The Hostelz.com Review
Hostel Celica is a buzzing place to stay for travelers of all types. Although it's quite large, the hostel still has a personal feeling as you'll see the same staff at the reception and bar. It offers plenty of activities and amenities, as well as a good base to explore Ljubljana.
The Location
Hostel Celica is located in Metalkova, an area uniquely run by the artist crowd. This local culture is expressed in a variety of ways -- between the talented graffiti decorating the basketball court and skate park, or the head-pounding rock that pours from the local clubs until 4a.m., this hostel and neighborhood offer a flavorful, fun experience.
If you arrive in Ljubljana by train, be warned that the hostel is not as close to the train station as implied by the hostel. It's about a twenty-minute walk from the station, and it can be quite difficult to find, especially in the dark. Be sure to print off directions and a map before arriving, as the directions offered in the confirmation email can hardly be considered accurate.
Once you find the hostel, you're good to go. It's a few minutes from the main areas of Ljubljana, and you'll meander down small brick streets on your way down to the downtown and river. Don't worry about public transport, as almost everything is in easy walking distance in the city.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel offers an incredibly wide range of room types, from the infamous cell room (the hostel was originally a jail), to a six-bed dorm. Some of the rooms, though clean and bright, are quite small, and it can feel very cramped if everyone is in the room at the same time.
Most of the rooms have bathrooms attached, and though they are fairly small, they contain plenty of hooks and shelves. Don't expect hand towels and soap, but you will find chocolates on your pillow when you arrive! If you charm the housekeepers, they may even give you a handful.
Common Spaces
The common spaces are in abundance in this hostel. Several dining rooms merge into each other and then into a patio. The computer room has two to three computers (depends on if they're all working), and a line to use them builds up quickly. The reception has plenty of tourism information, so if you're thinking about booking a day trip or overnight trip, definitely speak with the staff. They'll be happy to help you plan out your stay in Slovenia, and can provide you with directions, recommendations, and advice. The front desk also has a book exchange, though you won't be able to go behind the desk to make your choice.
On the top floor (there are three main ones), a kitchen and sitting area is build underneath a large skylight, providing a less hectic social space. Piled high with cushions, this can be a great place to cook, drink, and talk. The hostel offers full meals and the bar is open throughout the day. The breakfast is included, and lunch and dinner are provided for a relatively inexpensive price with high quality.
Summary
Hostel Celica offers excellent service, expansive facilities, and great amenities in a great location. If you're looking for a popular hostel with a large crowd of people and a party atmosphere, go here.
The Location
Hostel Celica is located in Metalkova, an area uniquely run by the artist crowd. This local culture is expressed in a variety of ways -- between the talented graffiti decorating the basketball court and skate park, or the head-pounding rock that pours from the local clubs until 4a.m., this hostel and neighborhood offer a flavorful, fun experience.
If you arrive in Ljubljana by train, be warned that the hostel is not as close to the train station as implied by the hostel. It's about a twenty-minute walk from the station, and it can be quite difficult to find, especially in the dark. Be sure to print off directions and a map before arriving, as the directions offered in the confirmation email can hardly be considered accurate.
Once you find the hostel, you're good to go. It's a few minutes from the main areas of Ljubljana, and you'll meander down small brick streets on your way down to the downtown and river. Don't worry about public transport, as almost everything is in easy walking distance in the city.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel offers an incredibly wide range of room types, from the infamous cell room (the hostel was originally a jail), to a six-bed dorm. Some of the rooms, though clean and bright, are quite small, and it can feel very cramped if everyone is in the room at the same time.
Most of the rooms have bathrooms attached, and though they are fairly small, they contain plenty of hooks and shelves. Don't expect hand towels and soap, but you will find chocolates on your pillow when you arrive! If you charm the housekeepers, they may even give you a handful.
Common Spaces
The common spaces are in abundance in this hostel. Several dining rooms merge into each other and then into a patio. The computer room has two to three computers (depends on if they're all working), and a line to use them builds up quickly. The reception has plenty of tourism information, so if you're thinking about booking a day trip or overnight trip, definitely speak with the staff. They'll be happy to help you plan out your stay in Slovenia, and can provide you with directions, recommendations, and advice. The front desk also has a book exchange, though you won't be able to go behind the desk to make your choice.
On the top floor (there are three main ones), a kitchen and sitting area is build underneath a large skylight, providing a less hectic social space. Piled high with cushions, this can be a great place to cook, drink, and talk. The hostel offers full meals and the bar is open throughout the day. The breakfast is included, and lunch and dinner are provided for a relatively inexpensive price with high quality.
Summary
Hostel Celica offers excellent service, expansive facilities, and great amenities in a great location. If you're looking for a popular hostel with a large crowd of people and a party atmosphere, go here.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2010
Their Description
Hostel Celica Details
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Hostel Celica Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Safe hostel but overpriced. It was our first night to stay in Slovenia. It is interesting to sleep in a cell (previously a prison), but it is worth to try. Good location is the essential point that we chose this hostel, it is very close to bus station and fifteen minutes' walk to the old city of Ljubljana. Although it priced a bit high as compared with other places we stayed in Ljubljana, it was clean and the breakfast was great. — Sandy , Hong Kong (2008-10-27) Average Visited this hostel in January. Rooms were very overcrowded, showers not clean either. I felt ill after eating the breakfast. Totally lacks a soul, could be better. — Kristina , Danmark (2008-01-08) Overpriced We visited this hostel twice. It is alright, but very overpriced for what it offers. Our main problem is that they decided not to honour our booking on our second stay and had decided to increase the price. The acknowledged that we had booked at a lower price (which was still more than it was worth), but they wanted to charge the higher price as it was busy and given that we had no options, we paid an extra 20 euro each over three nights. In addition, the rooms are some of the most cramped rooms I have ever experienced in a hostel. It lacks atmosphere and soul. Despite being new, it is not really very clean. — Michael , New Zealand (2008-01-02) The staff are friendly, the cafe has cheap food that is very good, the free internet is a great bonus. The design of this hostel is very relaxing and aesthetically pleasing. My room had a great mosaic in the entry way and I love the open spaces with lots of light. One of my rooms did have bedbugs, which was unpleasant, but when I told the staff they handled the problem and moved me to another room. The only drawback was the very noisy nightclub next door. The party-goers were still playing loud techno music and yelling at 9 a.m. Bring earplugs. Oh, the free breakfast was also very hardy and good. I would stay there again. — Mandy (2006-12-07) A great hostel in a pretty good area of the city that's quite close to the centre. The design of this place was great with a very relaxing Oriental café, the graffiti exterior and surroundings look amazing. The bar has some excellent beers and the kitchen does the best burger ever. Size of a plate it is with so many different sauces inside that make staying here worth while. There are a few good reason why you should stay here; great location, great architecture, tourist hotspot due to the great architecture, clean showers, and day trips to all Slovenia has to offer including walks, cycling, and boat trips. However -- the rooms although great feats of design are not that practical, I have stayed in two of the rooms with my girlfriend and neither of them are particularly practical. The first I stayed in for example had two single beds eight foot of the floor where you needed to climb a very awkward ladder just to sit some where comfy as the only other things in the room to sit on were few wooden tables. Everyone staying there had to prop the door open most of the day and night just to let some air circulate as the rooms were oven like in the heat. The staff weren't that friendly but they were always helpful so I won't complain about that. There is music that played most nights I was there and this went on until 3 a.m. which made sleeping very differcult. The burgers that I have already mentioned are the thing that has made me give four star, they are amazing. — Edward Kidderminster (2006-09-26) This hostel was a wonderful suprise on our trip to Slovenia. The building was amazing with its design and bright colors. The atmosphere was lively and exciting. The hostel provided best of both worlds -- if you wanted your privacy make sure to book a private room and when you want to be social and meet people the bar and dining area were always full at night. The room layout is small, but never felt cramped. The bathrooms were shared by everyone on your floor and were ok. I would highly recommend checking out this hostel. — Stephanie (2006-06-16) I would go to Ljubljana just to stay at this hostel. It is amazing, like sleeping in a museum of urban art and the staff are really friendly. It can get a little noisy at night, depending on where your room is situated. But all I can say is, cool and comfortable rooms, good food, near the train station and city centre, and just a wonderful friendly atmosphere and the showers were clean. If my memory serves me right, they even had an oriental room where they had water pipes, but they might not have it anymore. And if you cannot get a room, I think they organise visits, but that was way back in 2004. The people here were really proud of it as well. — Tiffany (2006-06-03) I didn't like it! All due respect to the artists and architects that helped in the renovation of what used to be a jail. Maybe it was the awareness that people were imprisoned and tortured there that made me feel so uncomfortable. You can kind of feel the sadness in the air.
The rooms are all different, but I got a small one and it wasn't that nice. We were so crowded. The bathroom is clean and the night guard was kind. But outside people were partying and I couldn't sleep at all. To be honest, it is too expensive for what one can get altogether. — Rom (2005-10-11) This hostel does not live up to the hype at all. I booked a bed in the dorm room, which is described as "a dormitory with its own bathroom situated in the comfortable designed attic." It is an extremely cramped room, with sloping roofs limiting the space further. There is no space for personal belongings, and my backpack was practically on my bed. Two of the beds have beams over the top, making them completely impractical. Another blocks the fire exit. The beds are literally six inches apart too, so you could easily find yourself sleeping with a stranger six inches away on either side. It was also boiling hot due to the numerous windows without blinds, making it unpleasant to be in at any time of day.
Another problem we had was the noise. One of the "House Rules" was that quiet hours are after 11 p.m., which suited us fine, especially on our first night when we were exhausted from travelling. However music blared from the bar area until after 3 a.m., making a good night's sleep impossible.
The "no alcohol except in bar area" rule was annoying as obviously alcohol was more expensive there than in the supermarkets. This seemed greedy, as it was a pretty expensive hostel anyway, costing a lot more than any I stayed in on my trip. Also, in money terms, we wanted to cook for ourselves to save a bit, but the kitchen was seriously under equipped. There were no plates or bowls, or utensils, and not even any glasses, making the "guest kitchen available" claim rather unjustified.
The saving point was that we met a lot of great people. But with unfriendly staff, this hostel is not worth going to. — Vicky (2005-07-01) Being an ultimate running man champion, as I am, it's great to go away somewhere to find an arena fit for an ultimate running man competition. Also, this place has great staff, great food, and great beer. Celica IS the big I am. Whammo! — Rusty Bakayoko (2005-04-15) I had the most wonderful time at this establishment. I found the bar staff very nice and the showers excellent, even though it was a bit of a squeeze to get all 7 of us in. It's great to find a place where we can actively be gay without being judged. — Roundabout, The (2005-04-15) A no-nonsense accommodation for a fair price. Clean room, good breakfast, excellent location, good staff and enough facilities. We'll return. — Luc and Hilde, Geraardsbergen (2005-03-18) This was the best hostel I've ever been to. We stayed in a private room, and it was very clean and new. The shower was okay. The staff weren't really friendly, but I think it's a good trade off (a not-so-friendly staff for a well-run hostel). Breakfast is great, and the atmosphere is also awesome. — Erika (2005-03-14) On my way east, I got lost in Hostel Celica. The city, the hostel, and the people were fantastic. It was easily the best hostel I've had the pleasure to stay at in Europe. It's certainly loud, has a great party atmosphere, and we had a rocking New Years in the main square of the city. All my memories of Ljubljana and Hostel Celica were lasting. — Paul, Melbourne (2005-03-01) This place has everything going for it. Really modern, great facilities, great bar, and nice staff. Breakfast was also really good. Except...avoid the dorm room!!! I cannot believe how many people they try and put into that room. Pay just a little extra and get one of the private rooms. — Anon Aussie (2005-02-07)