The Hostelz.com Review
Arpacay Hostel a great hostel -- one of the most comfortable-feeling ones we've stayed at so far. They offer a free walking tour of the city, which is good. It doesn't even take a whole day to see the city, so a nice place to just catch up on rest and relax. There is a food mart very close to buy food so you can cook at the hostel.
The Location
The location isn't horrible, but it isn't great. If you follow the directions the hostel gives you when you book, you will get there, but they leave out one important detail -- crossing a bridge. First of all, if you arrive at night, it's very sketchy. When you come out of the metro/train station you have to cross over a bridge to get to the other side of the train tracks. The hostel is about a fifteen-minute walk from the station. You definitely don't feel safe crossing the bridge, so females probably shouldn't arrive alone at night -- there are many guys that hang around the area and you never know what could happen. During the day, that area doesn't feel much better, but it is close to the center of Prague. The tram and bus stops right outside the hostel, which we took into the center.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel has great bedrooms -- very homey feeling with comfortable beds. We stayed in a room with six beds, but two of them were on a loft, so it doesn't feel cramped. There are lockers in the rooms, but they're pretty small. They have free towels, but they are barely bigger than a hand towel. Bathrooms are nice, but there is only one toilet and one shower per floor (about four rooms). There is an area outside of the shower to get changed in, which is nice.
Common Spaces
You don't get a weird/sketchy feeling once you're in the hostel. While most everyone is nice, people don't seem to hang out much, probably because there isn't really a "hang-out" spot, except for where you eat breakfast, which is on another floor. There are free computers and Wi-Fi, which is great -- it even reaches to the rooms. There is a kitchen on each floor, so you can cook your own meals and keep things in the fridge.
Summary
We would stay at the hostel again -- it is a great price and includes a very small breakfast and internet. The staff are pretty friendly. And it's really easy just to get the tram into town. We were only there for one night, but got a good feeling from the place.
The Location
The location isn't horrible, but it isn't great. If you follow the directions the hostel gives you when you book, you will get there, but they leave out one important detail -- crossing a bridge. First of all, if you arrive at night, it's very sketchy. When you come out of the metro/train station you have to cross over a bridge to get to the other side of the train tracks. The hostel is about a fifteen-minute walk from the station. You definitely don't feel safe crossing the bridge, so females probably shouldn't arrive alone at night -- there are many guys that hang around the area and you never know what could happen. During the day, that area doesn't feel much better, but it is close to the center of Prague. The tram and bus stops right outside the hostel, which we took into the center.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel has great bedrooms -- very homey feeling with comfortable beds. We stayed in a room with six beds, but two of them were on a loft, so it doesn't feel cramped. There are lockers in the rooms, but they're pretty small. They have free towels, but they are barely bigger than a hand towel. Bathrooms are nice, but there is only one toilet and one shower per floor (about four rooms). There is an area outside of the shower to get changed in, which is nice.
Common Spaces
You don't get a weird/sketchy feeling once you're in the hostel. While most everyone is nice, people don't seem to hang out much, probably because there isn't really a "hang-out" spot, except for where you eat breakfast, which is on another floor. There are free computers and Wi-Fi, which is great -- it even reaches to the rooms. There is a kitchen on each floor, so you can cook your own meals and keep things in the fridge.
Summary
We would stay at the hostel again -- it is a great price and includes a very small breakfast and internet. The staff are pretty friendly. And it's really easy just to get the tram into town. We were only there for one night, but got a good feeling from the place.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2011
Their Description
Arpacay Hostel Details
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Arpacay Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Above decent Nice hostel. small trek into the main part of the city but not too far. Had the place basically to ourselves, like our own suite. two beds in a five bed room, huge common area with another room, fairly safe. area looks dodgy but is fine.overall i'd give it a B-plus. If you are a male and consider yourself to have any game whatsoever try and get a smile from the blondish receptionist. Worth it after you get past her "mean" front she puts up. — Johnathan , American (2009-04-06) Stay elsewhere! Terrible location, far from everything. No security at all. A couple entered the hostel in the middle of the night and stole my camera. There are no cameras in the building, the keys to the place have been the same for G'd knows how long, so the whole city has a copy by now. Look for somewhere else to stay! — Drago , Argentina (2007-12-25) F'ing horrid My husband and I had booked four nights here as the last stop on our honeymoon but were ready to leave after one hour. Because we had arrived late in the evening, he conceded to my wish to sleep on the decision and stay the night. It is a testament to his good humor that he did not cruelly taunt me for my foolishness and we simply left at 10 a.m. the next morning. Unclean sheets, inconvenient location, and loud. Far away, but so very loud -- even with windows shut (one of the windows could not be opened -- lovely for the hot third floor.) Additionally, the breakfast of ham and cheese was handed over without a word, cheese piled onto the ham -- very disconcerting to a vegetarian. The free towels are tiny -- it seems a funny thing to mention on their website as an amenity. A hand towel really isn't worth writing home about. The common space is barely bigger than a breadbox, there is no terrace, and the straw that broke the camel's back was that one of the staff rudely took a chair from one of the customers who was using the internet to conduct a job interview in reception. Unbelievably unprofessional. Ridiculous. Spend a few more $/£/€ and stay somewhere else. Book an apartment or room with a fridge and go to the shop for breakfast food. — Liz , USA (2007-06-14) I stayed here for ten days last November and everything about it was top notch. Very clean (except for the couple of hours in the morning after everyone gets ready and before the crew is done cleaning, but that's to be expected), the breakfast is filling and good, the staff is helpful, and although it's a bit out of the way of the main city you might appreciate that and feel like a bit of a native. I also met a lot of great people here, and I'm not exactly the most social person in the world, so this this a great place for anyone travelling alone as I was. Safe and friendly! — Christine (2006-05-15) I stayed here for five days. I got there in the evening and couldn't figure out how to get to the hostel. I bought a map (accommodation) at the Metro Smichov and asked around. You can see the hostel's red and green sign at the Metro leading to the bridge if you look hard enough. The bad part is when you have to cross the bridge with your backpack. I later found out that we can actually get down at Metro Andel and get a tram (super time efficient) to the hostel (so you don't have to cross the bridge every time — not recommended for a first-timer). Even after midnight, you can get to Metro Smichov provided you know how to get the connecting tram.
In a nutshell, it's one of the best hostels I've ever stayed at. I changed my reservation and they replied the next day. I met some cool guys here. I was locked out once because I forgot to bring out the keys. Luckily a guy came back at the wee hour. Nothing was missing although I'd been out the whole day and stayed in an 8-bed dorm room. I will be back again soon! — Will, My (2005-07-19) If you can choose, choose to stay at Arpacay GREEN. We stayed in a room with new furniture, clean kitchen, and clean bathrooms. The staff is very kind and helpful. There were three computers with free Internet, so I had no problem getting time on the computer.
Personally, I though the location was a PLUS. It is near the Smichov station, which is away from the central part of Prague and away from all the tourists. Check out the restaurants nearby because the prices will blow you away. By being further away from the crowd, you'll enjoy Czech Republic like only the locals can.
The only problem I had was that the staff never had change there. They weren't able to break the big bills and one staff member even ripped me off when she gave me change — and even denied it when I accused her. I don't find her actions all that surprising since more than half of the restaurants that we visited tried to rip us off in one way or another. Just be careful in the Czech Republic and don't be afraid to confront them about your money! — Anonymous Backpacker (2005-07-08) We ended up staying here twice in our European journey as we flew in and out of Prague. We used the hostel's airport pick-up as I was thinking we would be tired and in no mood to figure out the country's transit system. The guy was really nice (but distracted and made a couple of wrong turns). Anyhow, we arrived about 11:45 in the morning and they are really serious about not checking you in until 12:00 on the dot (even though reception is open). So we walked around a bit and it is true that there is not too much to see, buy or eat around the hostel. However the big shopping mall at Andel is really great and about an 8-10 minute walk towards town.
In the green building (right side) we stayed in the apartment for three nights, then had to move to a double room. This apartment was a little disappointing for us as the fridge was tiny and smelly, there were no table or chairs to sit on and the bed was just a piece of foam! It grew on us however, as it was nice to have your own bathroom. Breakfast is decent but limited as you pick up your plate from the kitchen. Getting downtown was really no problem as the tram stops right around the corner. The Metro is just across the bridge as well. IF you go to Karlsteijn castle, you can catch the train right beside the Metro at Praha Smichov station. The girl at reception at the hostel was not that helpful in giving us any directions or useful info, so it took us a little while to figure the whole transit thing out. (Buy tram tickets at the tabak store around the corner — there's a lovely friendly man running the place! And buy a bunch of them at one time).
We stayed one more night in Prague before flying home and we ended up in the red (pink) building on the other side of the street in a double room. This side is LOVELY. It is very clean and new and there is a terrace to sit outside on. The girl is very helpful on this side. Definitely try to stay over here! Getting to the airport took about an hour and was easy once you know how it all works! — Anonymous (2005-06-17) Great hostel. Clean and nice rooms and bathrooms. Friendly staff, good breakfast (although is not unlimited) and a good location (it's not downtown, but it's just 20 minutes walk from Prague castle).
Well, there's just one bathroom, so you might need to wait a while to use it in the morning. — Tarso, Brazil (2005-04-22) This hostel is very clean, comfortable, in a good location and it has a nice breakfast. The bathroom is very good, sometimes too crowded, though. — Camila (2005-04-22) This is a very nice hostel and the staff are wonderful. It is very clean and it's a chill atmosphere. The neighborhood isn't ideal and everything around it closes early. BUT there is a tram that stops right in front of the hostel that takes you directly into the city. Make sure to book early if you are going to stay for more than a few nights so you don't have to jump around from room to room. Overall it's a GREAT place to stay! — Erin C. (2005-03-21) I stayed in the red building with a large group of friends. We found the staff to be extremely helpful. Breakfast was great — way more food than the average hostel! The location is good as public transportation is easy to use. The rooms are spacious and very clean. The price is unbeatable! — Anonymous (2005-02-16) My partner and I stayed here for five nights and loved it! We'll definitely stay here again. It's clean, comfortable, the rooms are large and it's such great value for what you get. It's not in the center of town but it's only about ten minutes away on the Metro or by tram. — Anonymous (2005-01-04) This is a tremendous hostel. The staff are helpful, the facilities are great, and the free Internet is definitely a plus. The location is NOT a problem. It is a 30-minute walk to the Charles Bridge - but come on, a half-hour walk along the Vltava should be the least of your worries. I'm staying here every time I go to Prague. — T.G. (2004-06-18) We stayed in the Green building and it was excellent! It was very classy looking with nice bedrooms and the best shower we had for all the 3 weeks of traveling! The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Breakfast is great and there is free internet. You can get to the main city in no time by the metro and the airport is maybe half an hour away by public transportation. We loved Prague and this hostel really added to the great time we had there! — Anonymous (2004-04-21)