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Hostel Zimmer Freie  K  Stairwell needs work.  St. Petersburg, Russia
www.zimmer-freie.spb.ru   www.zimmer.ru    Phone: 7 (812) 275-7169

* Update: April 22, 2004 - they say they have moved. (Below is the 2002 review.)

Rates: Dorm accommodation $10; single $20; double $25; triple $30.

Location Rating: Very good. Interesting places to walk all around and close to the city's core. An art school is across the street. Check out the atrium there. Very interesting. Parks and canals are nearby, plus old churches.

Proximity To Metro: Good. An interesting 12 to 15 minute walk to Gostiny Dvor Metro Station.

Lobby Appearance: Not good. First of all, there's no sign outside the building. Once you're inside, you still don't know if you are in the right place. This interior space has a ghetto look, unfortunately. We asked a guard (? or somebody) if the hostel was here and learned that it was several floors up. There's an elevator that I don't trust. And the stairwell is dark and dirty with trash and cigarette butts scattered about. At the hostel door you press the intercom button and ask to be let in. The door unlocks and you are in what I guess is the common area... a very small space with a TV and seating for 2.

Room Appearance: Basic.

Useful Nearby Businesses: There are cafes and all kinds of other stores within easy walking distance.

Hotel Restaurants: They have a very small kitchen area where you can prepare your own food. It's quite cramped and is nothing fancy.

Other Amenities: They have their own hot water supply. This is a good feature because sometimes the community hot water gets shut off, especially in the summer. Free safe deposit for valuables. Telephone, fax, e-mail, and internet service are promoted in their promotional literature. We saw just one toilet and two shower stalls that were sort of private. Maps of the city are on the walls.

Would I Stay Here? No. Communal living with strangers does not appeal to me, although it is possible to get your own room here. But still, I would not be happy here. Tanya says she would never stay there and she didn't feel safe with the guests there. It seemed safe to me though. The facility didn't have it's own guard, and Tanya felt that it was the kind of place where you could scream and scream and nobody would ever hear you.

Staff Speaks English? Yes. The operator of this facility speaks English quite well. He seemed like a quality fellow.

Comments: We had difficulty finding this place because there is no outdoor signage at all. We checked the back alleys and courtyards for an entrance and it is like a ghetto back there. You might be afraid to walk back there by yourself. Neighbors in the next building did not even know of this hostel's existence. The operator of this hostel thought his business was most suitable for students and I had the impression from him that American adult travelers who had stayed there were very disappointed and it appeared he did not wish to encourage this kind of business. This seems to be a communal apartment. Tanya had the impression the young men living there (probably Russian students) had been there for a long time. Her overall opinion about this place is there is something about it which is very strange. I didn't think it was strange, just very basic. It's better than living on the street. The hostel area of this building looked clean, but the rest of it was crappy. The neighborhood is actually very good. The summer garden is near as well as the Neva River, canals, and the core of the city where the greatest concentration of activity, energy, people, stores and attractions are. Among the hostels, this place has the best location.

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