Russia's hotels on course ahead of 2018 World Cup
Published on 28/05/2015
Three years ahead of the World Cup, Russia's preparations for the World Cup are on course, with the latest update suggesting the construction of new hotels is continuing at pace, in spite of some delays.
In total, 86 projects to build and upgrade hotels are ongoing ahead of the event, which begins on June 14th 2018 and runs until July 15th.
However, a further 26 are either earmarked to begin or have been temporarily stalled due to cost concerns - something that is a direct result of the devaluation of the rouble, but which is not expected to be a long-term problem.
Major challenges
Overall, 11 host cities covering 12 stadiums will stage the tournament, which understandably brings with it a host of complexities and problems, many of which have been overcome but some of which remain a challenge to the organisers.
Chief among them is the perceived slowness at which some projects are progressing - something that Fifa President Sepp Blatter has previously said needed to be addressed if Russia's hosting of the tournament was not to come into question.
This is being addressed by the organisers, and now heads of various sectors are offering their own reassurances that projects will be completed on time.
Vadim Prasov, Vice President of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers, says that everything remains very much on course, but that the tight schedule will need to be adhered to, particularly as budget cuts are implemented.
Due to many deals being signed in US dollars, exchange rate issues with the rouble mean that certain budgets have had to be reduced by ten per cent - something that has resulted in training ground allocations and other extras being slightly trimmed.
Making progress
Hotels seem to have escaped the cuts, however, and several major construction projects already have times for completion, including in Moscow, which will house two host stadiums.
Fairmont Pekin Hotel in Moscow, which will have 236 rooms, is set to open just in time for the tournament, in early 2018, while the 220-room Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel has a similar timeframe.
Moscow will have two hotels opening next year, however - the 250-room Four Points by Sheraton Vnukovo Airport, which is earmarked for a mid-2016 launch, and the Hyatt Regency Petrovsky Park, which will have 297 rooms and should be ready by late 2016.
Meanwhile, St Petersburg's Aloft, with 200 rooms, is pencilled in for a late 2017 release, and the same city's Jumeirah hotel - with 74 rooms - will launch earlier that year.
With a little over three years to go, work is progressing rapidly on Russia's hotels ahead of the biggest sporting event in its history, and one that the world will be watching.
For an in-depth look at Russia's efforts to construct the stadiums, facilities and accommodation ready for the 2018 World Cup, download ITE's white paper for free here: http://www.buildingshows.com/World-Cup-2018