By Maria Dmitrieva
In late February, a new hostel is opening in the historical centre of the Belarusian capital — in the Troitsky Suburbs: the third in a chain. Ksenia Kurus, 20, won the StartupWeekend Forum contest last January — an annual meeting at which investors meet new entrepreneurs. The investor backing the project has allocated $50,000, helping Ksenia open the first two hostels since last May: in Chizhovka and not far from Kupalovskaya metro station. Ksenia tells us that the hostels are occupied even in winter.
The latest addition to the chain is to occupy part of a building in the Troitsky Suburbs, sleeping 55 people across 11 rooms: from double luxury suites to standard rooms for three, four, five or six guests. Prices range from $15 to $45 per person per day, with breakfast included.
“The opening of hostels for tourists and backpacking students is a positive trend,” believes Andrey Novikov, who heads Minsk City Executive Committee’s Department for Consumer and Hotel Services. He notes that demand for affordable accommodation remains high in Minsk, opening the way for further investment in this sphere.
The first Minsk hostel launched in June 2011, in Postoyalets, offering rooms for two and eight people. At present, seven hostels operate countrywide, offering accommodation from as little as $9 per day — up to $67 per day, making them affordable to those on a tight budget.
