Napoleon Hostel

Napoleon Hostel is magnificent. You will be welcomed by Moscow's friendliest staff, best location, best atmosphere, and best travelers.

The entrance sits on a friendly, quiet street, but walking fifty meters and turning the corner brings you back to one of Moscow's bustling streets. ATMs, grocers, cafes, and good nightlife are abundant within a four-hundred-meter radius. The Metro is two hundred meters away -- and a must for exploring Moscow. The Kremlin and Red Square lie five minutes away on foot.

The hostel is very easy to find if you follow the directions on the website and follow the signs to the right Metro exit. Cabs may have a more difficult time finding it. We recommend inexperienced travelers arrange a cab from the airport through the hostel. It seems expensive, but it is cheaper, safer, and more convenient than many alternatives.

The hostel provides sheets for your comfortable bed. There are generally six to eight beds to a dorm room. Most dorms are spacious, but some can feel cramped. Door locks or in-room lockers were not supplied during our stay. However, the hostel's exterior security is superb. Travelers must be buzzed in from the street with a closed circuit surveillance system. They are then buzzed into the hostel again with the aid of another video camera. A video camera also monitors the hall leading to the dorms, with staff on hand twenty-four hours.

There are two toilets, two sinks, and two showers. They seem adequate for the size of hostel and are kept clean daily by a cleaning lady. Our only counterintuitive complaint relates to the absence of cold water over a two-day period. However, this situation added to the romanticism of being in Russia, and proved that cold showers are truly better than boiling showers.

The common space provides a great ambiance with old Soviet propaganda posters covering the wall. This combines brilliantly with a beer fridge and a great group of backpackers. We find Napoleon nurtures a great environment to socialize. You will meet fellow travelers eager to see the sights with you, swap stories, raise a toast, or head to a club. It can become overly rowdy on Friday and Saturday. Smoking is allowed in the adjacent stairwell as the hostel is situated on the fourth floor of a building. Minimal effects of the smoke are experienced in the common area, but avoiding secondhand smoke may prove impossible in Russia.

The kitchen is fully stocked and a fridge is provided. There are two computers with free access, but the internet slows down considerably in peak hours.

The biggest negative is the charge for visa registration. The visa process is confusing, but this is clearly a cash grab. It leaves a bad taste in travelers' mouths, especially those on a short visit.

Overall, this hostel competes with Western Europe's top hostels in terms of quality. More importantly, it provides a safe environment and prime location from which to explore Moscow. You will find friendly staff, but most importantly a solid group of travelers eager to explore and understand an amazing city.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2007