The Hostelz.com Review
Kiev Central Station Hostel is the winner of the 2009 best hostel in Ukraine so we expected it to be a great place to stay. You would think this one must outshine the other hostels in Kiev, but in fact it was the opposite. Maybe it went downhill after the award, but this hostel is more like a person’s flat then a hostel.
The Location
The location could not be worse -- twenty minutes uphill from the train station with no trams or bus service; you have a long walk to get there. It is about forty minutes' walk from Independence Square (not twenty as advertised) and to any other sight around the city. As far as we can tell, there is no club within walking distance, but there is a nice local bar to which the owner takes guests. If you want to be close to the train station, this hostel is for you (for those early trains out).
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm is large and spacious but they use it to hang out their washing in the day, so that crowds the place up. The other, smaller dorm is a bit darker and crowded. The mattresses are thin and not that nice to sleep on. The bathrooms are clean enough, though the dirt ring around the shower we come to expect in Ukraine is apparent (from talking to Ukrainians this is normal for them, so we guess the cleaning people think it is ok). There is hot water at all times of the day as far as we could see.
Common Spaces
The common room looks like a single guy’s place, with a bed on the floor and an old saggy couch to sit on, though it had a nice balcony with a tree top view. The owner, like some other hostels in Kiev, lives in the hostel, and most nights he takes over the kitchen to cook his dinner (being Brazilian he uses the whole kitchen to cook it). The breakfast is a piece of bread and some jam. The state of the floor is appalling -- they expect people to take off shoes but within a few steps your socks are dirty. If they want to have a no-shoe policy, they should keep the floor much cleaner.
Summary
Overall this hostel is run like someone's flat with some beds in it. The owner admitted he does not run this as a business but as something for him to do while in Ukraine. This does give it a nice, homey feel but it also means things like cleaning and making sure the place is tidy are not taken seriously. We were very disappointed in the state of the hostel today, knowing it won the 2009 award.
The Location
The location could not be worse -- twenty minutes uphill from the train station with no trams or bus service; you have a long walk to get there. It is about forty minutes' walk from Independence Square (not twenty as advertised) and to any other sight around the city. As far as we can tell, there is no club within walking distance, but there is a nice local bar to which the owner takes guests. If you want to be close to the train station, this hostel is for you (for those early trains out).
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm is large and spacious but they use it to hang out their washing in the day, so that crowds the place up. The other, smaller dorm is a bit darker and crowded. The mattresses are thin and not that nice to sleep on. The bathrooms are clean enough, though the dirt ring around the shower we come to expect in Ukraine is apparent (from talking to Ukrainians this is normal for them, so we guess the cleaning people think it is ok). There is hot water at all times of the day as far as we could see.
Common Spaces
The common room looks like a single guy’s place, with a bed on the floor and an old saggy couch to sit on, though it had a nice balcony with a tree top view. The owner, like some other hostels in Kiev, lives in the hostel, and most nights he takes over the kitchen to cook his dinner (being Brazilian he uses the whole kitchen to cook it). The breakfast is a piece of bread and some jam. The state of the floor is appalling -- they expect people to take off shoes but within a few steps your socks are dirty. If they want to have a no-shoe policy, they should keep the floor much cleaner.
Summary
Overall this hostel is run like someone's flat with some beds in it. The owner admitted he does not run this as a business but as something for him to do while in Ukraine. This does give it a nice, homey feel but it also means things like cleaning and making sure the place is tidy are not taken seriously. We were very disappointed in the state of the hostel today, knowing it won the 2009 award.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2010
Their Description
Kiev Central Station Hostel Details
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Kiev Central Station Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
The description of this hostel is not correct. The description of this hostel is not correct. The location is 45 min. walking to independence square and NOT 10 minutes. The train station is like 30 minutes walk and NOT 10 min. The Hostel is located down a real dodge street (did not feel safe at all at walking at night) not the best area of town. But this is NOT the worst thing about this hostel the worst thing is that the owner Marcus harasses backpackers and OFFERS FREE BEER and is constantly trying to BRIBE you and other backpackers to give his hostel great reviews on websites. The hostel is clean and they have nice common room. But the beds are NOT the best, they feel like beds from a 1940 army barracks. I am sorry but I can only advise you NOT to stay there as it is way out of the center and they are bribing backpackers for good reviews. — STEVEN H , UK (2008-12-08)