Street Address: 3-ya Liniya V.O. 26

Location: Very Good

Nearest Metro: Vasiliestrovskaya (an easy 5 minute walk)

Staff Speaks English? Yes.

Would I Stay Here? Yes.

The Shelfort has 15 rooms on 2 floors on a quiet street on Vasiliestrov Ostrov (island). A good feature this hotel has is very close proximity to Vasiliestrovskaya metro station. It is an area the average tourist never sees, but it is worth it to see it. I really love that pedestrian street. It is a very pleasant place for a calm stroll.

Entry to the hotel is gained through the communal foyer/stairwell. The communal area is clean. When the door opened to the hotel I thought "Wow." I love the floor tile on the first floor. It matches the wall paper and trim very well. And there is attractive lighting that gives the corridor a warm feeling. The second floor corridor also is well done. Each floor has a small "hangout area." Some rooms actually have (very old) working fireplaces.

The bathrooms are fine. The bedrooms are similar to what you would find at the other mini-hotels. It's a good place. No air conditioning though. And it may take a couple minutes to get hot water (I was told this).

The manager tells me they are members of the "Russian Academy Of Hospitality" and he made it a point to tell me they serve high profile types. My response to that assertion: It's certainly a nice place but this does not appear to be where the elite would stay in my opinion. It is not in the same league as the Grand Hotel Emerald or the Baltic Star Hotel.

Sleep Cheap    J     www.sleepcheap.spb.ru         (812) 115-1304

Street Address: Mohovaya 18-32

Location: Good, but the immediate neighborhood is a bit rundown.

Nearest Metro: Chernyshevskaya (10 to 12 minutes approximate walking time)

Staff Speaks English? Some do. Depends who is on duty.

Would I Stay Here? It is the nicest hostel in the city.

You see that really dark passageway to the left (below)? That's where you go to find "Sleep Cheap." It's a little scary. The courtyard is not nice at all. It looks very poor. The entryway to the hostel looks crappy. But everything changes when you step inside. It's really nice!

The hostel has 2 rooms with 4 bunk beds each - so they can handle 16 guests in this facility. There are 3 sinks with mirrors, two private bathrooms (nice) with showers and a kitchen where you can prepare your own food and watch TV. The kitchen also has a washer for your clothes, microwave and refrigerator. They've got an ironing board too, plus internet access is available. And they've got air conditioning!

Sleep Cheap is a really nice hostel which is hidden in a sort of crappy neighborhood. But just down the street are unusual, beautiful old churches in two different directions. And the circus and a canal are nearby. It is a good place.

Sleep Cheap entrance: Go through passage to the left. Entrance in courtyard.

Entrance: Door with yellow sign.