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By Edmund Harris
The Russian word for hostel -- obshchezhitiye -- is unlikely to conjure up positive associations in the mind of the average Muscovite. And so do Moscow's hostels in the mind of backpackers who have experienced what the city has been able to offer them so far. Although the market has improved in recent years, local hostels tend to be characterless and functional Soviet-era institutions located outside the center and not always well acquainted with the ethos of backpacking.
Given this situation, Godzilla's Hostel, which British entrepreneur James Skinner opened in October, cannot fail to stand out. It's located within the Garden Ring, only a five-minute walk from the Hermitage Garden, and is housed in a stately 19th-century building on Bolshoi Karetny Pereulok, a quiet backstreet. The cozy interiors with surviving period fittings, a warm, bright color scheme and stylish modern furniture are a far cry from the communal apartments.
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