This is the cheapest hostel in Moscow. The first thing you need to know about Home From Home, is that it’s a lot more difficult to find than your real home would be. The entrance is from the rear of the building, but there is no building number, so one is not sure if it’s number 49 or 47. There are no signs for the hostel, so you need to look for “podyezd 2” and press 9 on the intercom. Up two flights of stairs, you will find a simple but pleasant hostel. It’s not exactly a modern renovation, but the rooms are fine for those who are not seeking opulence, and it is, after all, a hostel, not a hotel. The rates range from $20 a night for a bed in a 5-room dorm, to $25 in a 4-bed, and $60 for the double room.
The bathroom facilities may not suit shy people. Although both the showers have frosted glass, they are not in separated areas, and one of the toilets is also accessed through this room, so drying in the cabinet is required. The kitchen has a microwave, oven and all the usual equipment, and breakfast is included in the room rate, along with tea, coffee and biscuits (cookies).
The common room features a piano and an exercise bike(!), and is a comfortable place to unwind with a TV and DVD player. Internet access is free. There’s one computer in the kitchen, and connections for up to 4 laptops. There’s a washing machine in the bathroom, which may be used for 50r($2).
They also have a deal with the cheapest car rental firm in town, but really the best reason to stay here is the location. Old Arbat is still tourist-central. Teeming with restaurants, cafes and bars (albeit expensive and of dubious quality), Old Arbat is within walking distance to the centre, and the hostel is only 400m from Smolenskaya Metro (dark blue line).
I’m not sure that Home From Home lives up to it’s name, but as a staging point for sightseeing in Moscow, it’s not a bad substitute.