Boutique hotels in Saint Petersburg

A lead analyst and traveller who has visited Saint Petersburg more than once.

The historic centre of Saint Petersburg covers the Admiralteysky and Dvortsovy districts. Most visitors choose 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. If you pick one of the grand hotels in the centre, you will stay in a 19th-century building inside a UNESCO ensemble.

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

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

Want to save money and still stay in the historic quarters? The 5 stars collection includes more affordable options: Petro Palace on Malaya Morskaya, Majestic Boutique on Sadovaya, Domina Saint Petersburg on the Moyka Embankment. A stay here runs from 11,000 to 13,500 ₽, and Palace Square is a 10–15 minute walk away.

These neighbouring districts adjoin the centre and offer friendlier prices and fewer tourists. The Hermitage is just one or two metro stops away, or a 15-minute walk across the bridge.

Vasilyevsky Island draws visitors with the Strelka and its Rostral Columns, the Kunstkamera, and embankments looking out at the Winter Palace. The most convenient place to stay is by Birzhevoy Bridge and the Universitetskaya Embankment:

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

The Petrogradsky Side is known for Zayachy Island with the Peter and Paul Fortress, the parks along the Malaya Nevka, and Kamennoostrovsky Prospect. It is a calm district, quieter than the centre. From here you can reach the Hermitage in ten minutes by metro or by car across the bridges. Two options worth a look are Villa du Prince on the Malaya Nevka Embankment 11 and the small four-star "6/3" hotel on Blokhina Street, next to the Peter and Paul Fortress.

Seasonality in Saint Petersburg has a direct effect on prices. The peak falls on the New Year holidays and the White Nights — from late May to mid-July. The best time to visit is March and November. Few tourists come in these months, and hotel rates, even near Nevsky Prospect, drop to the level of the outer districts.

To catch the White Nights without paying twice as much, book your stay 2–3 months ahead. Among the budget options, look at the Zontik hotel in the Moskovsky district (from 1,000 ₽) and the Barch capsule hotel at Nevsky Prospect 87/2 (from 1,900 ₽). The Best in Summer collection brings together hotels with strong guest ratings for the summer months.

If you planned the trip for the palace and park ensembles or the Gulf of Finland, it makes sense to stay in the suburbs from the outset. The Peterhof fountains run from late April through October. The Amber Room in Pushkin is easier to reach by suburban train from the centre. In Sestroretsk and Repino there are spa resorts on the gulf:

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

Repinsky Kurort sits right by the gulf in Repino. In Peterhof, next to the Grand Palace, the Samson hotel offers rates from 7,500 ₽. Keep in mind that the trip to the city centre takes 40–60 minutes.