Jacobs Apartments AS Hostel

This hostel seems like a dream come true. It's a short easy walk from the train station after a long train trip from Oslo. It's easy to find, just turn right when you walk out of the station, then take your first left and you should be able to see the hostel about 100 meters up the road. When you enter you'll find crisp clean white linen on comfy beds waiting for you like a dream after too many nights on night trains and other less than perfect sleeping places. The dorms are located in an apartment style building out the back of the café. There's a common area and kitchen surrounded by the dorm rooms. There is free internet and it's a short walk to the centre of town.

After a long train trip you might want to use the laundry and give yourself and your gear a good wash. But this is where the bubble bursts. The laundry cycle takes so long that unless you have a day to waste you might as well forget it. Paying 20nok gets you a 2 hour wash then another 20nok gets you about 1.5 hours drying time, of which you could need up to three dry cycles. So for a load of laundry have at least 6 hours spare.

While you wait for your laundry to dry you might like to take a shower, but hopefully you're not expecting a hot shower. Or even a warm one. The hot water doesn't last and takes hours to re heat. To revive yourself from your stone cold shower you might like to cook up a hearty meal in the kitchen. A great idea as long as you have your own plates, bowls, and cutlery as not a scrap of useful kitchen equipment is provided for some very odd reason. Oh, and make sure whatever you buy can be cooked in the microwave as that's all there is to cook with.

All in all this place seems like a nice surprise until you look too closely then it's just annoying. Don't avoid this place just be warned of its downfalls.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2005