Hotels: Staying in a Ukrainian Hotel

Every Ukrainian town of, at least, 20, 000 or more residents has, at least, one hotel. In small towns, these hotels are commonly of the Soviet time and can be inexpensive - around $10 USD for a double room. Larger towns (50-200 thousand residents) usually have a few hotels: some are private, others are state-run.

Customer service in Ukrainian hotels Needless to say, there is normally no English-speaking staff in state-run hotels in small towns, and they offer customers USSR standards of service and comfort. If you are an intrepid young backpacker on a tight budget, you may not care that there is no phone, the beds are somewhat short, the closet door is broken, there's no hot water, and the temperature hovers approximately 16°C. yet, other categories of foreign travellers are commonly dissatisfied with their experience in such hotels.

Private hotels are often — but not always — both more costly and have higher standards of service. Some private hotels in towns and cities of Ukraine are splendid, but they do not employ English-speaking staff. In the Carpathians, there are many marvellous family-run privately owned inns with hospitable hosts and very good living conditions. Nonetheless, outside the Carpathians family-run inns and guesthouses are almost nonexistent. Modern hotels observing the western standards service and living conditions can be found in all large Ukrainian cities and in resort areas of Crimea and the Carpathians.

These hotels often have higher rates than the same ones abroad. This is because Ukraine lacks three, four, and five-star hotels, and hence travellers would rather pay more for better living conditions. Reserving a hotel room in Ukraine In towns and cities, you can reserve a room straight on arrival to the hotel, provided that you have a passport. However, in large cities - for example, Kiev, Odessa - you should make a reservation in advance. Besides, keep in mind that there are no tourist information agencies that can help you book a room (except for an agency at Lviv airport).

Advanced reservation procedures may differ, depending upon a hotel. You can book a room over the phone by providing your name and the time you are planning to arrive. If you're late, they may give your room to somebody else. Rooms in modern hotels commonly need to be reserved through a travel agency or online on either the hotel's website or the website of a travel agency. For more information on Ukraine's hotels, please visit www.accord-hotels.com.ua/en/hotels.html.