Moscow has gained a reputation as one of the world's most expensive cities and to a great extent no doubt that is due to the very high rates charged for somewhat substandard accommodation in the past. The situation in terms of quality has largely been rectified, but room rates remain comparatively high even by European standards. While genuinely budget accommodation is available in the downtown area in shared rooms and hostels, the hotels we recommend are those where its possible to find a clean, modern double room for around $80 or under. That means staying outside the centre, but thanks to Moscow's excellent metro system nearly all the budget hotels we recommend are within 30 minutes' journey time of the Kremlin and Red Square.
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Nearest metro: Vladykino
Located in the north of Moscow, the Altay Hotel is a 650-room three-star property that offers both pleasant renovated rooms and plain but perfectly adequate budget accommodation. The hotel also has a full range of business and leisure facilities, including restaurant and 24-hour lobby bar, and seven basic but very cheap venues for business meetings. Located just a few minutes' walk from Moscow's Botanical Gardens, the Altay is convenient for Sheremetyevo Airport and has good transport links to the city centre. »»»
Nearest metro: Smolenskaya
Although the Belgrad is slowly being renovated to more modern standards, the real advantage of this Soviet-era tower-block is location. Opposite the Golden Ring Hotel at the western end of Ulitsa Arbat, the Hotel Belgrad is only two metro stops from Red Square, and the area around is packed with excellent dining and entertainment options, as well as a number of prominent visitor attractions. It is also very convenient for Kiev Railway Station (terminal for the Aeroexpress to Vnukovo Airport) and Moscow Expo Center. Guests should expect no more than very basic tourist-class accommodation, but for a double room with en suite bathroom, you're unlikely to find lower rates in the city centre. »»»
Nearest metro: Partizanskaya
Of the five hotels that make up the massive Izmailovo Hotel Complex, built for the 1980 Olympics, the Beta remains on average the cheapest. Accommodation is simple, but modern and reasonably spacious and the only amenity that the cheapest rooms really lack is air-conditioning, which can be a slight discomfort at the height of summer. The range of services and facilities is very good considering the price, but from a hotel this size you should not expect much in the way of personalized service. The biggest advantage of all is probably that, thanks to the nearby metro station (less than five minutes' walk), getting to the downtown is exceptionally easy and fast. »»»
Nearest metro: Petrovsko-Razumovskaya, Vladykino
Located on Gostinichnaya Ulitsa ("Hotel Street"), an avenue of hotels developed in the 1950s in the north of Moscow, the Maxima Irbis Hotel is an excellent example of how to renovate a Soviet-era hotel while retaining reasonably low prices. For a full-service hotel offering attractive modern guest rooms, a wide range of business services, and an onsite fitness centre, the Maxima Irbis is remarkably good value. The trip to the downtown takes less than 30 minutes, and the area around the hotel is pleasantly leafy. The nearby Maxima Zarya is almost as good, although the Irbis has a better range of facilities. »»»
Nearest metro: Universitet
If you don't mind taking the bus to the metro, the Universitetskaya offers some of the cheapest foreigner-friendly accommodation in Moscow. Run by the Orthodox Church, it is a large modern hotel with 264 rooms in various states of repair, although even the cheapest have en suite bathrooms and basic but inoffensive decor. Also on offer are low-cost meeting space and a restaurant offering good cheap meals. The hotel is a short bus ride from Universitet Metro Station, and from there it is only 15 minutes to the Kermlin. »»»
Nearest metro: VDNH
This Stalinist-era hotel in northern Moscow offers surprisingly comfortable accommodation in over 300 rooms and suites, with true budget options available in unrenovated rooms, and good value more modern rooms also on offer. The hotel also has guest services including sauna with swimming pool and a basic conference hall. The area around the Zolotoy Kolos is a quiet residential district bordering several historic parks, and the hotel is situated under 10 minutes' walk from VDMKh Metro Station, with a journey time to Red Square of about 20 minutes. »»»
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