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One of the big questions people ask is: Is Russia cheap to visit? Moscow itself can get a little expensive if you don't plan your trip ahead of time. Hotels aren't the cheapest in the area surrounding the Red Square. We decided to stay in a well known area near Gorky Park instead, at Hotel Yakimanka 38. Although this area may not be considered the best area to stay in Moscow, we felt very safe and had no problems at all. This hotel turned out to be a little hidden gem that I stumbled upon by chance on Instagram, and is probably one of the best budget hotels in Moscow (that people don't know about - yet). In terms of location it took less than 15 minutes on the metro to get to the Red Square, with two nearby metro stations to choose from.
Right around the corner from the hotel we found a lovely cafe that we had breakfast at every morning. The menu was in English too, and there are lots of them around other parts of Moscow. The main street nearby is home to many historic buildings as well for you to explore that you may have missed had you stayed elsewhere.
We were given the "Peter the Great" room, which consisted of two single beds. The hotel is a "mini hotel", so there are only a few rooms in it, which makes it a personal and homely experience. There is also free Wifi available. We had a great experience here and would definitely choose this budget hotel again on our return to Moscow. Here are some photos I took of the hotel when we first arrived:
Hotel Yakimanka 38
The staff is always ready to help with any of your needs, even if you have an early check-in time like we did. There are city guides available at reception too if you need them, and there is lots of information available about Moscow for you to read. The hotel itself is located among residential apartment buildings, and doesn't look like your typical hotel from the outside. There is a buzzer next to the door which will grant you access before you're given your key.
The room is very comfortable. It's simply decorated but all of the furnishings are brand new and modern. There's a large double-sided wardrobe in the room as well so you have plenty of space for your clothes and all of the souvenirs you're going to purchase. When I was doing my hotel research I found that a lot of rooms in Moscow looked quite dated, so I was really happy to come across a modern hotel that was on the cheap side too.
I loved the wallpaper in the Peter the Great room. It shows Gorky Park and the surrounding area, which is just down the road from the hotel. It's a very nice addition to the room and gives you an idea about where you are in the city.
The bathroom comes equipped with towels, a towel warmer, and a hairdryer. You're also given a lot of different toiletries like shampoo, body wash, and a shaving kit. Yes, a shaving kit! I'm rarely given this in expensive hotels, let alone budget ones, so this was a nice surprise.
Right outside of our room was a kitchen area which we were free to use. I loved the design of this kitchen. It was very easy to make yourself a hot drink, and the fridge has separate tubs in it for each room so you can store food there if you buy any. We used our tub to store snacks for our movie nights.
The coffee maker had a teapot sitting on top to keep the water hot, which was something I hadn't seen before and found very unique. Even though Hotel Yakimanka 38 is considered a cheap or budget hotel in Moscow, I found that it had the same amenities as more expensive accommodation and everywhere was spotlessly clean.
Bonus: There was always little snacks on the table if you were feeling peckish. Although this is a shared space, we never came across anyone else using it while we were there and were never disturbed by other guests making a quick bite to eat or a hot drink.
>> Click here for the most up to date prices at Hotel Yakimanka 38 <<
Feel free to check out my post on reasons to visit Moscow to help you plan your trip. And if you're heading to St Petersburg, here are some recommendations on what to do in the city, as well as what hotel to stay at. Have an Instagram account? Follow me for more travel inspiration!
