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Right of access: tourists will be able to check into hotels using biometrics and a foreign passport
Checking into Russian hotels with a driver's license, passport, and biometrics may become a reality. The draft decree of the Government of the Russian Federation on the rules for the provision of hotel services is currently under discussion. If adopted, the document will enter into force on March 1, 2026. Izvestia investigated how this would affect tourists and hoteliers, what difficulties would arise and why non-refundable tariffs are still controversial in the market.
What's new on offer
According to the new rules, Russian citizens can move into accommodation facilities not only with a passport or a military identification document, as previously, but also with a foreign passport and a driver's license.
The document also states that settlement "can be carried out subject to identification and (or) authentication using a single biometric system."
Moreover, this also applies to children if information about them and consent from one of the legal representatives (if the child is traveling without parents or guardians) is available in the system.
Foreigners will also be able to check into hotels using a single biometric system if information about them is available there.
An important point: "the provision of accommodation facilities is allowed only if the accommodation facility has a valid classification of accommodation facilities."
Non-refundable tariffs have also appeared in the rules. Upon return booking, if the guest reports the cancellation before the day of arrival, the hotel must refund all funds. If later, it can deduct the fee for the day. In case of non-return, the hotel has the right to keep all or part of the amount that the potential guest paid upon arrival. There are exceptions: the illness or death of the most potential guest or his close relative, the introduction of an emergency regime or martial law, the mobilization of the one who booked the room. In these cases, the fee will be refunded in full, and you can provide documents about the forced cancellation within six months after canceling the reservation.
There will be fewer questions.
In general, market participants welcome the innovations. Expanding the list of documents that can be used to get to the hotel, of course, will cause some inconvenience to hoteliers, but it will simplify the work with guests.
It will be more difficult for the cashier-operator at first, it will be necessary to enter new data and store scans of several possible documents separately. But, in principle, technical problems can be solved, said Andrey Mikhailets, Executive Director of the Independent Hotel Alliance.
— If we talk about how this will affect the front office, then there are people who work on the first line - it will probably become easier for them. Discussions about why it is possible or impossible to settle according to any document are a common occurrence. If the list is expanded, then the number of cases when it will be necessary to explain to guests why the hotel does not accept them will decrease," the expert states.
Alexey Vysokanov, founder and CEO of Atelika Hotel Group, said that many adults come with children without documents, although when booking and on the hotels' website it is indicated that the original birth certificate is required. The possibility of checking in using an extended list of documents and biometrics will remove some of the issues.
In addition, according to experts, it will help to respect the rights of passengers during flight delays. It is not uncommon for an airline to provide a hotel, but a tourist cannot check in, as he went on vacation only with a passport. The new rules can significantly facilitate the resolution of such situations and increase the resilience of infrastructure to force majeure, said Nadezhda Kapustina, Professor at the Department of Economic Security and Risk Management at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
There are already developments
At the same time, experts say, the innovations will not require much effort.
— IT specialists and suppliers of hotel software will need to refine the functionality a little. But as far as I know, the relevant additions have been ready for a long time. The software began to be adapted even during the adoption of the law, which allowed the government to make changes to the rules for the provision of hotel services," explained Andrey Mikhailets.
Alexey Vysokanov also noted that it is unlikely that a software update will cause problems.
— Of course, the introduction of such technological solutions will require significant investments from hoteliers in software modernization and, possibly, staff retraining. Nevertheless, the long—term benefits of simplifying settlement procedures and improving customer service should offset the initial costs," Nadezhda Kapustina is confident.
It is important that new ways of checking into hotels are an additional option, not an obligation, so deadlines are not critical, says Alexander Bragin, director of the Association of Travel Aggregators (ATAG).
— This is a positive story for both tourists and businesses, giving them more convenience and flexibility. Large networks are likely to implement the service faster, while small facilities may take longer. At the same time, it is important that hotels inform travelers in advance if digital registration is not yet available," the source points out.
Non-refundable tariffs: pros and cons
Non-refundable tariffs are causing more controversy in the market.
Daniil Zaitsev, a lawyer at the Zaitsev and Partners Law Center, told Izvestia that the introduction of a non—refundable tariff is an important legal and business tool.
— It helps hotels to reduce financial risks and manage load better. Of course, we must keep in mind the rights of customers: the terms of return must be transparent and clearly communicated. Competition and market development require flexibility in offers — the client will be able to choose between a cheap but "tough" tariff and a more expensive one, but with the possibility of cancellation," the lawyer explained.
Now, according to experts, hoteliers can only charge for the first day when canceling a check-in. But, for example, in country and resort hotels, the duration of stay can reach 10-14 days. Accordingly, if the number cannot be delivered promptly, it will be idle all this time.
In addition, there will be fewer situations when a tourist books several hotels at once in order to decide on the spot.
Non-refundable rates will be popular with those guests who are 100% sure that their plans will not change and they will definitely be able to check into the hotel. If we look at international statistics, the share of non-refundable bookings is 35-40% of the total volume, depending on the region, Daria Klicheva, a specialist in business management, problems of economic development and business efficiency improvement, strategic management at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, cites data.
— In metropolitan cities, large business and financial centers, the proportion of such bookings is even higher and reaches 55%. Such fares are most popular among business travelers and those who travel for cultural and educational purposes," she points out.
According to Klicheva, the availability of non-refundable tariffs in the range of accommodation options will allow hoteliers to significantly predict the level of room occupancy and revenue, which makes it possible to maintain the economic stability of the business in the future.
But, as hoteliers admit, non-refundable tariffs have their drawbacks. Hotels are required to provide an alternative and clearly inform consumers about all the nuances of booking, but in scarce markets where demand exceeds supply, abuse is possible. As Andrey Mikhailets notes, there may be more non-refundable tariffs, conditions will become more stringent for consumers, and flexibility of choice will be lost.
— The Ministry of Economic Development has not proposed a mechanism and rules for determining what proportion of rooms the hotel will be able to offer at non-refundable rates. There is a risk that all hotel rates will become non—refundable and consumers will have no choice," Oleg Pavlov, head of the Public Consumer Initiative, explained to Izvestia. — There is also no mechanism for controlling prices for hotel services and verifying the discount for a non-refundable rate, that it is real, and not like during mass sales, when prices are first inflated and then a discount is offered from the initially inflated cost.
However, as experts recalled, non-refundable tariffs in themselves are not an evasion of legislative norms.
— The key factor at the service selection stage should be the transparency of booking conditions and providing customers with clear information about the differences between refundable and non-refundable fares. The legal nature of non-refundable tariffs does not contradict the current legislation on consumer protection, provided that the customer voluntarily chooses the appropriate conditions and is adequately informed about the consequences of such a choice. Nevertheless, this issue requires clearer regulation of exceptional cases," Nadezhda Kapustina noted.
A similar model has been operating in air transportation for many years and has long been in demand by customers, recalls Alexander Bragin.
— This gives tourists more choice: they can pay for accommodation at a more affordable price within the framework of a non-refundable tariff or prefer a refundable option, which costs more, but gives more flexibility. For hotels, such rates are a risk reduction tool. Therefore, we positively assess the consolidation of transparent rules for the application of non—refundable tariffs," the expert summarizes.
According to traveler Albert Bodokia, the appearance of non-refundable fares usually pulls down the minimum room price, but at the same time, refundable options may become more expensive due to the included cancellation risk. "The final dynamics will depend on inflation, utility bills and salaries. A split into basic low—cost non-refundable offers and more expensive flexible tariffs is likely," he said.
However, both now and earlier, on aggregator websites and on hotel pages, you can see the comment "the cost is not refundable." That is, in fact, non-refundable tariffs are already in effect, unless, of course, the consumer decides to defend their right to refund the money in court.
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