Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
At some airports with strict visa rules, such as SVO, stranded passengers can be taken to an area of a designated hotel that is considered transit. They won't be able to leave that area of the hotel and will be transported between airport and hotel in special buses.
Off-topic, but a fun story -- back in the days of the USSR, my father and I booked an Intourist UK trip to the Soviet Union. Intourist was to get our visas for us and we were to pick them up in Glasgow before joining the group for a flight to SVO. But, we arrived at GLA and there were no visas -- the Intourist folks indicated that we could obtain USSR visas at SVO and that they would wire ahead to the Intourist people who were meeting our flight -- fine. I speak a bit of Russian so figured -- another adventure.
We arrive at SVO, but since this was a charter went to SVO 1 where there was no visa on arrival office. The Intourist guide meeting the group came through immigration and told us that we would be transported to SVO 2 where we could get our visas on arrival and then to take a cab to the hotel (don't remember the name, but it was near the VDNK) -- she gave us a taxi voucher.
My father and I (and 2 others) were escorted to a bus by army officers (I seem to recall KGB shoulder boards) where we were counted and signed for by other officers. We made our way around the airport and were escorted to the immigration office at SVO 2 (the main side of the airport). I had a conversation with another officer who seemed okay with out arriving without visa but told me we would have to spend the night at the "gostinitsa dlya lyoodye bez vizov" -- hotel for people without visas, the transit side of the Aeroflot hotel at SVO.
So, we were counted again and signed for by 3 more officers and driven to the hotel where we checked in and got a fairly nice room. Only problem was no hot water in the room. I went out to talk with the floor lady (every Soviet hotel had them -- little ladies who sat near the elevators and took care of things on the floor). I asked about the hot water and she replied "cherez nedelyoo" -- in a week, which didn't make great sense so I asked again, and again. Finally she responded "remont" -- remodeling.
We slept well, got up the next morning, had breakfast and were escorted back to the airport where we got visas on arrival (paying with an AMEX card) and took a cab to our hotel where me met up with the tour group for lunch. Intourist refunded the second visa charge and we had a great three weeks in Moscow, Kishinev, Lvov, Kiev, and Leningrad (at the time).
And came home with a great story about transit hotels.