Riverside Hostel

Riverside Hostel occupies a great location just to the East of the Margit Hid (Margaret Bridge) on the Pest side of town, also near Margaret Island. The central location also makes it very noisy at all hours of the day and night from traffic. To find the hostel, get off the tram or metro at the "Nyugati Palyaudvar" station, and head West along "Szent Istvan Korut." You'll find the hostel on the left side of the road, opposite a very ornate opera house.

Security at Riverside is excellent, as you must initially be buzzed up through a locked gate, then have another locked gate unlocked, and finally the front door opened for you. Keys that open everything are issued. There is no lockout or curfew. There are lockers provided in the room, although not enough for everyone -- claim one early, and bring a padlock.

Reception is just inside the front door, and they must wait while guests vacate the only computer, also used for the free internet (there is good wireless reception as well). The one toilet for everyone is just to the right of the front door. There is only one shower for everyone as well, which is off the kitchen, next to reception. The kitchen is well appointed, although messy, with not nearly enough room for all the guests. There is a tiny common room next to the kitchen, with a TV.

The dorm room is listed as a ten-bed dorm, however there are at least fourteen beds, in the form of bunk beds, as well as random mattresses on the floor -- very disappointing. One mattress is directly under a window that won't stay shut. In the middle of the night during our stay, the wind blew the window open, and it shattered, showering with glass the poor girl sleeping under it. It sounded like a grenade had gone off inside the dorm. The glass littered the floor and the mattress, and when we departed at 10:30 a.m. the next day, it had still not been cleaned up. Traffic noise from outside also kept us awake (and we used earplugs all night).

The hostel lists a "twenty-four-hour grocery store" nearby, which is in fact just a small convenience store that sells overpriced beer and snacks -- not nearly what you would need to prepare a meal.

The owner and his staff are fantastic -- extremely cheerful and ready with advice on what to do in town. After our rough night, they offered us a full refund with no hassles, and apologized for us not enjoying our stay. This hostel would be ideal for guests who don't mind crowded, loud places, as the atmosphere with the staff and fellow travelers was excellent. The price and location are great. Some definite TLC is required on behalf of the owner to make this a place to appeal to more than a select group of people who don't care where they put their heads at night. If you prefer a quieter place with some privacy, please look elsewhere.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review