The hotel business in Russia took shape much later than in the West, only towards the end of the 19th century – before that the number of hotels even in Moscow could be counted on one hand.
Today in Russia there are 62 hotels over 100 years old: forty in St. Petersburg, one in Peterhof, twelve in Moscow and one each in Khimki, Volgograd, Essentuki, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Sergiev Posad, Tomsk and Khabarovsk.
We have selected eight of the oldest and most interesting hotels, one in each city.
“Happy Pushkin”, St. Petersburg, year of construction: 1730
English Embankment, 52
The oldest Russian hotel accepts guests in St. Petersburg. “Happy Pushkin” is located in Potemkin’s mansion built in 1730. There are three-meter ceilings, skillful stucco, relief tiles and antique furniture – in a word, all the attributes of the 18th century.
However, the most interesting thing is still the story. The first tenant of the mansion is Olga Alexandrovna Zherebtsova, the sister of Platon Zubov, the famous favorite of Catherine II. Olga was involved in an English conspiracy against Paul I. The plans were made by Lord Whitworth, England’s extraordinary authorized adviser in Russia, and the conspirators gathered at house 52 on the Promenade des Anglais. It was not possible to implement the plan. After denunciation to Pavel in 1800, Whitworth was expelled from St. Petersburg, followed by Zherebtsova. She sold the house to General Yakov Alekseevich Potemkin, whose name the mansion now bears.
During Potemkin’s lifetime, the house passed to his mother-in-law, secret adviser Brieskorn. In 1824, she added an extension on the Galernaya Street side and began renting out the new building. Seven years later, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, who had just become engaged to Natalya Nikolaevna, rented an apartment in the new wing. They lived in this apartment until the spring of 1832 – the happiest time in the poet’s life. “Mozart and Salieri”, “A Feast during the Plague”, the eighth chapter of “Eugene Onegin” and the third part of “Poems of Alexander Pushkin” were written here.
The house has two facades. The old one overlooks the English Embankment of the Neva, and the one built in 1824 (and, in general, is not new either) faces Galernaya Street, one of the most aristocratic streets of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. Previously, there were no shops or restaurants here, but the mansions of the Grand Dukes of the Romanovs, the palace of the Bobrinsky princes, the house of the Yusupovs and other aristocratic families.
After Briskorn’s death in 1849, the house passed to her children from her first marriage – the Strukov family. They ran the hotel before the revolution.
During Soviet and perestroika times, the house was inhabited by a motley audience: Soviet submarine builders and ballerinas, pianists and teachers, artists and military personnel, party functionaries and scientists. The house is considered happy: according to the stories of the residents, during the siege of Leningrad, none of the inhabitants died either from shelling or from hunger.
The Happy Pushkin Hotel opened in 2007 on the May holidays. Today there are 46 rooms with all amenities: bathroom, safe, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV. Some rooms also have a spa bath.
The hotel is located a twelve-minute walk from St. Isaac’s Cathedral and a couple of minutes from the Mariinsky Theater and the Hermitage. There is a tour desk at the hotel.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 3,972 rubles.
In order to feel like a traveler XVIII — XIX centuries, we suggest going to St. Petersburg by train.
“Bentley”, Moscow, year of construction: 1820
st. Pokrovka, 28/6, building 3
One of the oldest hotels in Moscow, the Bentley, is located in a 19th-century mansion on Pokrovka, one of the most beautiful streets in the city. The hotel’s central location makes it especially attractive: the Kremlin, Red Square and other popular city attractions are easily accessible on foot.
Despite the fact that the current building is about a hundred years old, its history began even earlier. In 1750, a wooden house stood on this site, a prototype of the future structure. It burned down during the War of 1812 and was restored only in 1820, but according to a project personally approved by Catherine II.
During the revolution, the house was converted into a hotel for government employees, and later, during Soviet times, the building housed a delicatessen store popular among Muscovites.
The modern Bentley opened in the mansion in 2010. Today you can stay here in one of 16 comfortable rooms, each of which is now equipped with a private bathroom and has everything you need for a comfortable stay. In addition, in the hotel building there is the most authentic American diner of all that operate in Moscow – Frendy’s.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 5,187 rubles.
Hotel “Magistrat”, Tomsk, year of construction: 1802
pl. Lenina, 15
The elegant four-star Magistrate on the central square of Tomsk is located in a building built in 1802. At various times, here were the offices of the Magistrate of the Siberian province, then the city bourgeois council, and after the revolution – the regional prosecutor’s office and local government bodies.
The hotel in the building opened in modern times, after reconstruction in 2004. Despite its short history in its new capacity, Magistrat today has a reputation as one of the best regional hotels in Russia. It’s no joke, during the Russian-German summit in 2006, the German delegation led by Merkel was located here, and a joint dinner of representatives of the two powers was held in the hotel restaurant.
The restaurant, by the way, is remarkable in itself: it is considered one of the best in the city. Parmesan serves American breakfast and Italian cuisine, and features marble interiors. There is live music in the hall: they play the piano.
However, Magistrat attracts travelers primarily for its location: the Drama Theater, the Great Concert Hall, the Epiphany Cathedral and the Tom River embankment are all within a short walking distance. In addition, the hotel tower offers impressive city views.
Magistrat rooms are decorated with wood and carpets, each has large windows and everything you need for a comfortable stay, including air conditioning, minibar and cable TV. Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 20,200 rubles.
If you decide to take a train to Tomsk, you can order tickets here.
“Old Lavra” hotel, Sergiev Posad, year of construction: 1822
Red Army Ave., 133
The “Staro-Lavrskaya” hotel on the shore of Sergiev Posad’s White Pond dates back to 1822. It was built according to the design of the architect A.F. Elkinsky and was intended for pilgrims of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra. At one time, many famous people stayed here, including the writers Shmelev, Kuprin and Dumas – they left literary sketches about it.
The current three-story hotel has preserved not only its former architectural appearance, but also its previous traditions: smoking and alcohol are not encouraged here, the Holy Scripture is on the table, and icons and portraits of patriarchs are hung on the walls. In other respects, however, the hotel fully complies with modern standards: each of the 79 rooms – from “standard” to “luxury” – is equipped with a bathroom with shower and hairdryer, each room has a telephone and the Internet. Rooms feature wooden furnishings and tranquil views of the pond.
The hotel’s “Monastery Trapeza” restaurant serves breakfast and original dishes of Russian cuisine – it’s worth a try.
Among other things, all guests are promised a free guided tour of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, and children under 7 years old also receive free accommodation. At the 24-hour reception you can buy a train ticket (the station is a ten-minute walk away) and find out the schedule of services. Going to explore Sergiev Posad is also not a problem – the bus stop is located directly opposite the hotel.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 3,600 rubles.
Hotel “Sergievskaya”, Nizhny Novgorod, year of construction: 1837
st. Sergievskaya, 12
The building of the Novgorod Sergievskaya Hotel was built in 1837 by the Kugushev princes in the style of Russian neoclassicism. Skillful mosaics, parquet flooring made of rare wood, fancy stucco on the ceilings, beautiful handmade furniture and heavy brocade curtains – you instantly immerse yourself in the atmosphere of an aristocratic house of the mid-19th century.
And the location in the historical center of the merchant city and just a five-minute walk from the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin makes the hotel even more desirable for travelers.
The ancient appearance of the hotel does not in any way affect its comfort. The spacious rooms here are decorated in warm colors and are equipped with air conditioning, LCD TVs, private bathrooms and hairdryers. The merchant-like luxurious decoration of the rooms and delicate light immerse you in an atmosphere of bliss and comfort, transporting you back in time. In addition, there is a sauna and a shared kitchen where you can cook something at your discretion.
It is not surprising that it was at Sergievskaya that politicians, businessmen and artists who came to Novgorod, including Nikita Mikhalkov, Sofia Rotaru and John Cross, stayed at one time.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 5,000 rubles.
Hotel “Volgograd”, Volgograd, year of construction: 1890
st. Mira, 12
The three-story building of the first Volgograd hotel – then it was called “Capital Rooms” and was designed for 75 beds – was erected in 1890 by the merchant of the first guild Vasily Voronin. He was a man with imagination, so he didn’t stop at the guest house, but first opened a restaurant at the hotel (the Tsaritsyn merchants’ exchange was located here),
and then the Buff Theater.
Both enjoyed enormous and well-deserved success: million-dollar transactions were made in the restaurant to the tunes of French chansonettes, and the theater not only gave performances, but also staged masquerade balls, for example, “An Evening in Sorrento” or marvelous masquerade “In the kingdom of spring and love.”
The revolution made its own adjustments. In 1918, the committee for the procurement of ammunition for the Red Army, and then the editorial office of the newspaper “Soldier of the Revolution”, were located here. At this time, one of the main guests of the “Capital Rooms” was Stalin, who personally supervised the work of the committee.
The hotel’s name disappeared after the Civil War. The building was expanded to one floor and the Pilots’ House was placed in it. In August 1943, the building shared the fate of the city – it was almost completely destroyed by German bombers. The modern hotel began to be restored on the old foundation five years later; the work was completed in 1955. The hotel received the name of the city “Stalingrad”, and since 1961 it began to be called “Volgograd”.
High ceilings, strict linear forms, vaulted arches, moderate stucco, columns and wide balconies – the new five-story building was erected in the Stalinist Empire style, but in many ways repeated the original project.
“Volgograd” is located in the city center, not far from the Battle of Stalingrad museum-reserve and at a distance of five metro stations from Mamayev Kurgan. The hotel rooms are equipped with air conditioning, LCD TV, minibar, bathroom with hairdryer and toiletries.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 8,713 rubles.
Hotel “Parus”, Khabarovsk, year of construction: 1899
st. Shevchenko, 5
Opened for the visit of US President Eisenhower in 1964, the Parus Hotel is housed in a beautiful red brick mansion from the late 19th century. Gagarin, Gorbachev and Yeltsin also stayed here at different times. The hotel maintains its brand even now: Italian architects worked on the interior of the “Sail”; for breakfast in a restaurant with stained glass ceilings they serve caviar and champagne, there are vibrant colors at any time of the year, in the lobby you can soak up the fireplace, and in the lobby there are authentic works by European painters of the 18th century – in short, the modern comfort and almost palatial luxury of the hotel can impress even the most demanding guest.
The Parus rooms are furnished with simple antique furniture. Each has a TV, minibar and bathrobe with slippers. For a comfortable stay with children, there are double rooms – connections. In addition, a Finnish sauna, swimming pool and gym are located on site.
Another of the undeniable advantages of Parus is its own park on the banks of the Amur. Here, among the majestic pine trees and Japanese gardens, you can enjoy the silence, even while being in the center of the city’s business activity. Most of the city’s historical monuments and museums can be reached on foot from here.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 15,721 rubles.
Hotel “Chaika”, Kaliningrad, year of construction: 1908
st. Pugacheva, 13
“The Seagull” is the work of the early 20th century German architect Friedrich Heitmann. The hotel is located in the historical center of old Königsberg, in the prestigious Amalienau district.
The careful reconstruction in 2008 did not spoil the historical appearance of the building, but made it possible to create comfortable living conditions. Today, each of the 28 spacious hotel rooms is equipped in accordance with modern standards: there is satellite TV, free Wi-Fi, telephone, full bathroom, air conditioning, refrigerator, safe and work desk, bathrobe and slippers are provided.
The design of “The Seagull” maintains a balance between office practicality (a large percentage of visitors are businessmen) and the elegance of a living space in the style of the 30s of the 20th century. Photos of old Koenigsberg in the rooms and museum exhibits in the halls, combined with the refined luxury of the furnishings, make it possible to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Kaliningrad, to join the life of the old aristocracy.
Room can be booked via OneTwoTrip. One night will cost an average of 13,200 rubles.
We recommend booking a hotel on the website or in the OneTwoTrip app.
