Various Types of Hotels in St. Petersburg: The Regular Tourist Hotel for tourists can be operated either by all Russian management (e.g. the Sputnik), or as more often the case for the best hotels, as a joint-venture with a foreign hotel management company (e.g. the Grand Hotel Europe which is managed with/by Kempinski).

Russian Hotel Rating System: The Russian rating system for hotels is not the same as the Western. It is based largely on the "physical facilities" available rather than the quality of services, condition of facility and cleanliness. Thus, many hotels listed here considered themselves to be "first class" or "deluxe" by the Russian hotel criteria. A "deluxe rated hotel" in the Russian system is usually a solid hotel but most would not qualify as "deluxe" or even "one star" in London or Paris because of rude service, poor maintenance, tasteless food, lack of small amenities and even dark halls, worn interior decor and harsh ambiance.
Some "class 2" hotels, on the other hand, are very clean, with friendly service and could be quite good for students and the very low budget, independent travelers looking for a place to sleep. Look at the ads and descriptions.

Rating of Joint Venture Hotels:
Hotels operating as a joint venture with Western hotel management firms are generally of much higher quality with service to Western standards. These are rated on the Western scale

***** = world class hotel, elegant
**** = deluxe, and very comfortable
*** = first class, pleasant
** = clean, well-run, good value
* = acceptable, clean, few facilities
No Rating = no reliable information available

Ratings: are for guidelines only and are compiled from both our research and other sources. Hotels with ads may not be rated but the ads speak for themselves and are rather accurate.

Hotel Costs: Competition is beginning to drive down prices relative to quality. Rooms go from the rare $50 a night to a very expensive $350 plus per night in some 4-star hotels.

Hours and Payments: Unless otherwise stated, hotels are open 24 hours per day and accept rubles. Many now accept credit cards.

Getting Answers: For information and reservations, call the front desk, but if you have a problem, it is usually necessary to talk to the "Manager on duty", called the "Administrator," pronounced Administrahtor.

Some Useful Terms:

Winter Garden: is an area covered by glass roof, usually with a restaurant or cafe.
Administrator: the manager of the hotel.
Dezhurnaya: floor attendant and security combined, usually a babushka, who insures a high level of hospitality and provides snacks.
Service Bureau: they provide many of the services of a concierge, including booking of excursions, travel arrangements, etc.
Kiosk: a small newsstand where newspapers, magazines, postcards, and small souvenirs are sold.