Trans-Siberian Accommodation Options

One of the joys of Trans-Siberian tours is the wide variety of accommodation on offer across the trip as a whole. Here we list some of what we think are the best options for the most popular stops and , when taken altogether, provide the traveller with some very contrasting experiences.

As in all big cities location is of great importance and in St Petersburg you ideally want to be just off Nevsky Prospect with the best hotels being at the St Isaacs Cathedral end. Our pick is the five star Astoria Hotel which looks on to the Cathedral. A Rocco Forte hotel huge attention has been put into the design of the rooms which bring a contemporary twist to this historic building.

As with St Petersburg location is key and the closer to Red Square the better is the rule. Moscow seems awash with 5* hotels these days but we still plump for the historic, art deco masterpiece – The Metropol. Admittedly, it’s rooms don’t have the wow factor of other 5* hotels but the building as a whole is magnificent and their can be few grander breakfast rooms.

This prosperous Ural city now has a Hyatt Regency most likely built for all the businessman that the area now attracts due to its large mineral wealth. However, we prefer the more intimate boutique option the Chekhov which makes for a perfectly comfortable and friendly stay.

In Irkutsk itself the newly cleaned up Angara hotel is always a good standby although if it is pure comfort you are after there is now a Marriott Courtyard. The more intriguing options are down at Lake Baikal however. For hotels, the lakeside village of Listvyanka is the best bet and we would opt for the Krestovskaya Pad. If you prefer a more authentic Siberian experience (and this is the attraction of stopping here we think) our choice is a traditional Guesthouse at the more remote village of Bolshoe Goloustnoe.

Hotel standards are slowly increasing in the Capital Ulaanbaatar with the best option currently Hotel Blue Sky Tower. However, the real delight of a tour in Mongolia is a stay in the countryside in a ger – the traditional nomadic dwelling referred to outside of Mongolia as a yurt. Most tourists stay in comfortable ger camps designed for tourists and with good facilities given their often remote locations. There is certainly no better way to experience Mongolia. You can read more about ger accommodation here.

Beijing has more hotels than all the other destinations above combined. Once again, being centrally located to the East side of the Forbidden City is best and hotels like the Wangfujing Hilton, Kapok and Jade Garden cater well for this. For the more adventurous after the quintessential Beijing experience the traditional courtyard hotels found in the ancient residential Hutongs are authentic. Of these we would recommend the Double Happiness Courtyard Hotel as our choice although there are many others of a similar standard.

As you can see, it isn’t just about your cabin on the train and the stops and accommodation choices made are as much a part of the Trans-Siberian experience. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more choices and information.

Article originally posted by Phil Stanley: 3rd June 2013