo.ru/eng/rooms.php?id=4


other official and unofficial sites
http://www.hotelizmailovo.ru/
http://www.hotelizmaylovo.ru/
http://www.izmailovo-hotel.ru/
http://www.izmailovskaya.ru

this is only big very well known complex i can suggest. hotel russia is under demolishing and hotel ukraina is 4 star now afair. many other are less know and i can't tell how good.
here is list of some hotels
http://moshotels.ru/
http://www.moscow-hotels-russia.com/
http://www.moscow-hotels.com/
http://www.moscow-hotels.net/
etc


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## Tomesh (Mar 10, 2005)

coth said:


> EU visa requirements are much more idiotic. And I don't see Chinese signes in EU as well. Moscow welcome only those who respect local culture (Moscow culture, not Russian).
> etc


 :?


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## Zaqattaq (Nov 17, 2004)

Thank you very much coth! 
I really hope we can see Moscow


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## empersouf (Mar 19, 2004)

If youre going to Russia, try to learn the cyrilic signs. Than you would be able to read easy words like Metro and stuff.


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## Aokromes (Jan 5, 2005)

Tomesh said:


> :?


Visa to Spain:



> Required documents for visa:
> (a) 1 application form.
> (b) 4 passport-size photos.
> (c) Valid passport with 1 full blank page.
> ...


Visa to Russia:



> Your original passport with at least 2 blank visa-designated pages (passport must be valid for at least 6 months after intended departure date from Russia).
> Two copies of Russian visa application form, completed and signed.
> ONE passport-size photo signed on the back.
> If Tour Group or Cruise Passenger: Letter from tour company or cruise line confirming itinerary and including a copy of the confirmation from authorized Russian travel company which shows the reference number and confirmation number for the visa.
> If Individual Travel: Confirmation of hotel arrangements from authorized Russian travel company, or directly from the Russian hotel, showing reference number and confirmation number for the visa.


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## ZimasterX (Aug 19, 2005)

My knowledge on hotels in Moscow is very limited but places like Hotel Ukraina were decently priced, unfortunatly its no longer a hotel and its being converted into a condominium. Hotel Rossiya was also cheap but its being torn down. Well just check Yahoo Travel or Travelocity, I'm hope theres still a decently priced hotel out there.


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## [email protected] (Jan 17, 2004)

Aokromes said:


> If Individual Travel: Confirmation of hotel arrangements from authorized Russian travel company, or directly from the Russian hotel, showing reference number and confirmation number for the visa.


And that's the big problem. Authorized russian travel companies only offer expensive hotels and no 1-star hotel or hostels in Moscow give you an official visa-compatible confirmation.


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## Frog (Nov 27, 2004)

how is it finding reasonable priced hotels in cities outside moscow? just curious :yes:


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## coth (Oct 16, 2003)

[email protected] said:


> And that's the big problem. Authorized russian travel companies only offer expensive hotels and no 1-star hotel or hostels in Moscow give you an official visa-compatible confirmation.


there are no 1 and 2 star hotels in moscow.

but look at spanish requirements


(e) Proof of purpose of visit.
(f) Confirmed accommodation.
(g) A stamped, self-addressed, registered envelope if applying by post.
(h) Evidence of sufficient funds for stay.
(i) Letter from employer; or accountant, solicitor, bank manager or Chamber of Commerce if self-employed.
(j) Fee.


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## coth (Oct 16, 2003)

Frog said:


> how is it finding reasonable priced hotels in cities outside moscow? just curious :yes:


outside you mean other russian cities or in suburb? if in suburg - 3 star hotel in suburb (starting from $70/night i think) + taxi to city center ($60 in one direction) will cost you same as one night in 4 star hotel. however you can use commuter rails, then metro. but i think good 3 star hotel within city borders is better. partizanskaya metro station, for example is in just few meters to south of izmailovo hotel complex.


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## coth (Oct 16, 2003)

Krasnaya Zima said:


> My knowledge on hotels in Moscow is very limited but places like Hotel Ukraina were decently priced, unfortunatly its no longer a hotel and its being converted into a condominium. Hotel Rossiya was also cheap but its being torn down. Well just check Yahoo Travel or Travelocity, I'm hope theres still a decently priced hotel out there.


First time i hear about condominium in Hotel Ukraina... It is under renovation and upgrading to 4 stars. Will ba renamed to Grand Hotel Ukraina soon. On place of Hotel Russia will be build 17 new buildings with 4 and 5 star hotels, shops etc


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## Zaqattaq (Nov 17, 2004)

It looks like our hotel in Moscow will be the President and in St. Petersburg it will be Pribaltiskaya. Has anyone been to either one of these?


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## NiekNL (Sep 28, 2005)

Nevsky 22 is a good hotel in Saint Petersburg.
Small scale hotel, right in the very very center, and friendly staff.


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## Æsahættr (Jul 9, 2004)

What would it be like for a non-white tourist to visit Moscow? Is there really a security issue or are the stories unfounded?


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## Bitxofo (Feb 3, 2005)

I want to go to Moscow next month.
:yes:
I am trying to find a cheap hotel or hostel, even youth hostel.


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## NiekNL (Sep 28, 2005)

lotrfan55345 said:


> What would it be like for a non-white tourist to visit Moscow? Is there really a security issue or are the stories unfounded?


People with a chinese look are safe there generally I think, Moscow is just a safe city, but chinese looking people are often murdered in Saint Petersburg (that was in the Saint Petersburg times from may 1st or something), I don't know about Moscow.


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