3 Best Hotels in Southern Outskirts, Moscow

A serene and lovely setting inside the walls of the Danilovsky (St. Daniel) Monastery provides a backdrop of fountains, religious-themed paintings, and domes for these simple, tidy guest quarters with crisp new linens, lacquered-wood furnishings, and polished parquet floors. Three deluxe suites, complete with stone dining tables and canopied beds, are vast. The restaurant sources many of its recipes from old religious texts, though its real forte is baked goods, multitudes of which are continually extracted from tall ovens to provide guests their daily bread. The monastery is the official residence of Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow and All Russia, and the church holds conferences here and also sponsors concerts and exhibitions. Though far from the center, the hotel is just a five-minute walk from a metro station.

Accommodations are bare bones, with linoleum floors, plain furnishings, and low beds, but the price is right, and as a bonus, a sense of elegance prevails in this estate-like setting on the grounds of the sprawling park of the same name. While you'd be hard-pressed to find a better rate for this level of hotel in Moscow, you can expect a few perks, too, including a friendly welcome for kids and a playground, and a convenient location two stops south of the center on the metro's green line.

Quarters are small but much more comfortable and attractive than you might expect in this bargain-priced, dorm-like setting near the prestigious Moscow State University. A few flourishes include views from some units that extend all the way to the golden domes of the Kremlin and an in-house restaurant and bar. The hotel is managed by the Pilgrimage Center of the Moscow Patriarchate, so expect to find yourself surrounded by religious groups.