The Hostelz.com Review
The Red Boat Mälaren (Den Röda Båten) is a unique hostel located in Stockholm along the shores of Lake Mälaren. The hostel consists of two large fishing boats (the “Red Boat” and the “White Boat”) which have been converted into hostels.
The Location
Being a large, red boat, docked along the quay, this hostel is uniquely easy to find. It is convenient to local public transportation and is about a twenty-minute walk from downtown Stockholm. Parking is along the street, and public parking fees apply.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Unsurprisingly, since this hostel is actually a boat, the rooms are very tiny and somewhat cramped, but they do have a certain nautical charm, complete with real portholes instead of windows. Ask for a room on the port (left) side of the boats –- your porthole will look right out into the harbor.
There are both private rooms and dorm rooms available, and all have door locks. Note that there are no lockers on board, and there is very little storage space. Most rooms have one electrical outlet for charging your electronics and you will need to share this with other guests. Showers and toilets are clean and adequate with plenty of hot water.
On our visit, even though the boats were almost completely vacant, the receptionist for some annoying reason booked us into a tiny, four-bunk room that already had two other travelers in it. Most hostels know that guests resent being crammed in with strangers when there are open, empty rooms available. We had to politely but firmly request a different room and this was done reluctantly.
Common Spaces
There is a central lounge on the Red Boat with comfortable seating. Dark wood tables; brass portholes; a rich oriental rug; and plenty of tasteful, nautical decorations really create an elegant feel. There are no TVs on the boats, and for safety reasons, no cooking facilities for guests. Breakfast (not included in price) is decadent, with plenty of hot and cold food choices. There is a charge for coffee on board -- do take note that guests are not permitted to consume their own alcohol in the lounge. Beer and wine are available for purchase onboard.
Summary
This is a very unique, upscale hostel, but one with few amenities included in the price.
The Location
Being a large, red boat, docked along the quay, this hostel is uniquely easy to find. It is convenient to local public transportation and is about a twenty-minute walk from downtown Stockholm. Parking is along the street, and public parking fees apply.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Unsurprisingly, since this hostel is actually a boat, the rooms are very tiny and somewhat cramped, but they do have a certain nautical charm, complete with real portholes instead of windows. Ask for a room on the port (left) side of the boats –- your porthole will look right out into the harbor.
There are both private rooms and dorm rooms available, and all have door locks. Note that there are no lockers on board, and there is very little storage space. Most rooms have one electrical outlet for charging your electronics and you will need to share this with other guests. Showers and toilets are clean and adequate with plenty of hot water.
On our visit, even though the boats were almost completely vacant, the receptionist for some annoying reason booked us into a tiny, four-bunk room that already had two other travelers in it. Most hostels know that guests resent being crammed in with strangers when there are open, empty rooms available. We had to politely but firmly request a different room and this was done reluctantly.
Common Spaces
There is a central lounge on the Red Boat with comfortable seating. Dark wood tables; brass portholes; a rich oriental rug; and plenty of tasteful, nautical decorations really create an elegant feel. There are no TVs on the boats, and for safety reasons, no cooking facilities for guests. Breakfast (not included in price) is decadent, with plenty of hot and cold food choices. There is a charge for coffee on board -- do take note that guests are not permitted to consume their own alcohol in the lounge. Beer and wine are available for purchase onboard.
Summary
This is a very unique, upscale hostel, but one with few amenities included in the price.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
April 2012
Their Description
The Red Boat Mälaren (Den Röda Båten) Details
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The Red Boat Mälaren (Den Röda Båten) Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
The first time, great; the second time, bad The first time, I stayed in a twin room on the red boat. It was great. A fine, clean room with a great view on Stadshuset. God facilities, friendly staff. And a great breakfast. The second time, I stayed on the white boat in a single room and the only thing to be great were the spiders in front of my room. It was terrible. Everything was so dirty around the room, just a pity. — hjf , German (2009-05-18) I confirm the fact of bedbugs' presence (at least, on the White boat). I never had such an experience before (though in the past I had stayed at least at seven or eight different hostels) so that was very disappointing. I noticed their track on the body in the morning of the checkout day. So even had to use the medical treatment over the international insurance policy. On the other side, the good location (the ship in the beautiful harbor close to Gamla Stan) and relatively low rates are really taking their place. But I forgot to point on the risk of caisson disease. And the common male shower is really dirty. There are no internet access, no kitchen, and in the receipt there is a note "do not eat inside of your room." That's more to a marine museum than to the hostel. Overall, next time I'll stay somewhere else, but not at this place. — Angryman , Russian Federation (2007-05-15) I stayed for two nights in the Red Boat over Easter and I wish I hadn't. the place is full of bedbugs and I got bitten all over my body and had to be treated with medicine because of that -- the itching was hard to bear. When confronting the management they just shouted at me and weren't willing to talk and claimed I was lying (yeah right, and I painted those bites on my body). So one piece of advice, don't stay there! Also the showers are disgustingly dirty and the rooms are the size of a shoebox (big enough for bedbugs to stay there though). Save yourself the itching and go to another hostel! — Annoyed traveller , Danish (2007-04-21) The rooms and boat are very clean and they provide linen for your bed. The staff is very helpful and friendly. We stayed in the Red Boat and there were power outlets in the room there opposed to what the Review above says. The communal area is ok too, not very lively but you can meet some people there. The downsides are the very small rooms and the fact that you cannot drink alcohol in the communal area. So you have to drink in your room, which is inconvenient as it is very small. Showers are clean but hot water is not guaranteed. All in all, I would recommend this hostel as it is a nice experience to sleep on a boat for a few nights! — Walter (2007-01-18) This hostel was awesome! The staff were super helpful, the view was amazing, and boats had lots of character. They have a guitar at reception that you can borrow, the showers never seemed to run out of hot water, and everything inside seemed clean. I did see some spiders outside, none inside, I'm not sure how hard they are to keep away. — Jen (2006-08-29) We stayed on the white boat in a private room with a double bed, which was really nice and a good size room. The views were fantastic and the breakfast was really nice and decent. We really enjoyed our stay so definitely recommend it. — JJ (2006-04-17) Not bad! I stayed here for a couple of nights and found the hostel clean and quiet. Friendly helpful staff. Not very crowded. Not a party boat thats for sure, but cool view and certainly unique. — Mike Sonni (2006-01-20) Well, it could be an interesting experience, sleeping on a boat. You can see a wonderful landscape from your bed. This place is in a good location, only five minutes to Gamla Stan, and five minutes to Sodermalm. It's quite clean, but doesn't have so great an atmosphere for socializing. It's a good place to sleep. — Ataru (2004-10-11) It was summer, and the small dorm room was too hot. There was no room for any bags, so they lay on the floor ready for everyone to trip over them. The paper "sheets" smell like rotten milk, but I'm sure the family rooms would have been nicer. — Keith (2004-09-01) I liked my stay at this unique facility. It has a good location, easy to find, and comfortable, if not roomy. — Scott (2004-07-01) Great, interesting choice of accommodation. We stayed in the middle of winter on the red boat on the frozen water, so it was rather cold, but a good time all the same. They serve a large continental breakfast, and the main room/dinning area is a cozy area to sit and chat with other travelers. It is within walking distance to the main downtown area. — Joanna (2004-06-23) The best hostel I have EVER been to, and I've seen many. The boat is an amazing place to sit and drink during the summer. One word of advice: don't actually stay ON the boat, stay in the onshore segment of the hostel. The boat cabins are hotter during summer, and less spacious. Anyway, you don't need to be sleeping on the boat to relax on the boat. Also, since alcohol is so expensive here, the boat is a great place to start your drinking before hitting the clubs. It is a little walk from the center, but that's a small sacrifice to pay for such a unique experience. — Nigel S. (2004-04-07)