Today the hotel business enterprises in the Russian Federation are still in their infancy, lagging behind from major hotel chains by the level of development in average of 10-15 years. However, a gradual process of increasing of hotel room stock, the active implementation of new technologies and methods of guest services in the hotel market gradually allows Russian means of accommodation to form a competitive, profitable sector of service and economy. Against the background of these trends the process of formation and development of small hotels that are very popular among tourists abroad plays an important role. It determines the relevance of the article. The article gives a detailed analysis of small hotels segment and determines their share in the overall structure of the city´s accommodation. In accordance with the Federal Law №108-FZ "On the preparation and holding in the Russian Federation in the FIFA World Cup and Confederations FIFA Cup 2017 and Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" classification of hotel enterprises is mandatory for all hotel businesses, including small hotels in Moscow and other cities involved in this large-scale event. Therefore, the article analyzes in detail the current situation with the classification of hotels in Moscow. The comparative characteristic of the share of small hotels in total accommodation facilities in Moscow and in major European cities is of significant interest. The authors especially point out the problems of imperfection of legal and regulatory framework governing the activities of given means of accommodation, as well as distinguish the most promising directions of small hotels development in the structure of hotel enterprises of Moscow.