Moscow hotel shortage will affect football fans

The European Champions League Final match between English teams Manchester United and Chelsea will be played in the Russian capital of Moscow on May 21st, but chances are incoming English fans will struggle to find any sort of accommodation. Moscow is under-supplied with hotel rooms, and during the spring break season, some speculate the usual rush will leave football fans out in the cold, literally.

Moscow’s hotels average a 70 percent occupancy midweek, and the Russian Hotel Association’s vice president Gennady Lamshin says, “For British fans here, there is virtually no chance of booking one of the city’s hotel rooms during the spring peak season.”

One solution to the problem has been addressed by Steven Penney of Select Travel, who will moor three cruise ships on the Moscow River, with a capacity to house 600 fans. Penney says, “This is purely a question of supply and demand, and this is the only way to boost the capacity in Moscow at short notice. We organised the ships about three weeks ago, and we only have a few cabins left.”