TO SLEEP
St Petersburg offers and excellent selection of luxury hotels, small boutique hotels, and cool and cozy hostels. Most of them are located in the Central and Admiralteisky District, within a walking distance to most of the historical sites.
BABY LEMONADE HOSTEL
TRAVELLER'S PALACE HOSTEL
ART HOTEL RACHMANINOV
АРТ-ОТЕЛЬ "РАХМАНИНОВ"
ALEXANDER HOUSE HOTEL
ACHILLES & THE TORTOISE BOUTIQUE HOTEL
БУТИК-ОТЕЛЬ "АХИЛЛЕС И ЧЕРЕПАХА"
About
A colourful hippie-style hostel with themed rooms entirely dedicated to the 1960s. Obviously, there's Jim Morrison, Patti Smith, and Woodstock themed rooms. But our all-time favourite is dedicated to the exploration of the Space in the 1960s. The Astronomy room with ensuite bathroom is located on the top floor of the building, under a glass roof, and has Space-themed design. Although you won't see many stars in the centre of St Petersburg, it's still cool and romantic. And you'll certainly remember your stay there. Besides, the staff of the hostel is very friendly, and the common areas and kitchen are large and cozy.
Info
7 Inzhenernaya St. (ул. Инженерная, д. 7)
The hotel is located 3min walk from Nevsky Prospect and 5min walk from Mikhailovsky Castle on the corner of Inzhenernaya and Sadovaya St.
+7 812 570 79 43
English-speaking staff
Rooms: 4, 6, 8 and 10-bed dorms, double rooms with private or shared bathrooms, family rooms
Free tea and biscuits for guests. You can cook your own breakfast in the kitchen. Alternatively, there's a nice café Jack& Chan just next door which opens at 11am.
About
A recent addition to St Petersburg hostel scene, Traveller's Palace opened its doors to guests just 2 days before the New Year 2016. Traveller's Palace is the second project by an aspiring Epoque Hostels team which also runs Baby Lemonade Hostel. Unlike Baby Lemonade, which is all about the 1960s, Traveller's Palace concentrates on the period of the Russian Empire, and names its rooms after Russian tsars, and characters from Pushkin's and Tolstoy's novels. Each and every room has a unique theme and design. Take 'Anna Karenina' with its scarlet walls, portraits of an Unknown Woman, and Tolstoy on the walls, and an allusive model of a steam train on the bedside table. Or Onegin's room which reminds of his author's school years at the Imperial Lyceum in Tsarskoe Selo. Two vintage iron beds, antique Russian stove in the corner, and copies of Pushkin's manuscripts on the walls. As soon as you're in the hostel, you just can't stop admiring gilded stucco moldings on the ceilings, antique wooden doors, traditional tiled stoves, and skilfully added splashes of bright colours, and modern furniture where it's mostly needed (e.g. bathroom and kitchen). Besides, it's hard to find a place with friendlier staff than in here.
Info
Ap.13, 36 Mayakovskogo St. (ул. Маяковского, д. 36, кв. 13)
The hotel is situated in the centre of St Petersburg, 10min walk from Nevsky Prospect and 20min walk from Moskovsky Railway Station.
+7 812 272 16 28
+7 962 704 32 95
travellerspalacehostel@gmail.com
English-speaking staff
Rooms: private ensuite double room Anna Karenina, double rooms with shared bathrooms La Russe and Bolkonsky, twin room with shared bathroom Onegin, and several dorms: Elizabeth I female 6-bed dorm, Peter I 6-bed dorm, Catherine the Great 8-bed dorm, and Alexander I 10-bed dorm.
Free tea and biscuits for guests. You can cook your own breakfast in the kitchen. Alternatively, there's a nice café Jack& Chan just next door which opens at 11am.
About
A beautiful and truly unique hotel just behind the Kazansky Cathedral in the centre of St Petersburg. As soon as you enter the building, you feel like travelling back in time, somewhere to the end of the 19th century, when young Sergei Rachmaninov would run down these stairs to school. A spacious room overlooking Kazanskaya St. where he once lived is now a suite. Although the original furniture hasn't survived (Rachmaninov's apartment was converted into the communal apartments during the Soviet times), the owners of the hotel managed to furnish the room with the best examples of antique furniture they could find. For example, the massive bed, the chest of drawers and the wardrobe came from the Nabokov's family estate in Leningrad region. In fact, all the rooms and all the common areas of the hotel are furnished with antique furniture of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Besides, the hotel collaborates with local artists who regularly organise exhibitions in the halls of the hotel. They also painted the doors of the rooms, each door is painted by a different artist. There's a grand piano in the lounge where the hotel often organises concerts and other cultural events dedicated to Rachmaninov.
Info
5 Kazanskaya St. (ул. Казанская, д. 5)
The hotel is located 3min walk from Nevsky Prospect and Kazansky Cathedral. Follow Kazanskaya St. from Nevsky until you see the hotel sign to your right side.
+7 812 571 97 78
English-speaking staff
Cooked breakfast included in the rate
Restaurant: a 19th-century style buffet with samovar serving tea and snacks.
Rooms overlooking Kazanskaya St. have more light and better views, however, they also get noisy, especially on Friday and Saturday night. Rooms overlooking the courtyard are much quieter but don't offer much of a view.
Tips: Check the hotel blog to find out about events taking place at the hotel.
About
Alexander House is one of the oldest boutique hotels in St Petersburg located in a historical 19th-century merchant house. The hotel is run by Alexander and his wife, and just a few member of the staff. Alexander House is the only Russian hotel included in the list of the Small Luxury Hotels 0f the World, and you can see why. The service is impeccable, the staff is so friendly and happy to help you with anything you need, the breakfast is great, and there's even a turndown service. Even standard rooms are very spacious, with desks, sofas and armchairs. And the canal embankment is very quiet so you won't be disturbed by the noise from the street even if you windows overlook the canal.
There're 20 rooms in the hotel occupying 3 floors of the hotel. Rooms overlooking the interior garden are a bit gloomy, the ones overlooking the street have more light. Rooms on the top floor have slanted roofs. All 20 rooms have different design inspired by a certain city in the world. Some of them look really nice and cozy, others are a bit too kitschy. Call them up or email them to ask which rooms are going to be available for the dates you choose. The room called 'St Petersburg' sounds like the best idea if you wish to experience this city.
Tips: The interior garden is open during the warm season, and they can serve your breakfast there if you choose.
Info
27 Kryukov Canal Emb. (наб. Крюкова Канала, д. 27)
The easiest way to get to the hotel from Nevsky is to walk along Fontanka river or along Sadovaya St. The hotel is located a good 20min away from the nearest underground station, so if you carry a suitcase consider taking a taxi. You can also catch one of the buses which run along Sadovaya St.
+7 812 334 35 40
+7 812 575 38 79
English-speaking staff
Cooked & buffet breakfast included in the rate
Restaurant: on the ground floor of the hotel serving Russian and European food
Rooms: 20
About
A new boutique hotel in town, Achilles and the Tortoise offers 10 rooms on the top floor of a historical building in the centre of St Petersburg. The design of the hotel is inspired by Greece, hence the name. But don't expect any Doric columns and antique statues, it's way more subtle and modern. The location is really good, it's only 15min walk to Moskovsky railway station and Nevsky Prospect, and 5min walk to the nearest underground station.
There're 10 rooms, all located on the fifth floor of the building. Single rooms are really small, double rooms (especially comfort double room) are way more spacious. There isn't that much difference in price, so if you like to have more space opt for a larger double room.
Info
19/21 B, Dostoevskogo St. (ул. Достоевского, д. 19/21, литера Б)
The hotel is located 5min walk from Vladimirskaya and Dostoevskaya underground stations, and Ligovsky Prospect station in the other direction. To get there from Nevsky Prospect, just follow Marata or Vladimirskaya St., and then walk one block towards Dostoevskaya St.
+7 812 670 25 25
English-speaking staff
Buffet breakfast included in the rate
Restaurant: due to open soon
Rooms: 10. Singles, Doubles, Comfort Doubles.