What happened when you used Yandex Travel to book a place in Sochi?

We found a few options that suited us, but things went horribly wrong from there. The changes they made to their moderation system and overall security measures caused more harm than good.

Have you used Yandex Travel before with no issues?

Yes, I've used Yandex Travel before with no issues. That's why we decided to use them again for our vacation in Sochi.

What was the problem with the place in the Karat Hotel?

The problem was that they didn't check their partners' services, and the quality of the service was poor.

What was the price like for the place in the Karat Hotel?

The price was initially attractive, but it seemed too good to be true.

What was the issue with the customer support?

The customer support was unhelpful and didn't resolve our problem.

Have you considered using other travel booking websites?

Yes, I've considered using other travel booking websites, but I've had good experiences with Yandex Travel in the past.

What would you recommend to someone who's planning a trip to Sochi?

I would recommend being cautious when using Yandex Travel and doing your research before booking a place.

How can I avoid issues like yours when using Yandex Travel?

Be cautious when using Yandex Travel and do your research before booking a place. Read reviews from other users and check the quality of the services offered by their partners.

Yandex Travel Review: A Budget-Friendly Option with No Hidden Fees Went Horribly Wrong

Name: A Budget-Friendly Option with No Hidden Fees Went Horribly Wrong
Item: Yandex Travel
Rating: 1
Author: NatalieCoop

A Budget-Friendly Option with No Hidden Fees Went Horribly Wrong

I'm sharing this review because I think it's super helpful for anyone planning a trip, booking accommodations, or looking for a place to stay. Keep reading, it's worth it.

Last summer, my family and I (my wife, two little kids, and me) headed to Sochi for a vacation. We decided to use Yandex Travel to find a place to stay, as we'd used their services before and everything was smooth. But not this year. It turns out they'd made some major changes to their moderation system and overall security measures. But more on that later.

We found a few options on Yandex Travel that suited us. One of them was a place in the Karat Hotel, which is a well-known and pricey hotel in Sochi. The address was accurate, and the listing showed up correctly on the map. The photos matched the actual apartments, and I've included a screenshot of the listing below.

The price was what drew me in - it seemed too good to be true. The listing mentioned it was a 'first occupancy' deal, but I had no idea if that was legit or just a mistake. You can't contact the landlord directly to ask about it, as all their contact info is hidden until after you book (another important thing to remember). So, you're basically relying on the platform where the listing is posted. Only after you book do they give you the landlord's contact details.

We went ahead and booked it. Our order number is YA-8336-0857-0125:0.

">When I booked, I got a voucher with all the details - hotel name, address, check-in time, and everything. Nothing out of the ordinary. But here's the thing: on the website, in the app, and even on the voucher itself, there was a little note that said: "You must write to WhatsApp to confirm your booking: 79963253273". I've attached a screenshot.

">Okay, I thought, that's normal practice (it used to be normal till 2025, anyway). You're supposed to confirm your booking with the hotel, and it's usually necessary to do so. So I wrote to WhatsApp the next day, and in the course of our conversation, the "hotel representative" convinced me to make a prepayment on their payment details. At first, I wasn't even fazed by this request. People who've booked hotels before know that sometimes you need to make a prepayment, deposit, or pay for a transfer, and they'll send you their payment details via WhatsApp or Telegram, whichever is more convenient. I've done it myself before, and everything was fine, since a reputable aggregator provides you with the contact details of the hotel owner and asks you to confirm your booking with them! What could possibly go wrong?) In short, I transferred 52,600 rubles, and they also deducted the money from my card. I had to block my card and get a new one.

So, to simplify things, Yandex Travel accidentally foisted this unknown person on me as the hotel representative, requiring me to confirm my booking via WhatsApp. If only they'd added a little disclaimer: "...and follow the instructions of the hotel representative"

There were two instances in the voucher where they repeated the instruction to contact the hotel representative via WhatsApp to confirm the booking:

I reached out to Yandex Travel's support team, described the situation. They got back to me within a day: 'Sorry, the hotel broke our rules, we're already working on removing it from the system. Bummer that you had to deal with this. It's likely you were scammed.'

Here's the thing: what if I hadn't checked the voucher details before checking in? I might've thought I'd booked through Yandex Travel and just assumed it was legit. I'd have saved my money, but I'd have been left on the streets in Sochi with my wife and two kids. It's a catch-22 – either you figure out the scam and lose money, or you're stuck with nowhere to go.

So, what should an aggregator like Yandex Travel prioritize, aside from making a profit? They should be checking the legitimacy of the host, of course. That's their main job. They should at least verify some basic documents, like proof of ownership or commercial activity. It's not rocket science. Every reputable platform does this. But, apparently, Yandex Travel had a huge security gap in 2025 that allowed scammers to post fake ads with stolen photos. And to make matters worse, the platform insisted I contact some unknown third-party to confirm my booking (screenshot above).

I, for the sake of thoroughness, booked another hotel on the same Yandex Travel website as a backup. At first glance, it seemed they didn't require any prepayment, but I still had to reach out to the landlord ahead of time via the phone number they provided. I'm not sure, though - what if when we're on the train, we find out that this 'hotel representative' is actually a scammer using fake photos? It seems like Yandex Travel can't guarantee anything anymore.

You know what's even more interesting? As I'm writing this review, my booking in this hotel is still active. So, they acknowledge that this 'hotel' broke their rules and they've blocked its ads, but they're not canceling the booking. Instead, they're asking me to voluntarily cancel it via a support chat, and in return, they'll give me a promo code for my next booking. It's like they're trying to avoid officially acknowledging the reason for the cancellation, so they can stay out of it.

It's not like they'd say, 'Sorry about the inconvenience, here's a discount code, and let's discuss how we can compensate you for the damage caused by our moderators' negligence, who let anyone post on our platform without verification.' No, it's more like, 'Cancel your booking yourself' so they can have fewer complaints.

I don't think the Yandex Travel management is even aware of this security issue in their system. They're only losing money from it, and it's not that hard to find a loophole and fix it. But getting this information to the management through technical support staff is unlikely, so let's try to raise awareness about this issue. Anyone reading this post will be more cautious. As for me, I use various Yandex services and I don't want Yandex Travel, which I've used without issues in the past, to become a hazardous platform filled with scammers by 2025.

Thanks for your attention, and take care of yourselves and your loved ones!

I just got an update from Yandex Travels. They called me at 4:07 PM and said that the hotel I booked had broken the rules, so they're forced to cancel my reservation. I asked if they'd send me a letter about the cancellation, and the girl said yes, they would. But when the letter arrived, it didn't say anything about why they cancelled my booking. What I did get was a line about being charged a 56,100 RUB fee for the cancellation. Yeah, I got hit with that fee because the 'hotel' (which isn't even a hotel, by the way) had broken some rules. Talk about crazy.

Update number two: at 5:38 PM, I got another letter from Yandex Travels saying they wouldn't be charging me that fee after all. Thanks for that, I guess. They also sent me a 5,000 RUB promo code. So, I'm still in the red, but at least now I'm down by 47,600 RUB instead of 56,100. If I ever muster up the courage to book something through them again, maybe I'll use that promo code.