A design hostel in a 19^th Century palace with it’s own private cinema room, rooftop terrace and bar? Welcome to U Hostels, Madrid.

Location

Located in a 19^th century palace right beside the Alonso Martinez Metro station and just a 15 minute walk to Puerta del Sol, U Hostels Madrid is a great base to explore Madrid.

Rooms and Bathrooms

Double Room. U Hostels.

In sync with the rest of the building, the white washed rooms have a clean minimalist design that is easy on the eye.

Dorms are air-conditioned and come with private lockers.

Bunk beds are custom made with comfortable mattresses.

Each bed come with a private reading light and power sockets for recharging your gadgets.

You have a choice of dorms with ensuite or shared facilities.

BudgetTraveller’s Tip: Choose the 6 bed dorm with no bathroom than a room for 4 with bathroom. Much more spacious plus you  have a private balcony looking onto the main street. There are tons of bathrooms and showers on each floor.

Linen is included in the price plus they have free luggage storage to store all your stuff .

Female dorm. U Hostels, Madrid

There is also a female only dorm.

Facilities

Cinema Room, U Hostels

U Hostels boasts it’s own private cinema room that guests can relax in and choose a movie from their extensive DVD collection or catch the latest football match. It’s so cosy that you can often find the odd guest dozing away during the day, sleeping off their nocturnal exertions.

Next to the cinema, the Hostel has a nice chillout zone for guests where they can read a book or plot their travels across Madrid on the huge magnetic wall map of the city.

If you’re looking for a quiet drink to relax after a day of seeing the sights , the hostel has an excellent onsite bar with  v.competitively priced drinks.

Erica and Pablo from the hostel run an excellent programme of daily activities to help guests plug into the DNA of the city- from excellent free walking tours to visits to Flamenco bars and pub crawls, something there for every type of traveller.

They have just opened a rooftop terrace which is perfect for enjoying Madrid sunsets and having a drink.

Free wifi is excellent, especially for this size of hostel and on each floor they have free computer terminals

Kitchen, U Hostels Madrid

They have a nice sized kitchen free for guests to use and fridge to store your food items.

The hostel offers a basic free breakfast but for an extra 1 euro you get a cup of Lavazza coffee or for 3 euros, a special breakfast which includes coffee, fruit and delicious Serrano ham: worth every penny.

Verdict

Many people would prefer to stay central but I quite liked the offbeat location of the hostel with the Metro station at the doorstep. The staff are friendly and helpful. The facilities here are fantastic and in terms of the décor, the hostel is one of the best design hostels I’ve come across in my travels. A very relaxing and beautiful hostel-for the moment, this is the place to stay if you visit Madrid.

How to get there

Best way from the Airport to reach U Hostel Madrid is via the metro –takes around 30 min & costs €4

To reach the hostel take the pink line (line 8) until the end at “Nuevos Ministerios” and change for the dark blue line (line 10) in direction “Puerta del Sur” and get off the metro after two stops at Alonso Martinez (the closest metro station to the Hostel).
From here you have to walk up Calle Sagasta you will find our hostel after 100 meters on your left side.

The metro runs daily from 6.00 a.m. until 1.30 a.m

Or if you arriving by train ( Atocha Train Station )  walk 250 meters to the Atocha Metro station and take Metro line 1 (turquoise line) in direction Pinar de Chamartin.

Get Off at Bilbao and walk down Calle Sagasta and you will find the hostel after 350 meters on your right hand side.

Factbox

Looking at prices for October 2013, cost of a single, ensuite room is €60 while a bed in a mixed, 4 bed dorm with private bathroom starts at just €23.50 a night,  while a bed in the 12 bed dorm is just €15 a night.

Address

Calle Sagasta 22

Madrid 28004

Spain

It’s not often you visit a hostel that boasts not one but TWO swimming pools in addition to a Turkish bath, steam and sauna room but there’s so much more to Plus Florence than those eye watering facilities.

Location

Plus Hostels Florence is in a nice quiet location, about a 10 minute walk from Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station. From the hostel, a short walk brings you past the markets to the Duomo and historic core of the city.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The rooms are akin to what you would find in a budget hotel: clean, spacious and come with ensuite bathrooms.

You have lockers within the room, dressing table, mirror and also a small TV.

Beds come with a reading light and also a power socket to charge your gadgets.

The hostel also have family friendly mini-apartments that come with all of the above plus fridge, microwave but no cooking facilities.

Tip: If you’re not in the party spirit, choose a room in the top floor where it is much quieter.

Facilities

The facilities are outstanding here.

You have a huge outdoor pool to cool down after a long day in the heat.

In the winter, guests can access their indoor pool plus Turkish bath, sauna and steam room so for a hostel, these are truly outstanding facilities.

There is a bar by the pool plus they have their own Opera restaurant that offers excellent value meals. Pizzas are excellent here.

My favourite place in the hostel is their excellent rooftop terrace from which you get some of the best views of the Duomo. When I was there in August, the rooftop bar was closed so I grabbed a €3 bottle of Tuscan red from down the street and spent a few hours in the evening just chilling with a book and watching the sunset over the Duomo and glowing red terracotta roofs of Florence.

Free Wi-Fi  access in the common areas was ok and of a mixed variety in my bedrooms during my stay. Something that could be improved.

Linen is included in the price plus they have free luggage storage to store all your stuff  which is handy.

Hostel also has a travel desk that will answer your travel questions, print your boarding pass, check onward train connection plus also organize local walking tours , cookery classes , visits to wineries in Chianti and trips further afield to Cinque Terre and Amalfi coast.

From 7-11am the hostel offers a buffet breakfast for 6 euros which is a tad pricey but offers quite generous portions.

Other facilities include an on-site laundrette which can carry loads of upto 8 kgs!

Plus also have the ‘Plus Girls’ 4, 6 and 8 bed dorms where you get a large ensuite bathroom, towels,  hair dryer and a complimentary cosmetic pack within the price.

Verdict

Great location in Florence , top notch facilities like the onsite restauarant, outdoor and indoor swimming pool plus the rooftop terrace makes this is a great base for exploring Florence. If they can improve the wifi, great.

How to get there

The hostel is a 10 minute walk from Santa Maria Novella station.

Factbox

Looking at prices for October 2013, cost of a bed in a mixed, 8 bed dorm starts at just €18.10 a night, bed in the 6 bed female only ‘ Plus Girls’ dorms start at €22.30 a night while a triple bed room costs around €70 a night.

PLUS Florence hostel,

15 via santa caterina d’alessandria

Florence

To finish the review, don’t forget to check out our cheap eats guide to Florence plus I’ve posted a cool video review of Plus Florence by the one and only, Runaway Jane

Disclaimer: Please note that my stay was sponsored by Plus Hostels but the views represented here are entirely my own

Grampa’s Hostel in Wroclaw, Poland is a very budget friendly, casual and stylish place, where strangers become friends. This family run business tries to balance a party atmosphere with quality facilities, great hospitality and comfortable beds.

By Nadine Pober , the nadwork.com

Location

Situated just a 15 minute walking distance from the biggest market square in Europe , the hostel is basically just a stone’s throw away from the heart of the city. If you walk to hostel, you will cross and pass by some beautiful bridges and realize why Wroclaw is also known as the ‘Venice of Poland’. The hostel is also very well connected via the city’s excellent tram and bus network.

Rooms and Bathrooms

Grampa’s Hostel offers 9 rooms in which they can accommodate up to 48 guests.

Facilities

On your arrival guests get an orientation of the hostel’s various facilities, a carrot key-chain and also receive a homemade cupcake.

The clean and generous kitchen is a nice meeting point. Whether you are treating yourself to a free black tea or coffee or if you are cooking your own meal: chances are very high that you will run into another guest and can have a pleasant conversation.

On Sunday evenings cooking events are held. The hostel staff will provide the ingredients. Together with volunteers, couchsurfers, expats, friends of the owners and fellow guests you will create different style meals every week. Your contribution towards the expenses are just 10PLN (ca. 2,5€).

The generous free breakfast sets you up nicely for the day. You can start your day with different choices of cereal, bread, cheese, ham, butter, miscellaneous marmalades, hazelnut cream, black tea, instant coffee and milk.

The colorful and comfy common room offers a variety of possibilities to enjoy yourself. You can either hang out on your own reading a book from the ‘take a book, leave a book’ shelf, watch a DVD on the 42-inch flat screen TV with your old friends, or make new friends with the PlayStation 3 or show off your guitar playing skills.

On Fridays and Saturdays (and Thursdays during high summer season) the common room is also the starting point for the free pub crawl. You will be taken to various fun places with no entrance fee, you only have to pay for your own drinks. A pub crawl is always a great excuse to get to know your fellow guests.

You need wifi? This place seriously had the best wifi I have ever had during my travels! Oh, and of course it is free!

And even if you don’t own a smartphone, tablet or pc that let’s you connect to the rest of the world, you can still always use the hostel’s common computer – again, free of charge.

Other great facilities, beside the 24 hour reception with friendly staff, are free hair dryers, adapter or an iron (just ask at the reception) and the laundry machine: which is also free for guests to use. You will just need your own washing powder. And if you, like I usually do, forget you paddle lock – they don’t force you to buy one: you just pay a 10PLN (ca. 2,5€) deposit.

Verdict

I stayed in a private room that has no ensuite bath, but the shared bathrooms were always free and perfectly clean so that wasn’t a big deal. (Currently if you book a private room, towels are not included – they are thinking about changing that. Also my room did not have a mirror – which I would expect if I don’t have an ensuite bathroom, but apparently that was only the case in my room) I very much enjoyed the homey common room that gave me a chance to meet some fellow travellers and revive my ‘Tekken’ (popular PlayStation fighting game from the 90′s) skills.

Grampa’s hostel offers you a lot for your money’s worth! Starting with free breakfast, free washing machine and no costs for other supplies mentioned above.

Before I arrived I wished the hostel was a bit closer to the main square (well, a 15 minute walk isn’t far, but you know…) but after I returned late from a day strolling around Wroclaw I feel in love with the location! Once you are on your way home and take a look behind you, you get a magnificent view over the lit up bridges and the skyline, you would never get if it wasn’t for that 15 minute walk.

Mostly I remember a friendly place, with a great sense of humor, that welcomed me like home and this feeling is gold while travelling.

How to get there          

From the train station: Take tram 8 (direction Zawalna). Ride 5 stops and get off at Pl. Bema. This will take you about 10 minutes. You will now be in a square called Plac Bema. Take Drobnera street and walk 250meters. Then take the next right on Probusa street. You can’t overlook the bright, green door!

From the airport: Take bus 406 to stop Renoma – this will take about 30 minutes. Then cross the street and take tram 7 (direction Mariono) and ride 7 stops until stop Paulinksa. (10 minutes). You will be at a big park. Turn right and the hostel will be less than 100 meters away.

By taxi: It takes about 25 minutes and costs 45-50PLN (ca. 11-13€).

Top tip

The hostel itself is part of a historic city house in an artsy area. If you grab yourself one of the free maps at the reception you will see that very close by are a couple of huge and impressive street art pieces.

Factbox

5 spacious rooms with bunk beds and lockers.

4 private rooms in an almost separate section of the hostel.

Single room prices vary from season to season between 75-85 PLN (ca.  18-21€).

A bed in a 12 bed dorm room costs 30PLN (ca. 7€).

Breakfast is always included and FREE!

Address

Grampas Hostel

Pl. Świętego Macieja 2/1c – 50-244

Wrocław Poland

Great location in the Naschmarkt, excellent facilities allied with a cool design & superb value for money breakfast make Wombats City Hostel Vienna Naschmarkt,  the perfect base for exploring Vienna.

Location

Wombats City Hostel Vienna, Naschmarkt  is in a great location overlooking Vienna’s biggest market. It’s also a short walk from the Hofburg, Secessionhaus and the Vienna State Opera, making it ideal for those looking to soak up some culture while in the city.

Dorm rooms, Wombats City Hostel ‘Naschmarkt’ Vienna. Image courtesy of Travellerspoint

Rooms and Bathrooms

All of their rooms come with comfy wooden beds and ensuite bathrooms.

The girl rooms have full-length mirrors and come with a blow dryer in the bathroom, but you can also borrow one from the front desk

Cleanliness is next to godliness for the hostel staff-they take it very seriously here and have won the Hostelworld award for the Cleanest Hostel Chain Worldwide twice to show.

Facilities

Hostel is very secure with smartcard access for the front door of the hostel, each floor, the rooms and your locker.

Free Wi-Fi  access in the common areas is excellent and at the time of this review, they have started trialling it in the guest bedrooms which is great news.

Linen is included plus they have free luggage storage to store all your stuff  which is handy.

They offer a free drink on arrival which you can enjoy at excellent womBar on site which runs special drinks offers like 1 euro beers between 6 and 8pm everyday.

Hostel is well stocked with lots of brochures, travel guides and maps of the city and other onward destinations to help with your trip planning.

There is a small kitchenette for guests to use. There is a string of supermarkets along from the hostel so perfect if you are looking to cook and save money.

Excellent fruhstuck at Wombats Vienna Naschmarkt

Hostel offers one of the best breakfasts I had while interrailing across Europe. The all-you-can-eat breakfast does costs an extra 3,80 euros but offers a very generous spread which include coffee, bread, selection of cheese and cold meats like prosciutto and salami, yogurts, fruit cocktail, honey, cereals and lots of Nutella.

Other facilities include an on-site laundrette which costs 5 euro for a wash and dry plus you can hire for free hair dryers from reception for a refundable 10 euro deposit.

Verdict

Great location in Naschmarkt , top notch facilities, cool design & the superb value for money breakfast make this the perfect base for exploring Vienna. Highly recommend.

How to get there

The center can be reached within in minutes by foot and the nearby U4 (at underground station Kettenbrueckengasse) provides a short connection between Schoenbrunn palace and the city center.

Factbox

Cost of a bed in a 7/8 bed dorm starts at just 12 euros a night while a double room costs costs just 29 euros, per night.

wombats CITY HOSTEL Vienna

THE NASCHMARKT

Rechte Wienzeile 35,

Vienna

Part of a 250-year-old building Lisbon Calling Hostel is another stunning Lisbon hostel , overflowing with beautiful period features and vintage charm. It’s also home for the owners and their friends so staying at this hostel really feels like you’ve been welcomed into someone’s home.

Lounge. Lisbon Calling Hostel.  Note: All photos in this review are courtesy of Lisbon Calling Hostel

Location

Situated just a short walking distance from the city centre (Chiado) and the city’s nightlife hotspots of Bairro Alto and Cais de Sodré , this hostel is in a fantastic location.

’1812′ room , Lisbon Calling Hostel

Rooms and bathrooms

Staying here is an experience. With quirky interior décor, stone walls and wooden floors , all the rooms here have a nice rustic charm, filled with light and very spacious.

If you are looking for romance and something exclusive- stay in the doubles room section which is a separate section of the building and almost akin to the experience of having your own apartment in Lisbon.

You get your own keys to come and go from your room as you please. There are only four rooms, each one with a cool theme. I stayed in ’1812′ -charmingly furnished with vintage retro pieces. The rooms was huge with tall ceilings and large windows that offered me great panoramic views of the square below and the beautiful church of Sao Paolo. You share a very clean, well maintained bathroom and kitchen with the other residents here but it’s not much of an issue.

FRESCOS : 10 Bed Dorm, Lisbon Calling Hostel

Dorms -4, 6 and 10 bed dorms are excellent value and comfortable- the beautiful wooden bunk beds are custom made and raised so you can catch views of the church square while the ceilings are adorned with frescos.

Facilities

Living area

This place is a living exhibition of eclectic furniture pieces and fittings that the owners have procured from Portugal and Europe to give the place a unique charm and feel. There is everything from an antique bathtub coverted into a table , 1950′s Rock and Roll memorabilia to outlandish kitsch decorations that create a very colourful vibe.

Shared Kitchen space for the ‘Doubles’ apartment

One of the great features of staying in the doubles is the very cool free breakfast There is no fixed breakfast hour. Fresh breadrolls are kept in an embroidered cloth bag which is hung on your room’s door handle in the morning. Whenever you’re up and running, you take them to the common kitchen and make coffee or tea, help yourself to orange juice from the fridge, have muesli and toast the bread enjoy with butter or delicious fruit jam. Given that you are sharing with three other couples you have a good chance to having the kitchen to yourself.

The kitchen area in the main part of the hostel is a very cool, social space where the owners encourage guests to use their fridge and often invite guests to join them as they cook lunch or dinner for no extra cost-really feels like you are visiting a friends or relatives home.

The free wifi is excellent and the staff here are friendly with lots of great tips to make the most of your stay here. Also for free here….

Secure Storage (individual lockers, locks & keys)
 plus in the words of the owners , All day-do-it-yourself coffee and tea (coffee machine and kettle)

Top tip

Across from the hostel is Rua de Nova Carvalho, formerly the ‘red light’ district of Lisbon. There are some cool bars here but the pick of the joints is Pensao Amor , once a cheap pension with rooms rented by the hour to prostitutes. Nowadays the place functions as a bar, venue for concerts and also has a leopard and gold decorated pole dance room which is used for pole dancing workshops.

FACTBOX

Choose from a…

BLUE WITH A VIEW – 4 Bed Mixed Dorm
(2 on platform + 2 down)

THE NEST – 4 Bed Mixed Dorm (2 bunks)

PLATFORM – 6 Bed Mixed Dorm
(3 on platform + 3 down)

FRESCOS – 10 Bed Mixed Dorm
(5 bunks)

Room prices start from just 16 euros for a room or just 50 euros per night for staying in the ‘1812’ room.

Address

Rua de Sao Paulo, 126 – floor 3D

1200-429 Lisbon, Portugal

Phone

+351 213 432 381

To end… a cool video from the owners welcoming you to their cool hostel.

Situated in the trendy Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district in a former Bishop’s Palace dating back to 1874, The Grand Hostel Berlin is a hostel that combines a bit of old world Berlin charm , great hospitality plus has a stunning library bar.

The location

The location is excellent, just a 3 minute walk to the Möckernbrücke station from where you can access the U1 and U7 lines.  It’s in a quiet neighbourhood so this hostel is the perfect place to relax in after a long day and also gives visitors convenient access to Berlin and it’s fabled nightlife.

Rooms and bathrooms

Card key access gives you access to the rooms-very secure. The shared dorms in Grand Hostel are clean and well maintained- they all have flat beds and no bunks. Beds are spaced out nicely. Rooms have high ceilings and come with beautiful bay windows that give the rooms a nice light, cosy feel. Double rooms are beautifully furnished with the a bit of old fashioned charm- potted plants, dressing table and walk in wardrobe.  My only minor gripe would be the extra 3.50 euros for linen and towels for 2 euros.

Common bathrooms are clean and plentiful on each floor. They come with hairdryers.

Facilities

On check-in, guests are offered a free cup of coffee or tea or water at check-in which is a nice gesture after a long journey. Coffee machine is great here btw.

The staff here are a real credit to the hostel and some of the best I’ve encountered on my luxury hostels tour. Professional, courteous and always willing to help- it’s 5 star hotel service.

Another standout feature of the hostel is the library bar they have. It’s impossibly cool with volumes of old dusty books from floor to ceiling that you can have a nosy through while enjoying your coffee. During the day, I spent a lot of time sitting on one of the leather armchairs reading a book or just catching up with friends on my laptop with the help of the free internet connection. In the evening the library/common room becomes the meeting point with the bar opening up. Morgan, the bartender running the show knows how to make a mean cocktail and keeps guests entertained with his banter. I spent a large part of my evenings at the Grand Hostel chatting with Morgan and the guests.

There is no breakfast included. However the hostel’s very own Grandwich Bar just next door to the hostel offers a good breakfast, variety of delicious sandwiches, paninis and traditional german food at decent prices.

If you’re visiting the hostel on Wednesdays they currently are offering a free pasta dinner which is a great excuse to meet fellow guests.

The hostel staff also offer a walking tour of Berlin and run a pub crawl on Fridays. They offer an in-house bicycle rental for 10 euros a day ( 50 euro deposit required)

What makes this a luxury hostel

It’s a great experience staying here- the combination of old Berlin Charm, beautiful interior décor and  great service from staff make you feel you are staying in a hotel more than a hostel-a great experience. With the cool Library bar and spacious, bunk less dorms makes this an ideal base for exploring Berlin.

Top tip

You’re just a short walk away (Mehringdamm 32 ) from kebab heaven: ask staff for direction to Mustafa’s. The kebabs here have the perfect balance of meat, sauce, vegetables and bread. The meat is nice and juicy. The vegetables they use are fresh plus you get fried potatoes too which is genius. A squeeze of lemon juice and….food heaven. Warning: Queues are huge here so grab a bottle of beer so ease the pain of a long wait. It’s worth it in the end.

The Journey

The hostel is a short walk away from Hallesches Tor and Möckernbrücke ( U1, U7) which connects you nicely to the rest of Berlin.

To book

Book at Grandhostel-berlin.de

Room prices vary according to season and start from 12€ a night for a bed in the 6 bed salon , 40€ for a twin or double with shared bathroom  or 60€ for a double room, ensuite

Tempelhofer Ufer 14
10963 Berlin

Tel:  +49 (30) 200 95 45-0

Email: info@grandhostel-berlin.de

Right next to Termini station, this eco-conscious hostel-meets hotel in Rome is an oasis of calm in this fast paced city, complete with garden and a basement organic ,Vegetarian café that offers generous portions of locally sourced, home cooked goodness.

Reception and hallway, The Beehive, Rome. Photos courtesy of the Beehive.

Location

Just 2 blocks-hop skip and jump from Rome’s Termini Station lies one of the friendliest corners of Rome- The Beehive Rome.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The hotel offers a choice of private rooms  ( some with the option of private bathrooms ),an 8 bed dormitory alongside guestrooms with self-catering facilities off-site – there’s an option here to suit every type of traveller and budget.

The dorm rooms are clean, with good light and spacious plus you have your own personal lockers which are sturdy and have plenty of space for valuables. Double rooms have bright colours, beaded lamps, huge windows that breathe in light,  lots of wardrobe space plus come your own private sink and locally sourced, handmade vegetable soaps.

Common shared bathrooms are plentiful, clean and well maintained.

Self-catering apartments come with a kitchen and private bathroom.

Fountain in the private garden of The Beehive, Rome. Photo courtesy of The Beehive, Rome.

Facilities

The place is a hybrid of a hostel and a holistic retreat -perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring Rome.

Lounge, The Beehive Rome

The common lounge has a huge mac desktop for browsing the internet plus a nice selection of travel guides and books.  Free wifi here is excellent. Steve, the owner is a keen photographer and has a fantastic collection of framed photographs adorning the walls for guests to enjoy.

Garden, The Beehive Rome. Photo courtesy of the Beehive Rome.

The garden area is a blissful oasis of calm-the kind of place where you can linger for hours, speaking to guests drinking wine and losing track of time. Staff are friendly and attentive. Owners are passionate locals and have some great tips to share to make your stay more enjoyable ( + they have created their free guide to Rome which you can download from the Beehive website) like recommending the best gelataria in town- a subject of fiery debate amongst the Romans.

Organic Vegetarian Cafe, The Beehive Rome

The real added bonus of staying here is the excellent basement organic, vegetarian café. Breakfast is not included in the room price but if you do splash out, it is a real treat where you can enjoy everything from omelettes to yoghurts and granola or organic oatmeal with apple pieces and honey- great way to start the day. Vegan chef extraordinaire, Aimee Jackson helps prepare the weekly Vegan Aperitivo Buffet where locals and guests drop in tuck into treats like homemade hummus, besan chella, grilled veggies plus within the price you are offered a glass of wine or local artisan beer. The aperitivo takes place in on Wednesday and Saturday evenings between 7 & 9:30pm and costs just 8 euros

Verdict

I stayed in the dorm room which is not ensuite but the shared bathrooms are plentiful and clean so I really didn’t miss not  having my own bathroom. Plus I wasn’t too fussed about not having a free breakfast. I loved the contemporary design element of the place like the Phillipe Starck inspired chairs at the reception, warm coloured interiors, Steve’s beautiful portraits and facilities like the basement organic café and their beautiful outdoor garden.  Most of all, my enduring memory of this place is meeting awesome people here like Steve and Aimee so if you like places with a personal touch and attention to detail- then Beehive is the place to stay for you in Rome.

To book

Book at http://www.the-beehive.com/

Beds in dorm start from £23 , Doubles from £70 per room, per night.

Getting here

From Termini station take the exit of Via Marghera.  The hostel is a 5 minute straight walk from that exit, just 2 blocks away on the corner of via dei Mille and via Marghera at via Marghera, 8 on the left side of the street.

Via Marghera 8 | 00185 Rome, Italy | tel. +39 0644704553 | info@the-beehive.com

If you’re looking for budget accommodation in Valencia for Las Fallas or La Tomatina, Purple Nest Hostel  is a great place to stay and get you into the party spirit

Pool table, Purple Nest Hostel, Valencia

Location

The Purple Nest Youth Hostel enjoys a good central location in Plaza Tetuna which is on the edge of Valencia’s historic center. The hostel is a short walking distance from the metro and bus station so the city’s arts, music and cultural hotspots as well as the cities beautiful beaches are within easy reach.

Rooms and bathrooms

Rooms at the hostel are clean, comfortable and air conditioned. Linens and towels are included at no extra cost. Hostel caters to every type of backpacker- from all female dorms to mixed dorms as well as four, six eight and 10 bed dorms while those preferring more privacy can upgrade to one of their ensuite private rooms. I stayed in their ensuite private rooms on the 5^th floor during La Tomatina –enjoyed the bright décor, quality and comfort of the beds and the ensuite bathrooms were clean. Showers could be a little more powerful but overall I couldn’t find any other faults.

Facilities

Dining area, Purple Nest Hostel, Valencia

The hostel runs a busy schedule of events for it’s guests ranging from great value pub crawls and live music nights at the bar to free tapas and walking tours of the city.

Top feature of the hostel is that it is very secure with key card access for all guests and also there is very strict 24 hour security at the reception desk-all guests are required to carry their reservation cards at all times.

Bar area

The hostel is the only one in the city that has it’s own bar and runs  happy hour offers in the evenings where you can enjoy a pitcher of beer and mojito cocktails for just a few euros.

The bar also has a pool table, a communal sitting area with flatscreen TV and also you access the free wifi (which is decent strength wise ) in the bar area.

They is also a free baggage storage facility plus they have a well equipped, shared kitchen space for guests to use.

The hostel do offer a vbasic free breakfast of cereals, toast and coffee. Great, if you are on a strict budget but for a few euros extra there are some nice cafes on the doorstep of the hostel.

Reception area, Purple Nest Hostel Valencia

Verdict

This is a party hostel so if you’ve come to Valencia for the fiesta, this is the place to stay. Great location, very secure, good facilities and well maintained, clean rooms ensure a pleasant stay.  The wifi strength could be improved but that was just a minor quibble for me in an otherwise enjoyable stay at this hostel.

Essentials

Room prices start from 14 euros a night for a bed in 10 bed dorm going upto 19.50 euros per person, per night in a double.

How to get there and information about Las Fallas

Purple Nest Hostel is quick to get to from the airport, either by train or metro. In fact, it is only a few minutes walk from the Alameda Metro Station on lines 3 and 5.

For more information about Las Fallas , check out my friend and fellow blogger Adventurous Kate’s guide to Las Fallas

Address

Purple Nest Hostel, Plaza de Tetuan 5, 46003 Valencia.

Beautiful interiors, superb facilities and the stunning lush green landscape of Snowdonia make Plas Curig one of  Europe’s best hostels. Once you come here, your opinion of hostels will change forever.

Stunning Plas Curig Hostel

 Location

Plas Curig is in a dreamy location in the picturesque village of Capel Curig at the foot of Snowdonia. Come here to escape.  I spent most of my time snug in the lounge admiring the mist shrouded views of Moel Siabod mountain in the distance with the River Llugwy at its foot which winds its way to Betws-y-Coed. You’re also not far away from the beautiful stretch of North Wales coastline so it’s a great location for exploring the great outdoors of Wales.

Cosy and comfortable family room: Double bed below and bunk bead above

Rooms and Bathrooms

Interior décor here is breathtaking. Even on the rainiest of days ( there are many here), soft lighting , warm colours and multitude of colour coordinated cushions give the place a cosy, cheerful ambience. Elegant worn spiral staircase leads you to the rooms. It’s hard to think of dorms and luxury in the same breath but you have to come and stay in Plas Curig to see for your own eyes: built in wooden bunk beds come (great for tall people) with private fitted curtains, plus point and reading light. Beds are made up before arrival-nice personal touch. Welsh woolen blankets and fluffy duvets that you just sink under after a long day of hiking around the countryside, crisp sheets and excellent quality mattresses make sure you have a sound sleep. Bunk beds come with storage drawers. Rooms are not ensuite but the communal black & white bathrooms are plentiful on each floor and have nice, hot showers.

View from the library, Plas Curig

Facilities

Staff here are a great asset to this place-extremely knowledgeable with lots of great tips of nearby hiking trails or recommendations of places to eat. They offer guided walks of the area and wildlife tours for as little as £8.50 per person.

The hostel offers an excellent self catering kitchen and a large separate dining area.

The communal entrance area includes a well stocked library . Seating arrangement here and in the dining room consist of reclaimed scaffolding planks.

Stay warm by the log burning stove in the lounge room which has broad bay windows that are perfect for spending hours gazing at the beautiful scenery or instead at the huge flat-screen TV.

There is a drying room for hanging up your waterproofs and walking boots.

Free wifi is excellent. Hostel is dog friendly. If you are bringing your car here there is adequate car parking space.

Verdict

Beautiful interiors, top notch facilities and a great location makes this a stunning hostel, the best hostel I’ve seen in Britain.

Beautiful day in Capel Curig

Top tip

Capel Curig is a beautiful village and a great base for exploring Snowdonia. You can scale the mountains or go for a wonder through the forest following the River Llugwy. For the more adventurous, Plas-y-Brenin Outdoor Activity Centre is close by, which offers a smorgasbord of adrenalin-filled skills to master. Excellent pub next door, Bryn Tyrch Inn (bryntyrchinn.co.uk) offer a range of excellent local produce.

To book

Book at snowdoniahostel.co.uk Beds in dorm start from £22.50, Doubles from £50 per room, per night.

Choose from 1 x 8 bed dorm, 2 x 6 bed dorm, 4 x 4 bed dorm, 1 x twin, 1 x double, 2 x large family room (double & 2 x singles) sold for 3 or 4 people, 2 x small family room (double & single ) sold for 2 or 3 people.

Getting here

Nearest rail station Betws-y-Coed is well served with rail connections to the rest of Britain. There is an hourly bus service : Sherpa Services S2,S6, S97 which drop you off right in front of  the hostel.

Remember that check-in is 6-10pm. (5pm-10pm in Winter – Nov 1st – March 1st )

Disclaimer

This review was made possible courtesy of Plas Curig Hostel and the support of Visit Wales. The views expressed here are entirely my own.

Funky common room at the Goodmorning Lisbon Hostel

If you’re looking for a taste of warm Portuguese hospitality in an unbeatable location within Lisbon, then say hello to Goodmorning Hostel on your next visit to the city. 

The location

Goodmorning Hostel is in a unbeatable location in Praca dos Restauradores just a stone’s throw away from the Metro Station and Rossio Train Station. Airport Shuttle leaves from just across the square.

Clocks on the wall of the common room, telling the different time from across the world

Rooms and bathrooms

Warm and cosy are two perfect words to sum up the experience of staying in the Goodmorning.

Beautiful upholstered leather chairs in the common room of the hostel

The hostel is typical of the breed of designer hostels in Lisbon. You have warm wooden flooring, bright bold wallpaper and rooms filled with a cornucopia of vintage curios and recycled furniture pieces that set it apart from the run of mill hostel-my personal favourite being the ‘bathtub couch’ on the top floor. The dorm rooms are spacious, beds well laid out and very comfortable. Each bed in dorm comes with a mini shelf to keep your keys and coins, power socket and reading light. Travellers looking for more privacy can choose from one of their private ensuite doubles on the top floor of the hostel. All rooms come with a balcony and panoramic views of the city.

Me and my second family- the amazing staff at Goodmorning Hostel

Facilities

Hostel staff – Joao ( makes the best waffles) , Yolanda ( puts on great tunes and introduced me to some cool bands ) , Duarte ( Great if you’re looking for a guitar player for a good ole singsong in the evening over a few beers) Magdalena ( wicked sense of humour and makes great pierogi) and Manuela ( organizes cool and fun stuff, always a big smile on her face and is an amazing singer)  are the outstanding feature of this hostel. They have a friendly personable approach, full of great enthusiasm and ideas of cool things to do in Lisbon that you might not find in your guidebook. It’s rare to meet such a great group of nice people in one hostel. Staying there for a few days, by the time I left, I felt like I was part of a big family.

Cosy, intimate dining room at the Goodmorning Hostel, Lisbon

They organize excellent free walking tours of the city and also a ‘Dinner with the locals’ where they introduce guests to local Portuguese dishes. Guests can join in with the cooking. I pitched in one night and cooked the guests an authentic Indian curry. (Video below)

Eating dinner and sharing stories of travel experiences with the staff and hostel guests  at Goodmorning was one of my most memorable experiences from my travels this year.  Staff often offer a glass of red wine, port wine or Ginginha to the guests for free.There is a cheap ,excellent supermarket just a stone’s throw away which is quite handy.

Free breakfast is fantastic ( until 1130am ) and something different from your standard hostel fare-they offer freshly prepared waffles which you can enjoy with good filtered coffee and juices. Free coffee and tea is offered throughout the day.

They have a dedicated internet room on which guests can surf on for free and also a separate TV room with a large flatscreen TV and DVD player to watch movies. The free wifi is decent and available throughout the hostel. They have a free left luggage facility in case you are travelling later in the day.

What makes this a luxury hostel

Staying at the Goodmorning Hostel is like being invited into a friend’s home- superb central location, generous breakfast and the friendly, knowledgeable hostel staff makes this a great base for exploring Lisbon.

Ensuite double room at Goodmorning Hostel, Lisbon. Starting at just 60 euros a night, it’s a steal

Top tip

If you’re looking for a romantic break in Lisbon in a great location , choose the double ensuite room at the top of the hostel with it’s beautiful comfy bed, great views and quirky decor.

The Journey

The hostel is just 250 metres away from the Restauradores Metro station and the Rossio Train Station.

I flew to Lisbon with easyJet which is the main low-cost airline serving the city.

From the airport you have the choice of taking Aerobus number 91 to Cais do Sodré and exit at Restauradores. (cost 3,50€ takes between 30-45 minutes andleaves every 20 minutes between 0740-2045, 30 minute intervals after  ).
Goodmorning Hostel is at the door step.

Take the Metro’s red line to São Sebastião, then change to the blue line in the direction of Santa Apolónia and leave at Restauradores. (cost 1,25€). 
Goodmorning Hostel is a 3 minute walk away.

Goodmorning Lisbon

Praça dos Restauradores, n. 65, 2nd floor, 1250-188 Lisbon

Telephone numbers: + 351 213 421 128

Email: bookings@goodmorninghostel.com.

Fact box

Room in a 10 bedroom room costs just 14 euros going upto 60 euros for a double en-suite room. Book at http://goodmorninghostel.com/