Advice on Hotel - Travelling to visit my girlfriend in Russia

It depends on where exactly you are going to stay. In big cities, especially in international network hotels, it is not a problem at all. I've actually had travelled a lot in Russia - and disagree with @Gayot Fow (actually, to be honest, this answer surprised me a lot, I've lived in hotels in Russia pretty often), this is not the case in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

In a shitty hotels in relatively small towns - unfortunately this can happen. Well, I can advise you just not to stay in such hotels at all. The other thing is that unfortunately it is not always an option.

Also, it worth to mention that if you have two-bed room this would be something very, very strange if you won't be allowed to live with your girlfriend. Say, one had paid for beakfast and the other one does not. That's it.

British and lived in Moscow fifteen years but stay in Hotels all over Russia and often. How often? Three hundred days in a year is my record (Business).

Situation (Moscow) has changed since the late 90's when you'd only not be bothered in the Savoy, Kempinski, National... nowadays even the budget hotels don't give a damn.

So unlikely you will be bothered to be honest.

At most you'll be shaken down at the cheapo hotels (and mostly outside of Moscow) for a few hundred rubles but even that would surprise me.

Prostitutes in the lobby? Perhaps ten years ago and certainly at the tourist hotels (the old Rossiya/Moskva /Intourist, all three demolished and kind of rebuilt) twenty years ago. Now mostly a thing of the past.

@GayotFow I don't read hotel policy documents beyond those related to my reward cards points I'm afraid but I have likely stayed in more hotels in Russia than 99.99% of people :) Actually make that 99.999%.

@OliverMGrech have a good trip!