Ukrainian Hotels

The price range of Ukrainian hotels is enormous — from $6 to $600 for a room. This page will help you understand Ukraine's hotel network and learn where to find what you're looking for. In addition, you can take advantage of our online hotel booking form in the left-hand column or at the this page (for cities not included in the form at left).

Which cities in Ukraine have hotels?

Every Ukrainian town of at least 20,000 or more residents has at least one hotel. In small towns, this one hotel is usually from the Soviet era and can be quite inexpensive — 50 UAH ($10 USD) and up for a double room. In larger towns (50-200 thousand residents) you usually find a number of hotels — some of which are privately owned — in addition to the state-run hotel, which is usually located in a visible place on the main square. As of 2002 prices everywhere are the same for foreigners and citizens of Ukraine.

Hotel quality in Ukraine

Needless to say, there is usually no English-speaking staff at state-run hotels in small towns, and their standards of service and comfort match those of the Soviet era. If you are an intrepid young backpacker on a tight budget, you might not care that there's no phone, the beds are a bit short, the closet door broken, the walls thin, the shower difficult to use (if there happens to be hot water), and the temperature hovering around 16° C. However, other categories of foreign travelers are usually dissatisfied with their experience in these old-fashioned, state-run hotels.

Private hotels are often — but not always — both more expensive and higher in quality. Some private hotels in small towns and cities of Ukraine are excellent, but English-speaking staff is still a rarity. In the Carpathian region, there are lots of wonderful family-run private inns with hospitable hosts and convenient and cozy living conditions. Outside of the Carpathians, however, family inns and guesthouses are almost nonexistent.

Modern hotels with a western level of service and comfort can be found in all large cities of Ukraine and in resort areas of Crimea and the Carpathians. These hotels often cost more than their counterparts abroad. This is because there is a shortage of three, four, and five-star hotels in Ukraine, and hence people are willing to pay the higher prices. All of the hotels offered through our form at left employ English-speaking staff and have received positive reviews by foreign visitors and have a good level of comfort and service. To view hotel details, enter the city and dates of your visit in the form.

Booking a hotel in Ukraine

In small towns and cities, you can almost always walk up to the registration desk and reserve a room on the spot (you will need a passport to do so). However, in large cities like Kiev and Odessa you should book in advance. Also, keep in mind that there are no tourist information bureaus where staff will call around to hotels for you and help you book a room (except for a bureau at the Lviv airport).

Advance booking procedures may differ from hotel to hotel. Some hotels you can book over the phone by giving your name and the time you expect to arrive by. If you're late, they may give your room to someone else.

Modern hotels generally need to be booked through a travel agency or online at either the hotel's website or the site of the travel agency. I have not researched this issue thoroughly, but generally the price seems to be the same or even lower if you book through a travel agency, since they are given a discount by most hotels.

Online hotel booking

Ukrainian hotels do not yet offer immediate online confirmation of room availability, but the online booking system offered here at TryUkraine.com is the most modern and convenient in the industry (see left column at top of page). Customers pay online by credit card at our partner travel agency's site and receive a voucher to print out and present at the hotel desk upon arrival.

Many other hotels are not so modern and must be booked through a travel agency by hand. If you can't find your destination in the form in the left column, use this form to send a hotel booking request to our partners at SunCity Ltd. travel agency.