The Hostelz.com Review
Rolling Stone Hostel is a family run hostel set in a large and spacious house about ten minutes' walk from the city centre. The staffs are helpful and give you an overview of the city main sights and a free map as soon as you arrive. They also organize day trips to Bran castle and Sinaia’s Peles Palace, besides a curious bear watching trip every night near the woods. It’s usually busy, and even though it’s cleaned thoroughly every late morning, the small number of toilets means they will be dirty in just a few hours. They do not have all the facilities listed on their description available for guests, like a heated swimming pool or towels, and breakfast is basically toast and boiled eggs.
The Location
The hostel is located on a street just off Piata Unirii, where you can get off bus number 51 from the train station. The train and bus stations are about three kilometers away from the city centre, so don’t try to walk from there. Taxi drivers are said to be honest around Brasov, and if you want to risk, take one that has the price printed at the door. Car parking is at the street. The house is about ten minutes' walk from the main square at the city centre, but amenities are available nearby, with small markets and some typical restaurants on Piata Unirii.
Rooms and Bathrooms
They have dorms with both bunk beds and single beds, for six, eight, ten, or fourteen people. Most dorms have their own bathrooms, but some are shared with the private rooms, that are available for two, three, or four people. Toilets and showers are sometimes separated, and usually there is enough space to change. The rooms are quite big, but can also be a little crowded. There are lockers only in the dorms, but no luggage storage rooms.
Common Spaces
There is a large living room with cable TV and a kitchen available for guests. It’s a good place to socialize, since you will have to share the sofa and the kitchen table with other travelers whenever you are using them, and will hardly get away without having a chat. There is also a computer with internet connection for guests and Wi-Fi is free. The terrace outside is good for barbecuing and it has a small swimming pool that was empty at the time of review, and probably in need of some repairs.
Summary
Rolling Stone hostel is a good place to stay in Brasov, with a good location and fair prices. If you come at a busy time you might not find it the cleanest of hostels, but they do their best to keep it tidy. Beware that they don’t offer exactly everything they list in their description. It’s still good value for money, and a nice place to meet people, although it’s not exactly a party place.
The Location
The hostel is located on a street just off Piata Unirii, where you can get off bus number 51 from the train station. The train and bus stations are about three kilometers away from the city centre, so don’t try to walk from there. Taxi drivers are said to be honest around Brasov, and if you want to risk, take one that has the price printed at the door. Car parking is at the street. The house is about ten minutes' walk from the main square at the city centre, but amenities are available nearby, with small markets and some typical restaurants on Piata Unirii.
Rooms and Bathrooms
They have dorms with both bunk beds and single beds, for six, eight, ten, or fourteen people. Most dorms have their own bathrooms, but some are shared with the private rooms, that are available for two, three, or four people. Toilets and showers are sometimes separated, and usually there is enough space to change. The rooms are quite big, but can also be a little crowded. There are lockers only in the dorms, but no luggage storage rooms.
Common Spaces
There is a large living room with cable TV and a kitchen available for guests. It’s a good place to socialize, since you will have to share the sofa and the kitchen table with other travelers whenever you are using them, and will hardly get away without having a chat. There is also a computer with internet connection for guests and Wi-Fi is free. The terrace outside is good for barbecuing and it has a small swimming pool that was empty at the time of review, and probably in need of some repairs.
Summary
Rolling Stone hostel is a good place to stay in Brasov, with a good location and fair prices. If you come at a busy time you might not find it the cleanest of hostels, but they do their best to keep it tidy. Beware that they don’t offer exactly everything they list in their description. It’s still good value for money, and a nice place to meet people, although it’s not exactly a party place.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2010
Their Description
Rolling Stone Hostel Details
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Rolling Stone Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Not for people who want decent sleep I stayed in the 10 bed dorm room with shared bathroom for 2 nights. Both nights, I didn't sleep very well because the room was between the lobby and the 8 bed dorm room, so there was always noise. This hostel is good for socializing, but annoying if you want to have a decent night's sleep. In addition, when I was there, there was a robbery incident and a violent tourist outburst. Breakfast was included (toast, jam, and tea). Toilet paper can be scarce in the morning. The receptionists were helpful, but they only want to sell their tours (which is such a rip off considering that it didn't even include entrance fees and I did the Sinaia tour by myself for half the price). — Lis , US (2010-08-13) Great Very friendly staff (Diana and Silvia), very good location. We stayed 5 nights and had a great time! — B. & E. , Germany (2010-07-15) I stayed at this hostel for two weeks while working on a volunteer project in the area and loved it! It's busy and crazy but we had a lot of fun. Maria, Silvia and Diana are excellent and Maria is top entertainment! would definitely come here again -- love it! — Len (2006-08-14) i cant believe anyone would give this place two stars! yes, its clean and the staf are reasonably friendly, but this disguises the fact that they will rip you off at every opportunity. most advertised facilities are either unavailable or you have to pay for. if you are lucky enough to get the room you booked you are in the minority. safety is completely ignored as in the event of a fire you would have to climb over the people sleeping on the floors. please avoid this place at all costs. — coolcosmo (2006-08-09) I stayed here in March 2006 and it was so great! I loved everything about it! Didn't see Maria alot but the other girl 'Sofia' was lovely! I only did the paragliding trip and it was great -- the rest me and a friend did on our own (which of course is the cheapest way to do it) -- and Sofia told gave us tons of information on the different things to do in the area. I stayed for only three nights but I didn't want to leave! I would reccomend this place -- but not recommend to take maria's trips. Do it yourself, it is cheap and easy! — Jennifer- Biggar, Sask, Canada (2006-07-20) My friend and I were on the way to Bucarest from Sofia, that is where we met this guy (who ripped us off) on the train. He told us about Maria's place. After he stole our money we decided that maybe we shouldn't trust this Maria. When we got to Brasov we had no place to stay and this creepy taxist offered to take us to Maria's hostel. At first we weren't sure where we would end up but finally we arrived at Maria's hostel where we had a very warm welcome. Maria kindly offered us something warm to drink, gave us some odd hand massages and showed us a map of the area and what we could do. She gladly answered every question, she had no problem accepting dollars or euros, she explained about the new and old money and even exchanged them for us (for lei's). It was a really cozy hostel but smelly, very nice environment and friendly staff. I guess it's fair to say that we where lucky to meet this guy on the train, because it turned out to be a very nice place to stay. There wasn't much offered (no jaccuzi, internet, laundry service, cigarettes, etc) but worth the 10 euros. LONG LIVE MARIA! — Nik (2006-02-22) One star is a pretty harsh rating but I would give it zero if I could. My sister and I stayed here in the summer and had an awful time. The infamous Mitcha groped me, Julian was really rude to us and Maria overcharged us for the Bran trip. We were woken up at 3 in the morning by Maria's daughters to pay for the beds. Grig shouted at and abused the old overworked cleaning lady. There were other people in our beds when we came back at 12 a.m., and there were people sleeping everywhere on the couch and on mattresses on the floor. It seems like they were so eager to take tourists' money they forget who was already staying. We found out later the hostel isn't registered, and they pay the local policeman in whisky to avoid paying tax. Someone shut this place down, please. — Therese Gerhardt (2005-11-05) I just got back from travelling around Eastern Europe and Maria's place was by the far the best hostel yet. It is true that the trips to Bran Castle, etc. are cheaper if you make your own way there, but for convenience it is much easier to go with the hostel. The atmosphere is so much fun and the staff are lovely. Maria is one of the most genuine people I've ever met. Although she does talk so fast it's hard to keep up and she can end up organizing your life, she does it all with the best intentions. Warning — watch out for her hand massages. If I ever go back I would always stay here. Maria is a legend. — Hannah (2005-09-25) Don't stay here. I came in good faith but before I had even arrived at the hostel my girlfriend had been groped by the hostel's approved driver, Meertcha. Our reservation was messed up and we had to stay in a old lady's house for one night with a extremely noisy dog.
When we finally arrived proper at the hostel we discovered it isn't even registered with the authorities. There are no health or fire certificates, the newly renovated attic looks unsafe in the extreme and the whole hostel is very poorly advertised.
In all my other stops in Romania I was unimpressed. Hungary and Lake Balaton are where the fun's at. — Pete Walker (2005-09-17) Our time there was pretty stressful, we should have followed our friends to Kismet Dao. The hostel looks new, but there are noticeable defects creeping in, notably the lack of cold water in kitchen and bathrooms, no Internet as promised and an empty swimming pool.
Apart from the hostel, Brasov itself is a reasonably pretty city, but I did experience a lot of tourist traps and shortchanging in restaurants, as well as rudeness and general disrespect towards us. Better options include Oradea and Sinaia. Avoid Bucharest like the plague. — Pat Irwin (2005-09-14) This hostel was great! The staff were friendly and would go out of their way to help and make your stay pleasant. True, the swimming pool is small and empty, but the atmosphere is great, with lots of great people! Get Julian to take you bear watching.... Fantastic!! — Mike, UK (2005-08-28) I was here last year and once in July. The place has changed beyond all recognition. The Brits have left and Maria has sole control now, and it shows.
There is a friendly atmosphere, although far from calm, and often you feel like you are being harassed. Disorganization rules here; guests were asked twice for one night's money, and things went missing from tourist's bags. Simply put, a terrible experience.
I can't believe the number of positive comments posted here, just because the staff are friendly doesn't mean they are nice genuine people who aren't trying to rip you off, and they WILL try to rip you off. If you want to visit Brasov then you must be very firm at the train station when Maria approaches you. "No, no and no, I have another reservation, I am meeting friends there, I am NOT interested."
Sorry, guys, but all this is true. Be careful in Romania and don't give your trust to people blindly. — Johannes Muller (2005-08-23) This place is not what is advertised. There is no hot water, Internet, laundry, or swimming pool. It had cramped dorms and the breakfast bread and jam is nothing to write home about. For 11 euros it seems a bit steep for a hostel, with everyone getting out after one night. There are better and cheaper options in Brasov. Go see tourist information for other rooms. — Jodie (2005-08-09) We stayed for eight nights in the hostel and we were looked after from the moment we got out of the taxi. All the people who work there are really nice and work really hard to make sure you have the best possible time. They even baked cakes for us some nights! They organized loads of trips for us, including bear watching and paragliding. We met loads of great people and we will definitely stay there again if we go back to Brasov. — Ed Clarke and James Dunn from England. (2005-08-05) This place was once owned by my best friend's family. I'm in Ireland now and she is in LA. It's sad to see it in the hand of strangers. All I can say is that the place is a great place, it's located in a great place and... and...
I wish I could go back in time, but I can't. The place has soul. — Andreea (2005-06-13)