Cheap hotels in downtown Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg's historical center spans the Admiralteysky and Dvortsovy districts. Most tourists head straight for these streets: from here you can walk to the Hermitage and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and cross the bridge to the Peter and Paul Fortress. The grand hotels in the center occupy 19th-century buildings, so by staying here you'll live inside a UNESCO ensemble.

The flagships sit by the most famous squares, with rates starting at 24,000–31,000 ₽ per night:

• Grand Hotel Europe — Mikhaylovskaya Street, a step from Nevsky Prospect and the Russian Museum, from 26,000 ₽.
• Astoria — 39 Bolshaya Morskaya, opposite St. Isaac's Cathedral, from 30,000 ₽.
• Wawelberg — 7–9 Nevsky Prospect, by Palace Square, from 30,000 ₽.

You can trim the budget without leaving the historical quarters. The 5 stars collection has calmer options: Petro Palace on Malaya Morskaya, Majestic Boutique on Sadovaya, and Domina Saint Petersburg on the Moyka embankment. Stays here cost from 11,000 to 13,500 ₽, and Palace Square is a 10–15 minute walk away.

These two districts neighbor the center — prices are lower here and there are noticeably fewer tourists. From either of them, you can reach the Hermitage in one or two metro stops, or in 15 minutes on foot across the bridge.

Vasilyevsky Island means the Strelka with the Rostral Columns, the Kunstkamera, and embankments with views of the Winter Palace. The most convenient spot to stay is near the Birzhevoy Bridge and Universitetskaya Embankment:

• Palace Bridge — 4 Birzhevoy Lane. The hotel sits a ten-minute walk from the Winter Palace; rates start at 12,400 ₽.
• Trezini Palace — 21 Universitetskaya Embankment. The hotel stands next to the Kunstkamera; rates start at 20,700 ₽.

The Petrograd Side covers Hare Island with the Peter and Paul Fortress, the parks along the Malaya Nevka, and Kamennoostrovsky Prospect. The area is quieter than the center, but thanks to the metro and bridges you can reach the Hermitage in ten minutes. Among the interesting options to consider — Villa du Prince at 11 Malaya Nevka Embankment, and the small four-star "6/3" hotel on Blokhina Street, next to the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The season strongly affects prices in Saint Petersburg. The peak falls on the White Nights (late May through mid-July) and the New Year holidays. The most affordable times to travel are March and November: tourists are few then, and rates at hotels along Nevsky Prospect drop to the level of residential districts.

To catch the White Nights without paying twice the price, book your stay 2–3 months ahead. Affordable options in any season include the Zontik hotel in the Moskovsky district (from 1,000 ₽) and the Barch capsule hotel at 87/2 Nevsky Prospect (from 1,900 ₽). The Best in summer collection gathers hotels with high guest ratings for the summer months.

If your trip is planned around the palace-and-park ensembles or the Gulf of Finland, it makes sense to base yourself in the suburbs from the start. The Peterhof fountains run from late April through October. Reaching the Amber Room in Pushkin is easier without the commuter train from the center. Sestroretsk and Repino are home to spa resorts on the gulf:

• Tsar Palace Luxury Hotel & SPA — Pushkin, 32 Sofiysky Boulevard, next to Catherine Park, from 18,900 ₽.
• Voda — Sestroretsk, Primorskoye Highway, a spa resort on the Gulf of Finland, from 20,500 ₽.
• Novy Peterhof — 34 Sankt-Peterburgsky Avenue, by the fountains and the Grand Palace, from 12,870 ₽.

In Repino, the Repinsky Kurort resort sits by the gulf. In Peterhof, next to the Grand Palace, you'll find the Samson hotel — rates start at 7,500 ₽. Keep in mind that the trip to the city center takes 40–60 minutes.