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If Hotel Lodi can't quite make up its mind if it's a good budget hotel (with nice airy private rooms upstairs) or a pretty upmarket hostel (dorm rooms downstairs), one thing's for sure: it's a fantastic option for cheap accommodation in Rome!
It's set a couple of stops on the metro away from the city centre, in a smart suburb near a couple of excellent (and well priced) restaurants. Out back there's a lovely garden (with fruit trees and vines), perfect for lounging around in on warm summer evenings...
But what really makes it special is the people who run it. Fabrizio is a giant of a man, who literally pressgangs his guests into sharing his food and wine (or grappa), and insists on giving them detailed instructions for how to get the best out of his beloved city. Special guy, special place.
Via Oristano, 14
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/italy/rome/17900/
As flash as Flash Gordon downloading Flashplayer in a flash flood (yes, it is that flash!), La Controra Flashpackers Hostel has got to be one of the best hostels I've ever stayed in!
The hostel is housed in an old monastery, and huddled around a palm-strewn courtyard that's ideal for barbecues. Shared rooms are light, airy and spacious, while a couple of doubles seem to open up on to their own terraces. All in all, it's more than a bit special. (And very reasonable, too!)
The most upmarket of the Hôme group in Valencia (not to be confused with the other Hôme Deluxe Hostel in the centre). Each of the rooms is created by an artist with a different theme. The place has a modern, stylish feel and the other guests were couples of all ages and families with older children. There are several restaurants, cafes and small shops in the neighbourhood, and a shopping mall 5 walk minutes away. The City of Arts and Sciences is on your doorstep, and you need to take a 15 min bus journey into the older heart of Valencia, but it’s an easy and cheap journey.
There was a bright red self-catering kitchen where breakfast was served and a sitting area with large TV and 2 free internet stations. There is 24-hour reception and internet facilities as well as underground parking which would be useful if you were driving through Spain. The multi-lingual staff were efficient and helpful. We paid €70 for a double and €100 for a triple room for a mid-week stay - it's slightly more at weekends.
You can see my review and photos on my blog
heatheronhertravels.blogspot.com/2008/04/hme-rooms-deluxe-hostel-in-valencia.html
Hôme Rooms Deluxe Hostel, Instituto Obrero, 20, (46013) Valencia
Spain
roomsdeluxe.com/
This is the cheapest of the Hôme group of hostels in Valencia. The hostel is in an old building tacked on to a church and overlooking a square. Our room was brightly coloured but otherwise simple with large lockers, sleeping six people in three sets of bunk beds. On the ground floor there was a sitting area with several internet stations and free wi-fi, and on the third floor a large kitchen which was equally bright and modern. There was an open terrace on the same floor and on the roof was a much larger roof terrace where they hold paella demonstrations at the weekend. The multi-lingual staff on reception was friendly and helpful. The Barrio del Carmen is the place to be for nightlife in Valencia and around 10pm it starts buzzing with bars and nightclubs going on until dawn. We had the full benefit as we tried to get to sleep and at 1am the party was still going strong in the square below our window.
Because of its position in the heart of this area, it's a great place if you're in your 20s, on a tight budget and value a great nightlife over an early night.
You can see my review and photos on my blog:
heatheronhertravels.blogspot.com/2008/04/hme-backpackers-hostel-in-valencia.html
Hôme Backpacker's Hostel, Plaza Vincente Iborra, Barrio del Carmen, Valencia.
likeathome.net/
Really good hostel, comfy beds, free internet, incredibly friendly staff, walking distance from most attractions, free breakfast and it's one of the cheaper hostels in town. I would definitely go back there. Can be difficult to find, up a staircase in the alley next to the billiard hall, follow the pictures of goats.
www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/GoatHostel-Budapest-21850
A great hostel in Warsaw - a truly unique place. It felt like being immersed in another century. The whole hostel welcomes you with an elegant atmosphere from the late 19th century. Imagine rooms with wooden beds, little lamps and photographs – everything is arranged and decorated with a lot of love. Enjoy discovering historical interior design. My personal favourites were the crochet tea-cloths!
On the other hand I didn’t miss any modern comforts - I had a modern bathroom and was checking my mail every night. Placed in the heart of the city, very near to the medieval Market square, it is also ideally located.
Wodkowica 5 street
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/poland/wroclaw/19817/
The Ostello (Hostelling International) is a few miles from the old city but has good transport links and great views over the valley. All the rooms are ensuite and a maximum of 8 people.
Coming by train to Bergamo station walk out of the station and straight up the road towards the funicular (about 10 mins walk) take the funicular up and the bus to Ostello stops right outside the station, the bus will then take you right to the Ostello's door. This by far the easiest way to do it believe me!
One of the best hostels in Europe I have ever stayed in. High standard on a budget. Great location, no curfew - allowed me to enjoy nightlife to the maximum. Great facilities. It is not the cheapest hostel in town, but you get a lot of freebies, like breakfast, laundry, maps, lockers and wi-fi.
I stayed there on a Thursday and came right on time to have a piece of the usual Thursday afternoon cake. Glorious.
Mama's Hostel - Old Town
Zyblikiewicza St. 9
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/poland/krakow/30362/
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/poland/krakow
Brand new hostel in central Berlin. Ideally located, five minutes' walk to Alexander Platz and 10 minutes to Mitte. The rooms in are spacious and nicely furnished, so they are just perfect for temporary living as well.
The building is a former factory and represents for me a typical Berlin atmosphere. The mixture of old and new in a city where ideas have space to grow. The centre of the building is the enormous atrium, where, as well as in the lounge, you will meet other backpackers and can make new friends. The owners made a private dream come true with this hostel and you'll have a warm welcome in this place.
Singerstraße 109, Berlin, 10179
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/germany/berlin/30095/
I always find that it is a good idea to book accommodation before I get to a place, it saves you hassle and leaves more time to enjoy the city.
There is a wide selection of accommodation available in Glasgow, the city centre is good but noisy so don't be afraid to go for somewhere on the west end or just outside the city - after all, the public transport is pretty good and easy to use, so you could be into the city in a few minutes!
For those with an unlimited budget try the Radisson and for those backpacking their way around, Euro Hostel is good value for £20.
Accommodation and travel directory for Edinburgh with more than 200 hotels, hostels and guest houses listed.
Eco-Hostel in a charming old slate school on a hillside with wonderful woodland valley views. It has a cosy communal lounge with wonderful wood burner which is great for snuggling after a walk up nearby Cadair Idris. Extremely restive for a weekend stay. Good beer, food and company at the Slaters Arms down in the village.
www.corrishostel.co.uk/
5 miles north of Maccynlleth, just off the A487, not far from the C.A.T.
This youth hostel occupies a fantastic position on the cliff above Treyarnon beach, which is only one in a string of perfect beaches nearby.
The hostel is open all year round and especially popular in the summer, but also great for an out-of- season break.
They have a cafe and a bar where you can sample Cornish real ales, or you can self-cater in traditional hostel style. The sitting and dining areas have trendy orange and blue walls, surf boards hanging from every surface and the work of local artists on the walls.
The rooms sleep from 3 to 6 people and are all kitted out with pine bunk beds and cheerful curtains - some even have en-suite bathrooms. It's ideally suited to families, out-door types and surfers.
You can read my review on my blog
heatheronhertravels.blogspot.com/2008/02/bright-skies-and-blue-seas-in-cornwall.html
Tregonnan, Treyarnon, nr Padstow, Cornwall, PL28 8JR, Tel: 0870 770 6076, Email: treyarnon@yha.org.uk
www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodation/south-west-england/hostels/treyarnon/
A place to remember for the wrong reasons! A lesson learned... don't always trust your guide! This is the sole reason I decided to add a profile to the Been there travel site.
Where to start? Imagine, it's the final night of your holiday and you have an early flight the following morning...
What you want is preferably quiet accommodation with easy access to your chosen airport transport (in this case the shuttle bus). Something simple and clean is fine as it's only an overnighter.
We booked on the phone the night before from Cordoba based on the above needs following the review in the usually trustworthy TimeOut guide.
True, as most of these things are indeed facts, but in my mind this place should never have been recommended.
This is what they wrote...
"A friendly hostel with cheap, cheerful rooms. The best is number 15, with windows giving fine views over the port. There's also a communal balcony."
It should read...
"A friendly-ish hostel (on the 4th floor of an office block, with nighttime skinhead bouncer for the night shift who locks everyone in the hotel over night... eek), very cheap, cheerless rooms with paper-thin walls. The worst would be number 15, with windows giving fine views over the noisy/busy road. There's also a communal balcony (and lounge which stinks of fag smoke)."
What you get...
Communal toilets (communal showers if you're on a stupidly tight budget and really can't afford one in your room) - all complete with 80s plastic concertina doors. Super thin walls - chatty neighbours optional. McDonalds - on the corner full of local teens until the early hours with obligatory noisy Vespa.
Don't waste your cash... it should be turned into a museum; it's exactly what I imagine early 90s Malaga was like (which is perhaps when the review was written).
Frustratingly it's probably always fully booked in high season due to the volume of holidaymakers in the city, and therefore will never clean up its act.
Hostal Derby - "Don't forget your ear plugs, nose plugs..."
Slightly off the tourist trail situated just off the 'Plaza Trinidad' below the Cathedral (so no snappers on the doorstep).
Yes, the decor a is a little OTT including the large basket of faux fruit, (check the web link) but it made for an amusing start to the holiday.
We only stayed for two days (late Feb 2008) so didn't spend much time in or around the hostel but the location was perfectly within walking distance of the Cathedral (2mins), the Albaicin quarter (3/4mins) and the Alhambra (10/15mins to the ticket office); however, if your holiday party includes people not as fit as most then something a little closer to or in the Albaicin might be better as the city is sited on a gradiant with the hostel at the bottom.
Some of the rooms (and the one we stayed in) are situated in a building two doors from the main hostel with the reception.
We had the apartment, but looking back this was perhaps a waste of 20 euros per night as the only things (I imagine) we gained was a flight of stairs to reach our room on the top floor, a tiny 'kitchen' food prep area and tiny terrace with no view.
The kitchen wasn't much use due to the lack of pans (for the two-plate hob) or kettle so no night-time cocoa or early morning tea. Only coffee drinkers were catered for with a stove top coffee pot, but all they provided was clean etc.
Everything in the apartment was clean, tidy and hygenic however the notice in the bathroom reading 'Please do not flush towels, use the bin provided'; with a rather dubious looking open-topped wastepaper bin beside the toilet was a little offputting...
Overall, I'd recommend a stay because the owners are so nice and friendly, making no fuss over the fact we were a gay male couple... but perhaps not in the apartment as it wasn't much use in the end. Save those additional euros for some tapas or drinks in the bustling bar on the plaza instead or the fantastic veggie restaurant Botanico on C/Malaga round the corner.
www.hostallimagranada.com/en/index2.htm
travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/spain/andalusia/granada/restaurant-detail.html?vid=1154654636214
This DDR styled hostel is fantastic - it's kitsch, basic accommodation. It's affordable on a budget, clean, has friendly English-speaking staff and it doesn't feel like a hostel at all! Double and single rooms come with private bathroom with shower or there's the 'Stasi' apartment for up to five sharing. It's on the fringes of the Friedrichshain area with a 10-15 min walk to Boxhanger Platz/Simon-Dache Strasse area but there's a bus-stop outside the building where a 240 will take you straight there in a few minutes. Ostbahnhof Station is across the road where the Underground will take you direct to Warschauer Strasse Station (or anywhere else for that matter).
Avoid the breakfast (three euros); we were directed to a darts pub (?) and were served up a very strange mix of spam, boiled eggs and UHT milk all in the midst of an OAP coach party briefing. Bizarre.
If you have a taste for currywurst at three in the morning there's a take-away across the road.
www.ostel.eu/ostel_willkommen_eng.htm
Ostel – GDR the Hostel, Wriezener Karree 5, 10243 Berlin
Tel: 0049 030 25768660
Directions:
From Ostbahnhof Station come out onto E.Steinfurth-Str.
Turn left onto Strabe der Pariser Kommune,
Turn right onto Wriezener Karree (5).
It’s situated about 30 metres from the beach just in front of Peniche Kite & Surf Center and 300 metres from downtown Peniche, Portugal, where you have everything you need to have the holidays you’re looking for!
The surf camp has shared rooms, with bunk beds, perfect for groups, or private rooms, some with a panoramic view, sharing the living room and kitchen with the other guests. You can also rent a private apartment.
Avenida Monsenhor Bastos,
Praia de Peniche de Cima
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/portugal/peniche/24903/
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/portugal/
Want to stay in a five-star B&B but pay for a two-star? Stay at Rose Lodge when in Cape Town! This gem of a guest house is run with immaculate care by its owner, Bruce, and it shows. Everything is perfect and Bruce is a wonderful host! He adeptly looks over every detail and expertly anticipates one's every need. He is always available for any request yet I never found him to be intrusive; he instinctively knows when to step forward when he is needed yet remain unobtrusive when one is looking for privacy. He is truly a professional and very pleasant in a quiet and subdued manner. My stay in Cape Town was made more memorable thanks to Bruce and Rose Lodge.
28 Rose St
Cape Town
I travel a lot and I like to stay in hostels, because you usually get better quality in a nice hostel than in a cheap hotel. Truly one of the best hostels in Europe is the Lisbon Lounge Hostel.
Stunning, stylish. Everything is brand new and you’ll enjoy your stay the most. Check the pictures and you'll see I'm not overstating!
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/portugal/lisbon/4765/
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/portugal/lisbon/
Palermo House is a hostel with a very friendly social atmosphere in the trendy Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The huge common areas make it easy to meet fellow travelers, and to trade travel tips with folks from around the world. Cool place!
Thames 1744, Palermo, Buenos Aires.
palermohouse.com.ar/
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