A small, cautionary word about finding a roof to go over your head in Moscow since recent surveys list it as the most expensive place in Europe for accommodation. We were very angry to arrive tired and weary at the Travellers’ Guest House in Moscow one public holiday in June to be told by a very rude manager that he did not offer discounts to ISIC card holders. When we pointed out that his establishment was listed in the ISIC 1995 World Travel Handbook, he laughed at us. When we made a protest about false advertising, the manager retailiated by insisting that if we paid by credit card there would be a US$15 fee on top of the room costs `because that is what we are charged by the banks,’ he said. Since it was a public holiday (ie. no banks were open), we had no choice but to pay the extra money or spend the night on the streets.
To add insult to injury, the dorms were cramped, insecure and double-booked; there was no hot water so the baths were truly freezing; and the hostel travel bureau was quoting prices almost double what a foreigner would pay in a train station. We were far from the only travellers to have experienced this rip-off - the travellers’ logbook at the (far superior) St.Petersburg Youth Hostel was overflowing with similar tales about the Travellers’ Guest House. So, save yourselves money, hassle and frustration and stay at the Hotel Molodezhnaya (ph. 210 4556) at Dimitryevskoe Shosse 27 (a moderate walk north of Timiryazevskaya metro - it’s the huge blue edifice). You should get something for around US$35 a double - the same as the Traveller’s Guest House will charge for a dorm!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: scams, travel, warnings
