Gostiny Dvor

Very a**ospheric! It was indeed built in 1703 – 08 by the eminent city architect Semyon Remezov for merchants from China and Central Asia within the fortified walls of Tobolsk Kremlin. How they had managed to insert modern bathrooms I can’t say, but they are there. However, there are rooms with shared bathrooms; those are less expensive. Be sure you ask in advance how things stand. There is certainly no lift, and the hotel rooms are located two stair flights up; be prepared if you have a heavy suitcase. The restaurant is in the same building, they serve breakfast which may be included in the cost of the room. In the evening they serve traditional Russian dinner, see my photos for the menu. The restaurant is open, as far as I know, up to 10 p.m. If you had just dropped in to look around, note that there is a free public toilet in the ground floor gallery connecting the restaurant to the hotel. However, the most important thing to ask before you book this hotel is how you enter or exit after 10 p.m. You remember it’s a 18th century institution? The custom was to shut the gates for the night. That’s what they still do today, too. Once this is solved, enjoy the museum of early Siberian enterprise on the same floor where hotel rooms are.