Since international sanctions began, booking accommodation in Russia became a real puzzle for many travelers. Booking.com, Airbnb and most Western platforms stopped operating in the country, and for a while the only convenient alternative for booking hotels and apartments in Moscow, Saint Petersburg or other Russian cities was Zenhotels.
The good news is that there is now an even better option: Ostrovok lets you pay with a foreign card from anywhere in the world, including from the European Union and the United Kingdom, and with no VPN needed. That changes the picture completely, because until recently Ostrovok only accepted Russian cards.
Even so, it is still important to know which platforms work, from which countries they show results, and which payment methods they accept, because the best option depends a little on your situation. I explain everything below: I start with Ostrovok, the most recommended option for hotels, then move on to Zenhotels and Sutochno —the best option if you want an apartment— and finish with the rest of the Russian platforms.
1. Booking accommodation in Russia with Ostrovok
Ostrovok is today the best option for booking hotels and apartments in Russia. It is, quite simply, the “Booking.com of Russia”: the most widely used accommodation platform in the country — it holds around 26% of the Russian market’s traffic — it has been running since 2011, and it is the official hotel booking partner of the airlines Aeroflot and Pobeda. It also belongs to the same corporate group as Zenhotels (Emerging Travel Group).
The big news is that Ostrovok now lets you pay with a foreign card from anywhere in the world, including from the European Union and the United Kingdom, with no VPN and no cleared cookies. Until recently it only accepted Russian cards, so this changes a lot for international travelers.
There is one important condition: for now it only works with Mastercard (Visa is not accepted yet). If you have a Mastercard, you can book and pay online in a couple of minutes.
How to pay with your foreign Mastercard on Ostrovok
The booking process is the same as on any other platform: you search, choose your dates and accommodation, and move on to payment. The only point to watch is the payment screen: there, you need to choose the “Credit card” option and enter your Mastercard details. Do not choose “FPS” — that is Russia’s instant payment system and only works with Russian cards and accounts. The image below shows the correct option:
Once you have selected “Credit card”, you enter your Mastercard details as you would for any online purchase, and that is it. Remember: Visa does not work yet, so make sure you use a Mastercard.
Ostrovok’s advantages:
- Huge inventory: over 218,000 properties in Russia — hotels, apartments, hostels and guesthouses — in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and hundreds of other cities.
- Competitive prices: in around 40% of searches, prices come in 5-10% below the market average.
- Flexible cancellation: a great many properties let you cancel for free up to the day before arrival.
- Instant confirmation, with a voucher you can download (in English) and show at reception, even offline.
- 24/7 customer support by chat and phone, with the website available in English.
- GURU loyalty program with extra discounts on your bookings.
If you do not have a Mastercard: book and pay on arrival
If you do not have a Mastercard, you can still use Ostrovok. Many properties let you book without entering any card details and pay directly at the hotel when you check in, in cash and in rubles. In the “Payment and booking” filter, tick “No credit card needed” and “Pay on the spot”: only properties with that option will show up.
Keep in mind that with this option you will need to carry enough cash in rubles or exchange currency once you are in Russia. For stays of several nights in cities like Moscow or Saint Petersburg this can add up, so if you can, paying online with a Mastercard is the most convenient.
💡 Tip: if you want to go straight to searching for your accommodation, you can do so from our page for finding hotels and apartments in Russia.
2. Zenhotels
For the past few years, Zenhotels was the best alternative to Booking.com and Airbnb for booking accommodation in Russia, and it is still a perfectly valid option. It lets you pay with international cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) and offers a huge selection of hotels, apartments and hostels in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Sochi and many other cities across the country.
The problem is that since late October 2025, Zenhotels has stopped showing accommodation in Russia to users accessing from the European Union and the United Kingdom, as a result of compliance with the 19th EU sanctions package. By contrast, from countries outside the sanctioned regions — the United States, Canada, South America, Asia or Russia itself — Zenhotels still shows hotels normally, with full inventory and prices similar to those before the restrictions.
So if you book from outside the EU and the UK, Zenhotels is an excellent option: its big advantage over Ostrovok is that it accepts any foreign card, including Visa.
⚠️ Do you live in the EU or the UK and no hotels are showing up? You can still use Zenhotels with a VPN. Payment with European cards still works without any issues; you just need to follow these 3 steps in this order:
Step 1. Install the free Urban VPN extension for Chrome. Once installed, click the extension icon, select Russia as the country and click to connect. You will see the “Connected” message as in the image below:
Step 2. Clear your browser cookies. In Chrome: go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Delete browsing data → check “Cookies and other site data” → Delete. This removes the old data that identifies your European location.
Step 3. With the VPN active and cookies cleared, click here to access Zenhotels. You should now see hotels in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and across Russia, and you will be able to pay with your foreign card as usual. Complete your booking in the same session.
3. Sutochno: apartments with a foreign card
Sutochno is the Russian equivalent of Airbnb: hundreds of thousands of apartments, studios and houses that you rent directly from the owner, with no service fee. It is the best option if you prefer an apartment over a hotel, travel with family or in a group, or simply want to stay like a local.
The big news is that, as of recently, Sutochno lets you pay with a foreign card (Visa, Mastercard or Belcard). The payment is processed through a Belarusian gateway (TravelFly) in Belarusian rubles, and your bank handles the conversion from your currency automatically. That makes it especially useful if you only have a Visa, or if you are in the EU or the UK: it is the only platform on this list that lets you pay online with a Visa from within the European Union, with no VPN.
I explain what Sutochno is, what it offers and the step-by-step payment process (with screenshots) in my guide on how to rent apartments in Russia with a foreign card.
4. Other platforms (Russian card only)
In addition to Ostrovok, Zenhotels and Sutochno, there are other Russian platforms that continue to operate normally, although they are more oriented toward the local market and require a Russian bank card or cash payment.
Yandex Travel
Yandex Travel is the travel portal of the Russian search engine Yandex. It offers a very wide selection of hotels and apartments, but it is available only in Russian and requires a Russian bank card to complete a booking.
It is a platform that is particularly useful for those who already live in Russia or have access to local payment methods.
Bronevik
Bronevik is a professional platform used by Russian travel agencies and companies. It offers hotels, hostels and apartments throughout the country, but it only works in Russian and requires a Russian bank card or bank transfer.
5. Platform comparison
| Platform | Shows accommodation in Russia? | Allows payment with foreign cards? | Pay on arrival? | Available languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ostrovok | ✅ Yes, from any country | ✅ Yes (Mastercard only) | ✅ Yes (at some properties) | Multiple languages |
| Zenhotels | ⚠️ Only outside EU/UK or with VPN | ✅ Yes (Visa & Mastercard) | ✅ Sometimes | Multiple languages |
| Sutochno | ✅ Yes (apartments) | ✅ Yes (Visa & Mastercard) | ✅ Yes (balance to owner) | English, Russian |
| Yandex Travel | ✅ Yes | ❌ Russian card | ❌ No | Russian |
| Bronevik | ✅ Yes | ❌ Russian card | ⚠️ In some cases | Russian |
6. Conclusion
Although Booking.com and Airbnb have stopped operating in Russia, booking accommodation is still perfectly possible if you use the right platform.
Today the most recommended option for hotels is Ostrovok, which works from any country and lets you pay with a foreign Mastercard (or book with payment on arrival if you do not have a card). Zenhotels is still a great alternative if you book from outside the EU and the UK, with the advantage of also accepting Visa. And if what you want is an apartment rather than a hotel, Sutochno is now the best option, because it lets you pay with a foreign card — including a Visa from the EU. Platforms like Yandex Travel or Bronevik are reserved for those who already have Russian payment methods.
In short, traveling to Russia today requires adapting to the new context, but with the right information it is possible to book accommodation safely and without complications.
7. Frequently asked questions about booking accommodation in Russia
Which platform should I use to book accommodation in Russia?
The most recommended for hotels today is Ostrovok: it works from any country, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, and lets you pay with a foreign Mastercard. If you book from outside the EU and the UK, Zenhotels is also an excellent option and accepts any card. And if you want an apartment, Sutochno lets you pay with a foreign card, including a Visa.
Can I pay with a foreign card on Ostrovok?
Yes, but for now only with Mastercard; Visa is not accepted yet. If you only have a Visa, you can book a property with payment on arrival, use Zenhotels from outside the EU and the UK, or rent an apartment on Sutochno.
Has Zenhotels stopped operating in Russia?
No. Zenhotels continues to operate, but it does not show hotels in Russia to users accessing from the European Union and the United Kingdom. From the rest of the world it works normally.
Is it possible to book without a credit card?
Yes. On Ostrovok, many properties let you book without a card and pay in cash, in rubles, on arrival. Tick the No credit card needed and Pay on the spot filters to find them.
Do I need to bring cash to Russia?
It depends on the platform. If you pay online with a Mastercard on Ostrovok, with a card on Zenhotels from outside the EU, or an apartment on Sutochno, it is not necessary. If you book with payment on arrival, then yes, you will need to bring cash in rubles.
Do I need a VPN to book accommodation in Russia?
No, if you use Ostrovok (which works from any country), Sutochno or Zenhotels from outside the EU and the UK. You would only need a VPN to use Zenhotels from inside the EU or the UK.
Can I rent an apartment and pay with a foreign card?
Yes. Sutochno, the Russian equivalent of Airbnb, lets you pay for apartments with Visa, Mastercard or Belcard. The payment is processed through a Belarusian gateway in Belarusian rubles, with automatic conversion from your currency.
