Hostel Elf

Great if you like to be stoned most of the time
Finding this hostel was a challenge. We wandered around until 1:30 in the morning before we located it. We stayed here for four nights and left with assorted bedbug bites. Our dorm room was not very clean and several of the hostelers were even less clean. The dirtiest hair I have seen in a long time. The location was good -- bus #133 to downtown area stopped right in front of the hostel although beware of pickpockets on this particular bus. The hostel had a small kitchen area which had old, out of date food left behind that should have been tossed long ago. Having free internet was a definite plus. Overall, avoid this hostel if possible.

Friendly, colourful, clean, great value, great meeting point
Elf is a really cheery, colourful, clean, and friendly place that's well run and good value. We stayed in a double room (without facilities) for four nights in Oct '07. They gave us a four-bed room for the first two nights for the two of us, but that wasn't a problem at all. The corridors and public areas have lots of colours and graffiti, the common area is always buzzing but not raucous. Its a great place to meet people from all over the world -- that was very evident even though two of us were not really looking for that so much. The breakfast was really good -- sandwiches (with and without meat) and some really nice sugar/chocolate buns that come in fresh first thing in the morning (they entered with us at 6.30 a.m. the day we arrived). To say it's in Praha 3 and hence out of the way would be ding it a disservice. If you want to stay in the centre of all the attractions, then this is not the place, but its location really is quite convenient. Its about a five-minute walk from Florenc Bust Station, ten minutes walk from Prague's main train station (HLN), and there's a bus right outside the door (#133) that takes you to the Starometska stop, which is pretty much much smack bang in the centre. There's a train line right next door, and sometimes boisterous beer drinkers at night. The latter hardly bothered us actually. the trains rumble by quite often and might be a problem for a light sleeper. After all the walking we were doing in the day, I never once heard a thing -- slept like a baby!

Very professional
The hostel is cleaned every morning (with noise). The breakfast is good (sandwiches and patisseries but not the weekends). The garden is open 'till midnight and you can buy beers 'till this hour. The best thing is that you can meet people from many countries. But sometimes there's so many people that is difficult to speak with someone. It's great if you want meet people who go in disco.

I stayed here for four nights in March 2007. It was a nice experience, the staff were kind, the room clean enough. We used common showers and them were clean too, the water warm. There are three PCs with free internet access, the breakfast is free (milk or tea, but avoid coffee, listen to an Italian!) and you have to wash your cup after use. There are two little kitchens available for all users. It is located not so near to the city center (it's Praha 3) but there is a bus stop in front of the hostel and the bus can carry you to the central Starometska stop. Avoid roaming in the night alone.

the best hostel in the world -- cheap, good beer and lots of funny people.

I found the hostel to be reasonably clean and the staff were friendly. The guests are great. The lockers are too small for a large backpack. I would say the main drawback is the noise. The train goes by regularly and doors slam (probably because the wind catches them) regularly as well. It is laid back and a generally friendly place to stay.Bring good earpluggs.

If the itchy bedbug bites don't wake you up in the morning, the jackhammers will. Now is probably not the best time to stay here at hostel Elf, though I do see that it has potential to be a fun place.

I stayed at this hostel for way too long, but enjoyed every minute of it. It's a little addictive, but that's the only negative I can think for the place. The staff is fantastic and helpful, I love the location -- it's out of the muck of the city and close to all the greatest party places, the atmosphere is perfect. there is always someone hanging around the common area (on the patio or inside on the super-comfy couches) to talk to, or have a drink (or whatever) with. There are a million other reasons to love the Elf (internet, yummy breakfast sandwiches, strange semi-erotic art, etc).

You'll love it or you'll hate it. The price, location and guests make it a top choice if you're not too fussed about tidiness, can sleep through low noise levels and want to meet some cool people. Pros —Free Internet, although you have to queue, and breakfast which included packed sandwiches and donuts you can take for lunch. — Really nice common area with comfy couches and outside benches. Always has a few laid-back people hanging about. — Good location. A few people complain about this, but there is a bus stop right near the door, or about 25-minute walk to the heart of the city and Astronomical Clock. — If you want absinthe, Czech beer, parties and musical instruments, Elf is full of them! — Two guest kitchens. Cons — It is a bit shabby. The bathrooms are a tad grotty but not so much so that you think you'll catch something. — Most staff are nice, but one or two are downright rude. — It can get a bit noisy at night, but I never had a problem getting to sleep anyway. Just depends on the individual.

Notice that people rate this place with one star or five stars. The answer is if you're sober, you're going to notice how disgusting this place is. If you're not, you're going to have a fantastic time. The room was so dirty we both got sick; the communal fridges were crammed full of things that should have been thrown out years ago; and the bathrooms were pretty foul. The people at the front desk were pretty frightening and unhelpful, but not as bizarre as most of the guests. (The forty-year-old, barefoot, Icelandic stoner creeped at least one of us out — but the two reggae musicians and their entourage were more than pleasant.) The laundry service stole one of my shirts. Worst of all is the location. IT IS NOT CENTRAL. It's a long, terrible walk across a freeway to get to any part of Prague. Don't do it, it's not worth your money.

Easily the worst hostel I've ever stayed in. Initially I was impressed with the laid-back chilled out ambience of the place but it soon turned out to be full of rowdy tourists with no consideration for other people. The communal room may be a nice touch, but couple it with close proximity to the bar and even closer proximity to the dorms and add the fact that there's no curfew and then you're in for a very sleepless night. The staff are among the rudest I have ever come across, the sheets that I was provided with were not clean and I had to ask for a new set. Yes, the Internet is free. Yes, the beer is cheap and the city is a stone's throw away, but I strongly suggest that you look beyond the free breakfast and the "cool" graffiti and stay well away from this place. I'm not a fan.

I agree that the hostel was a bit out of the way and that can be annoying if you're only in town for a day or two. But the staff was really friendly, the place was clean, and you get a small breakfast.

It's a great hostel with great price. The rooms are clean, the atmosphere is good, and it's a nice place to meet people. The location is wonderful; you can get anywhere you want within 15 minutes by walking.

This was one of the best hostels I have ever stayed in. The whole hostel is decorated really brightly with spray paints, a bit budget but comfortable. There is a real atmosphere, I thought this is what all hostels were like, but I later realized they weren't. Everyone who was staying there was up for having a chat and a beer. We ended up staying on those sofas till five in the morning. The showers and rooms might have looked a bit grotty [shabby] as the furniture is old and there are old showers but in actual fact it was all really clean, and there are cleaners that go round during the day (more than some hostels have). There are stairs up to the entrance but if you can't handle a flight of stairs perhaps a stay at the Hilton and a personal driver to take you around would be more suitable. The location was ok; the bus stopped right outside and it took two minutes to get to the Metro, which was pretty central. On the whole this hostel is a fantastic place to meet people and have a laugh, which to me is one of the best things about travelling. There is also a guy called Steve who does a tour of the city, taking you away from all the touristy bits and showing you everything he loves about Prague. And from what everyone said, it was a really amazing tour, not just concentrated on all of the typical tourist stuff.

You shouldn't come here if you like a spotless environment and the silence of a library. BUT what then are you even doing in Prague?? The staff were very nice and the rooms were clean. The BEST things in here are the other visitors! I met really funny and cool people here and really enjoyed it!