The Circus Hostel Berlin review

With a museum dedicated to the Hoff , their very own microbrewery in the basement, the mother of all breakfast buffers till 11am and also they run some of Berlin’s coolest walking tours  , Circus Hostel is a hostel like no other in the world. To start the review, please have a peek at the video below that I filmed almost 10 years ago. While it is a little out of date, I think it gives you a great feeling of the vibe, what you can expect and the ethos of this wonderful hostel.

Location

I love the location of the Circus Hostel. Guests are in the prime location of Rosenthaler Platz where you are within easy reach of everything in Berlin. 15 minute walk away is Alexanderplatz. Prenzlauer Berg is up the hill. Right across you have the uber hip St Oberholtz cafe and also Main Haus Am See bar ( open 24/7- need beer, want a coffee at 5am,  or doze on their comfy leather sofas, listen to cool DJ’s…anything goes.

Rooms and bathrooms

This hostel offers the perfect balance of great value, funky vibe and really nice dorms plus a range of private ensuite rooms. They have a triple shared room that sleeps 3 guests, with a double bed + sleeping sofa.

Dorm rooms , ranging from 4 bed to 6 bed female only dorms are spacious, good value and have ensuite bathrooms. Each dorm bed includes a reading light, USB charging, locker, and of course a picture of the Hoff wishing everyone sweet dreams.

If you are looking for something more luxurious and with great views, rent the Panorama Studio Apartment which comes with a full kitchen and stunning panoramic views of Mitte and TV Tower in the distance. If you are travelling in a bigger group, family or friends, then The Big Top can host up to 7 guests.

Facilities

Circus Hostel welcomes a nice mix of travellers- backpackers, students and also couples and mature travellers. It’s not strictly what I would call a party hostel but has a nice communal vibe and social atmosphere. Staff , like their international guests come from a wide variety of cool backgrounds and are really helpful and friendly.

The on-site bar and café area called Rosie’s that does a great selection of cakes, great coffee including the excellent €10.90 all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast that is served from 8-11am. Menus for Rosie’s can be found here

One of the cool features of this hostel is the fact they have their very own bar, Rosie’s Bar where they brew their own beer and have a basement microbrewery. Really nice place to meet fellow guests and have a nice beer. Plus, they host pop quizzes & have a great happy hour, karaoke nights, club culture talks, DJ nights etc.

The hostel also has the unusual amazing feature of a dedicated museum to the ‘Hoff’ , complete with chest hair and Hoff memorabilia. Hoff is a bit of a cult hero in these parts thanks to hit single, ‘Freedom’ and also thanks to his apparent role in the fall of the wall.here are regular events down at the bar like pop quizzes & happy hour, karaoke nights, club culture talks, DJ nights etc. Checkout what’s happening in the hostel via their events calendar.

Guests can also chill in the reception and dip into a abundance of excellent tourist literature on the city produced by the Hostel, which include their very own guidebook to Berlin which has all the best tips plus they have leaflets with self guided walking tours of local neighbourhoods which is super cool.  Plus, if you need help planning your Berlin trip they offer a itinerary service The hostel also organise their own free walking tours and also the possibility of renting bikes. If you are bringing your own car, parking is available in the garage of The Circus Apartments / 20€ a night. If you need to workout, you also receive discounts through the hostel’s partnership with EVO Fitness across the street. ( Small but well equipped gym that we use in Berlin so highly recommend )

Why is this a luxury hostel

This place is so much more than just a bed for the night.

It provides a real experience and feel of the city. Attention to detail like their awesome DIY walking tours ( start and end at the hostel), option of offering bikes, great breakfast buffet, wonderful onsite bar, gym discounts – they have thought of every possible need of their guests. I love this hostel. The world definitely needs more hostels like Circus.

How to book this hostel

The code BUDGETTRAVELLER26 gives your 15% off direct bookings via the The Circus Hostel website (non-refundable rate) until the end of 2025, plus the hostel plants a tree for every direct booking.