Changing Russia: the boom in hostels in Moscow!

The Russian capital has experienced a dizzying growth in the offer of hostels in recent years. In Moscow you can find all kinds of hostels, for all budgets!

All over the world, the range of hostels is constantly growing (as are the quality of the services offered), but there is one nation where the hostel concept has experienced a boom over the last few years: we are talking about Russia, and proof of this new trend is to be found in its most representative city, its capital. From 2004 to today, the hostels in Moscow have had a steady growth rate, developing from being an offer based on a few types of accommodation to being a vast and differentiated network of hostels as seen from the graph below:

Obviously, every hostel has its own story, and in this fifteen years we have got to know many different hostels: big or small, luxury or basic, some have quickly become a must of Russian tourism, whilst others have changed management, or even had to close their business. What matters is that the hostels in Moscow are so numerous that they can meet every kind of need! To demonstrate this, we have collected the top 10 hostels in Moscow, subdividing them into various thematic categories.

1. The most original hostel: Keds. Hostel & Coffee house

"It does not matter how old your sneakers are, the important thing is that they walk on Red Square". From this sentence comes the concept of Keds Hostel - an extravagant hostel/cafe that dedicates its name and logo to a famous brand of sneakers. They are located 12 minutes from the Paveletsky train station and the hostel is set in a renovated 19th century-old industrial building: ancient brick walls, high ceilings, elegant interiors and many common rooms decorated with graffiti and work by local collage artist Dmitry Zapylikhin ... this hostel has a lot of personality and will win you over because the owners have managed to create a truly pleasant, sharing atmosphere. The rooms range from single to double, with private bathrooms for those who want more privacy, otherwise, there are shared dorms for those who want to save money.

2. The veteran of hostels in Moscow: Hostel Rus Old Arbat

This hostel has been working with HostelsClub for over 6 years and is highly regarded both for its central location (in a very quiet neighbourhood just 10 minutes from the Kremlin), and for the hospitality of its staff, (formed of a team of young friends literally in love with Moscow and ready to give you lots of tips on what to do and see in the city). It has a total of 42 beds, with solutions in a private room, or shared dormitory (each bed has a chest to store your luggage, reading light and sockets to recharge your smartphone).

3. The cheapest hostel (if you want a private double): Jolly Hostel

If you are looking for a private double room, then here you are guaranteed the lowest price, without giving up anything. Jolly Hostel is a really nice, central, clean hostel and offers its guests a wide range of free services such as 24-hour check-in and check-out, use of the common kitchen (with a dishwasher, fridge, oven, microwave and toaster), Wi-Fi internet access, an iron and ironing board and a games room with a games console and board games. At the reception you can also request a map of Moscow, slippers and earplugs ... is that enough?!? ;)

4. The cheapest hostel (absolutely): Hostel Arena Moscow

When a hostel has prices starting from € 5 there is not much to add ... the price is definitely the strength of this accommodation! But, despite what you might expect for such low prices, this hostel is absolutely not dirty, ugly or to be avoided! Granted, it may not excel in the design or personality of its furnishings but it offers many convenient services (free wi-fi, 24-hr reception and breakfast for only € 2 extra), a good location (it is in the suburbs south of the city, but well connected with the means) and a nice party atmosphere that never hurts. In short, this is the perfect hostel if you want to find a good deal!

5. The most central hostel: Red Kremlin Hostel

Even in this case there is not much that needs to be explained, just think that this comfortable hostel is located at 19 Street Starovagankovskiy ... the address may not tell you anything, but what is important is that from here it will only take 5 minutes on foot to get to the Kremlin and Red Square, and less than 10 minutes to get to the wonderful Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Practically within a mile, you have all the main attractions of Moscow! In one word ... strategic!

6. The most beloved hostel: Friend House Hostel

Friend House hostel is located in one of the most beautiful and ancient streets of the historic centre of Moscow, Petrovka Street. It’s the ideal place to experience the beauty of the city and feel its lively spirit. In just 5 minutes on foot, you will arrive at the historic Bolshoi Theater, another 3 minutes and you will be in the heart of the old city. If you don't want to walk there are several metro stations close at hand (Okhotny Ryad, Kuznetsky Most, Puschkinskaya, Chekhovskaya and Trubnaya). But one of the reasons why the guests of this hostel fall in love with it are due to its stylish interior and the comfort of its services. Everything is based on a minimal Scandinavian design so is clean and bright and there are many beautiful common areas to live for relax, or meet other backpackers (common kitchen, reading room, games room, internet room, etc.).

7. The "capsule" style hostel: InterQUBE Capsule Hotel

The "Capsule Hotel" is a type of accommodation originated in Japan, but which is gradually spreading all over the world. They are quite popular in Russia and there are 4 of this type of hostel in Moscow (3 are from the InterQUBE chain and one is called Buran Capsule Hotel). If you do not suffer from claustrophobia and want to try this experience we recommend the InterQUBE Capsule Hotel for a number of reasons: the staff are very kind and hospitable, the hostel is super clean, at check they give you slippers, a towel and a bath set (with shampoo and shower gel) and the capsules are all single, comfortable and air-conditioned. The sleeping area is very quiet and the location is good (5 minutes walk from the Dobryninskaja metro station and 15 minutes from the large park of Gorky Park).

8. The ecological hostel: ECO Hostel

A "no frill" hostel, with a clean design and lots of furniture made from recycled objects like pallets and other wooden objects. Separate waste collection and low consumption lights complete the picture. All situated in a nice neighbourhood in the suburbs east of Moscow and with many means to reach the historic centre easily.

9. The theme hostel (culinary): Yum Yum Hostel

This hostel is born from a strange concept: they encourage all their guests to cook and consider the kitchen the best environment to socialize and meet people from all over the world. The hostel is very modern and colourful and revolves around the communal kitchen where you can have breakfast, cook something yourself, or even participate in culinary master classes organized by the staff. The proof of the cook ... is in the hostel! ;)

10. The coolest hostel: GoodMood Hostel

Modern style, combined with a touch of hipster and vintage ... this is GoodMood, a really beautiful hostel with wooden interiors, designer lamps, black slate walls, and colourful with graffiti by local artists. A beautiful common kitchen and an internal bar complete the whole. This is the perfect place if you want to impress your friends by posting a selfie from the hostel on Instagram! ;)

Our top 10 hostels in Moscow ends here, but there are plenty of other accommodations to talk about, each with its own style and story to tell...so if you're going to travel to Russia and you're looking for a nice place to sleep without spending too much, do not waste time! Start your search immediately using the booking form below and you'll surely find something for you!