I traveled to Moscow for a holiday on the 5th of January, as I was landing late evening I contacted the hostel the same day to inform them of my possible late arrival, they replied that it wouldn't have been a problem and that someone would have been at reception anyway. When arrived at the hostel at 23.30, me and my boyfriend were asked for the passports in order to check in, as you would expect (all the conversation happened through the translator on his phone as he didn't speak english, and we don't speak russian). With my italian one, everything was ok and in the mean while he asked to pay cash as their terminal was broken, I explained that I didn't have any roubles as just landed, but I could go out and look for an ATM machine (-24°C), he then proposed me to phone a russian number that he provided me with, to pay through that, and I said I wasn't very comfortable to give my card details over a random phone number. My boyfriend gave him his passport, Cuban, he looks at it and says "ah, cuba", and disappear to make a phone call, on his way back he tells us the system for the registration of foreigners is not working since the 1st of January so he can't let us check in (when I contacted the hostel the same day and they didn't mention any problem). I can't believe what I am hearing, so I asked him an explanation, as on arrival he asked for the passports to register us, we have a confirmed booking and no one contacted us to inform of any eventual problem. He disappears again to make another phone call, he comes back and says he called the IMMIGRATION OFFICE (at 23.30) who said he can't let us check in. We had to leave the hostel at 23.30, walking in the snow with all the luggages, with -24°C, no internet, and no one who spoke english, without having or knowing where to go.
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