Where to stay in St Petersburg? Which areas to choose or to avoid? Saint Petersburg is a city on the water and a city with a very European appearance. However, the distances in Russia are far greater than what we are used to seeing. Without knowing the city, one can easily misidentify its city center, and the best areas and hotels in Saint Petersburg. So, here are some tips and a list of good addresses for a successful stay in Saint Petersburg!
- Best areas where to stay in St. Petersburg and what to avoid 🌟
- Hotels where to stay to visit in Saint-Petersburg 🛌
- Nice apartments in Saint Petersburg 🛌
- Budget and tips for choosing the right accommodation in Saint Petersburg ✨
1. Areas where to stay in St Petersburg and what to avoid
The hyper-center of Saint Petersburg. During a first trip to Saint Petersburg, we tend to misidentify the hyper-center. When we see the map of Saint Petersburg, we have the reflex to think that the center is located on the banks of the Neva. Besides, a bit like Paris. However, it is not true. The Neva is very wide. For example, it takes at least 8 minutes on foot to cross it. Although the city of Saint Petersburg is based on Zayatchy Island, where the Peter and Paul Fortress is located, the current hyper-center is located at Nevsky Avenue. Also, for example, the hotels near Mariinsky Theatre are a little bit far from the hyper center.
Good to know. The most central point of Saint Petersburg is the intersection between Nevsky Avenue and the Griboyedov Canal: in summary, where the Kazan Cathedral is located. You can then take this point as a point of reference for your research.
1.1. Map of the area where to stay in Saint-Petersburg during your first trip
1.2. Description of the areas
Nevsky Prospekt is the city’s main avenue. The proximity of Nevsky is therefore quite important, because it is a very busy street and an important axis of transport. On the other hand, it is a fairly noisy avenue: double glazing or better yet – the courtyard side, and you are saved!
The Golden Triangle is the most expensive area of ​​Saint Petersburg. By reading my article What to visit in Saint Petersburg, you immediately understand why: many monuments to see are concentrated here. On the other hand, it is not necessarily the best area where to stay in Saint Petersburg, because you will come across only very few locals.
2. Best hotels in St Petersburg: where is the best place to stay in St Petersburg?
Selection criteria. Comfort is just as important as price and geolocation. The hotels listed below therefore combine these three criteria.
2.1. Hotel in the Golden Triangle of St. Petersburg
The Italyanskaya 29 Inn hotel is a small hotel with a great location: close to Nevsky Avenue, but at the same time in a quiet courtyard, in one of the best areas of St. Petersburg. The design of the rooms is quite modern.
Right next to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan, right in the historic center, you have a comfortable and modern hotel: WYNWOOD Hotel. An excellent choice for a romantic trip to St. Petersburg!
2.2. Hotel on the Griboyedov Canal in St. Petersburg
The Gogol Hotel is a 4 star hotel, with a large breakfast buffet. The geolocation is really great, because it allows you to move around the city center on foot and at the same time have a metro station nearby to go, for example, to the Catherine Palace. It is therefore a very good place to sleep in Saint Petersburg. Moreover, the icing on the cake: the majority of the rooms overlook the canal.
2.3. Hotel for an unforgettable romantic getaway in Saint Petersburg
If you want to visit Saint Petersburg for a romantic weekend, one of the best choices to mark your stay is the Rocco Forte Astoria Hotel. Room rates are above average, but the service offered lives up to expectations.
2.4. Hotel where to stay in Saint Petersburg at a low price and close to Nevsky Avenue
The Nevsky Contour Hotel is a simple hotel with very low rates considering its location. Located in the city center of Saint-Petersburg, the windows of this hotel overlook a rather very quiet inner courtyard. Blackout curtains, clean room. On the other hand, the hotel is not necessarily very easy to find: it is located on the 3rd floor in the same building as the Anabel hotel which is rather well indicated.
2.5. M-Hotel, near the main avenue in Saint Petersburg
The M-Hotel is a 3-star hotel. It is located in a courtyard and therefore not very noisy. The breakfast is served as a buffet, quite good. This is a good place to sleep in Saint Petersburg!
3. Apartments: good places where to stay when visiting Saint Petersburg
Apartments can also be an option if you wish to have a kitchen, for example. Here are some examples of well-located, well-equipped and practical apartments for visiting Saint Petersburg with family, friends or lovers. Perfect for immersing yourself in Saint-Petersburg life!
Spacious apartment for 2 or even 4 people: well equipped and located, as it is close to the city centre, the train station and transport links. Perfect for a stay in St Petersburg!
Apartment for 2 people: nicely decorated, and well located for visiting Saint Petersburg! A good place to stay in St Petersburg for a couple.
The Sands House design apartment is also a very nice address where to spend an excellent romantic stay in Saint Petersburg. Located in a less touristy part of the historic center, it is quite spacious (35m2), well decorated, and quiet, as the windows overlook an interior courtyard.
4. Tips for choosing where to stay in St Petersburg
I also wanted to share with you two important things to know when choosing hotels in Saint Petersburg.
4.1. Walking distance and public transport in Saint Petersburg
- It is easy to count 15 minutes on foot between each metro station.
- Nevsky Avenue is an important transportation route. Many buses and trolleybuses circulate there.
- The metro is very fast, but deep. If you take the metro just for a station, it will easily take three times as long to get on and off than on the journey itself.
- Find out more about Transport in Saint Petersburg
4.2. Bridges open in St. Petersburg
The city also has nearly 800 bridges, some of which open at night during the navigation period, approximately from mid-April to mid-October. It is a very beautiful sight to see! On the other hand, from a practical point of view, it is not ideal in terms of travel. During this period, at night, the Vasilyevsky and Petrogradsky islands are cut off. Therefore, if you are searching where is the best place to stay in St Petersburg, I think the Vasilyevsky and Petrogradsky islands could be the great places, but more for a second trip.
4.3. What budget to stay in St. Petersburg?
Strong seasonality. Chosen as Cultural Destination in 2016 and also in 2019 by World Travel Awards, Saint Petersburg is a city that attracts more and more travelers. As a result, there is today a lack of supply compared to the ever increasing demand, mainly in high season (summer and especially during White Nights). Outside this period, it is not saturated.
Positive. The ruble is low at the moment (60 rubles for 1 US dollar). We therefore take advantage of fairly attractive rates.
In high season. From the beginning of June to the end of August: the closer you get to the arrival date, the less choice there is. In addition, prices double, or even triple. This is much less true in low season, where you can take advantage of very good rates and, in addition, have the choice.
4.4. How do we select hotels in St. Petersburg?
We generally go through Booking.com. Here is how we do for the selection:
- Indicate the dates
- Limit the budget per night
- Filter the dwellings with a score higher than 8 out of 10
- Add the “breakfast included” filter. [There are a lot of cafes in Saint Petersburg with breakfast options (and even late breakfast, after 12 noon), but we prefer to take it instead.]
- Look at the result on the map. Searching on the map is ideal for better targeting accommodation according to geolocation.
If you didn’t like any of the hotels we know, here is the map of all the hotels offered at Booking:
Hope this post gave you some ideas of hotels and areas where to stay in St Petersburg. Please share with us your good adresses in St Petersburg in comments!
Interesting in St Peterburg:
- Hermitage Museum: all you need to know (tickets, best days, tips)
- Things to do in St Petersburg: what to see and to visit in 2 or 5 days?
- Visiting the Peterhof Palace: tickets, how to go there
- Airport transfer: how to get from airport to hotel?
- Trains from St Petersburg to Moscow: how does it work and cost?
