Smorodina Hotel & Hostel, Novosibirsk

Smorodina Hotel & Hostel is located in Novosibirsk, the capital city of Siberia, and one of the most important cities in Russia. It is also famous for tourists as it is one of the main stops on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The Location

The hostel is located quite centrally in the city, less than ten minutes away on foot to Lenina Square, which represents the very center of Novosibirsk. Around the area are shops, supermarkets, and some restaurants. It is convenient for those coming with the train, as the railway station is reachable in about twenty minutes by bus or metro.

Rooms and Bathrooms

As the name suggests, this is both a hotel and a hostel with privates and dorms. The hostel is built on two floors and most of the rooms are upstairs. The quality of the rooms is average, with beds and mattresses that are not new but are still quite comfortable. There is one bathroom upstairs and one downstairs, with toilet and shower together. Hot water is available and a hair dryer as well. Towels are provided at check-in. The hostel is maintained and clean all the time, and the ladies working at the reception seem to really care about that. Lockers are available at the entrance, in front of the reception, and you need your own padlock.

Common Spaces

There is a shoe rack at the entrance and slippers are provided. At the main floor, there is a large area with kitchen, a sofa, a TV, and tables with chairs. Here, guests can prepare their meals and the cooking equipment is great, with new pans and pots and a spacious area where you can prepare the food. The vibe is very quiet and many people seem to live there for a longer time, probably working, so there is not much of a vibe in the evening as people seem to go sleep early. The staff are very nice, and even though they don’t speak English, they try their best to help. There is a luggage room where you can leave bags after checkout. They also let customers who need to catch a night train stay in the common area for a longer time.

Summary

In general, it is an average place. Clean and with helpful staff, it provides a good sleep and it is possible to cook in the kitchen, but it's not a fun place to stay and it's almost impossible to meet other people. It's recommended to groups or couples, but not much to solo travelers.