Kazan – WHERE TO STAY

The hotel prices in the “third capital” of Russia are a bit lower than in the first two (Moscow and St Petersburg). It is advisable to choose hotels in the central Vakhitovsky District to be able to reach all the attractions on foot. Many Kazan hotels have cozy home atmosphere and their own restaurants and the staff are marked with real Oriental hospitality. At the same time you can find branches of world famous hotel chains whose quality is time-proved.

 


 

Chic and luxury

Shalyapin Palace Hotel. A four-star hotel on the pedestrian Baumana Street. The olden gloss has faded and the buffet breakfast is not always as abundant and tasteful as promised, but the location near the Chaliapin (Shalyapin) Statue and a few steps to all the city sights compensates for everything.

From $85 for a double room.

Ramada Kazan City Centre. A chain modern style hotel with spacious rooms, helpful staff and good service. The railway station is 3 minutes on foot and Baumana Street is 10 minutes on foot. Breakfast is abundant, but lacks variety. The hotel has good Wi-Fi.

From $140 for a double room.

Spa Complex Premium Luciano. A small (only 24 rooms) hotel with a huge Spa zone: the three floors accommodate 5 indoor swimming pools, 7 saunas, and 3 thermal baths. There is a health center offering Thai massage. Guests appreciate trained staff and tasty breakfasts ordered a la carte (but the order takes a rather long time). Shopping center “Koltso” is located nearby.

From $190 for a double room with free access to the Spa zone.

DoubleTree by Hilton Kazan. A nice hotel with polite staff and rooms designed in cold colors. The Kazan Kremlin is only 3 minutes walk away. Large beds are very comfortable, but some rooms are stuffy in spite of the air conditioners.

From $90 for a double room.

Hotel Nogai. A clean and new hotel in the very heart of Kazan, located 300 meters from the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral and very close to the pedestrian Baumana Street. The staff is polite and quickly respond to all requests of the guests. The rooms are cozy and clean, but in the cold season there may be technical problems with the air conditioning system.

From $85 for a double room.

 


 

Dignified and within the pocket

Don Kikhot Hotel. A small Spanish-style hotel located 5 minutes on foot from the railway station. A walk to Baumana Street takes 15 minutes. Guests are discontent with small shower cabins, but appreciate cleanliness, good heating in the rooms and tasty (though a bit unvaried) breakfast.

From $56 for a double room.

Tatarskaya Usadba. A picturesque three-star hotel in Tatar style with a very good restaurant. Located in the historical building of the Sabitovs’ estate on the bank of the Nizhny Kaban Lake and near the Old Tatar Quarter but a bit far from the main attractions – a walk to Baumana Street takes about 15 minutes. The staff offers Oriental hospitality. However, there are small drawbacks – sometimes a double bed is made of two single beds moved together.

From $55 for a double room.

Osobnyak na Teatralnoy. A good three-star hotel located in the cultural city center close to the Musa Jalil Opera and Ballet Tatar State Academic Theater and Liberty Square. The walk to the Kremlin takes 10 minutes and some rooms even have a view of it. Breakfasts are a la carte (guests can choose among 4 options). The rooms are designed in warm colors and very clean.

From $50 for a double room.

TatarInn Hotel. A nice and cozy hotel located not far from the Old Tatar Quarter and 10 minutes on foot from Ploshchad Tukaya Metro Station. Guests appreciate tasty breakfasts, clean and spacious rooms, but the noise insulation is not very good. The staff are extremely polite and welcoming. There are some good Tatar cuisine restaurants nearby. Good balance of price and quality.

From $45 for a double room.

 


 

Cheap and acceptable

Hotel Kazantel. Located not far from the Kremlin and the railway station, 450m from the Baumana Street. The hotel offers cozy but small rooms, polite staff, and free luggage storage after checkout. But the noise insulation is weak.

From $38 for a double room.

Berison Astronomicheskaya Hotel. A modest hotel with Laconian interior, but luxury location close to Baumana Street and Kazan University. The rooms are clean, the staff are polite and the price is surprisingly low in the center of Kazan. That is why the poor design of the bathroom (the water spills on the floor when you take a shower) can be disregarded.

From $24 for a double room.

Berison Kamala Hotel. Equally simple but nice recently opened hotel of the same chain located close to the Old Tatar Quarter. The rooms are new and clean, the district is quiet – a good value for money.

From $20 for a double room.

Hotel Olimp. A three-star hotel located far from the city center, but close to metro – Prospekt Pobedy station is only 2 minutes walk away. The rooms are clean, quiet and spacious, the beds are large. However, Wi-Fi is offered only in the lobby. Nearby there is a big shopping center with inexpensive shops.

From $38 for a double room.

Kristall Hotel. A clean hotel with a modern, stylish design located opposite the railway station and only 15 minutes on foot from the Kremlin. There are many inexpensive cafés around where you can have breakfast. Noise insulation leaves much to be desired, so those who like to sleep in the silence should ask for rooms overlooking the yard. The staff is very hospitable.

From $28 for a double room.

 


 

For super savers

Kazanskoye Podvorye Hostel. Located in the city center near the University. 4-bed and 6-bed dormitory rooms look cozy and modern while hospitality of the owners and additional services (a lounge for work and the opportunity to rent a bicycle) make this place very attractive for budget travelers. There are male and female dormitories. Guests appreciate soft beds and inexpensive hotel café Hanuma.

From $7 for a bed in a 4-bed dormitory.

Wings Hostel has an excellent location close to the Bolaq River and pedestrian Baumana Street, at a walking distance from the main city attractions. The Kremlin and Kremlevskaya metro stations are 5 minutes on foot, and the railway station is 10 minutes walk away. However, it has some drawbacks too: it may be cold in the shower rooms in the winter season and some services (such as a big bath towel instead of a usual medium size) are provided at an extra charge. The staff is welcoming and ready to help the guests. For example, you can leave luggage here, even after the checkout.

From $8 for a bed in a 8-bed dormitory, from $26 for a double room with shared bathroom.

Backpack Hostel. A tiny hostel (only four rooms) located in the very heart of Kazan on Baumana Street close to the Epiphany Cathedral. The furnishings are modest but tidy. Alcohol is prohibited in the hostel which makes a positive impact on the discipline and silence at nights. Sometimes there are queues to the shared bathrooms combined with toilets.

From $8 for a bed in a 10-bed mixed room.

Hostel Zeleny Dom. Located on the bank of the Bolaq River, 500 meters from the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral and 800 meters from the Qol Sharif Mosque. It has only 3 rooms, so the atmosphere is very homelike and quiet but the kitchen is packed anyway. The nice and modern design delights the eye.

From $8 for a bed in a mixed room.

Hostel Green Point. A nice youth hostel located in the attic of a 2-storey building. The hostel offers nice and cheerful atmosphere with bright interiors. It is located close to the Soviet Lifestyle Museum and Ploshchad Tukaya metro station. The owners of the hostel is a nice family, the couple are always happy to give information about inexpensive restaurants (which are plenty around). Children and pets are welcome as well.

From $8 for a bed in a mixed room, from $26 for a double room with shared bathroom.