The Hostelz.com Review
Good Bye Lenin Hostel - Zakopane is referred to as a home by the staff and definitely feels like a home, albeit one with a few more house parties than average.
The Location
It's a bit difficult to get to since it's about a ten-minute minibus ride outside of town, but the directions from the hostel's brochure are very accurate and helpful. After being dropped off by the bus it's about a five-minute walk uphill to the hostel. There's parking available at the bottom of the hill. Although it's a bit away from town, it's very close to the national park entrance and a couple of ski slopes.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorms have fairly comfortable mattresses and in-room lockers for each bed. There are different dorms of various sizes and prices, some with ensuite bathrooms. There are two hall bathrooms, one on the ground floor and one upstairs. The bathrooms are all kept relatively clean, although the garbage could be emptied more often. The showers have plenty of hot water with good water pressure. In addition to heaters in every room, there are also heaters in the bathrooms.
Common Spaces
The common spaces are the main draw to this hostel. The sitting/TV room has two large, comfortable, leather couches and two matching chairs, in addition to a foosball table and big-screen TV with DVD player. There's also a computer with free internet in the hallway (and somewhat spotty Wi-Fi throughout the hostel). The kitchen is well equipped, but rather small and quite busy when the hostel is full.
This hostel has a very social atmosphere. It's easy to meet other people as everyone typically spends the evenings in the TV room. Some nights it can get a bit wild with the parties continuing long into the morning. If you're looking for quiet sleep, don't stay in one of the dorms on the ground floor. There's no smoking inside the hostel. Breakfast is served every morning from 8 to 10 a.m. officially, but it's usually kept out until noon or so -- very fitting for the laid-back vibe at the hostel.
Summary
This is a great hostel for a combination of relaxing and partying. The location is a bit further away from the main hub of town, but it's easy to get around and is a bit more quiet than the main town would be. It's often a full hostel with lots of parties, so book in advance and bring your own booze since the convenience store down the street closes at 8 p.m.
The Location
It's a bit difficult to get to since it's about a ten-minute minibus ride outside of town, but the directions from the hostel's brochure are very accurate and helpful. After being dropped off by the bus it's about a five-minute walk uphill to the hostel. There's parking available at the bottom of the hill. Although it's a bit away from town, it's very close to the national park entrance and a couple of ski slopes.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorms have fairly comfortable mattresses and in-room lockers for each bed. There are different dorms of various sizes and prices, some with ensuite bathrooms. There are two hall bathrooms, one on the ground floor and one upstairs. The bathrooms are all kept relatively clean, although the garbage could be emptied more often. The showers have plenty of hot water with good water pressure. In addition to heaters in every room, there are also heaters in the bathrooms.
Common Spaces
The common spaces are the main draw to this hostel. The sitting/TV room has two large, comfortable, leather couches and two matching chairs, in addition to a foosball table and big-screen TV with DVD player. There's also a computer with free internet in the hallway (and somewhat spotty Wi-Fi throughout the hostel). The kitchen is well equipped, but rather small and quite busy when the hostel is full.
This hostel has a very social atmosphere. It's easy to meet other people as everyone typically spends the evenings in the TV room. Some nights it can get a bit wild with the parties continuing long into the morning. If you're looking for quiet sleep, don't stay in one of the dorms on the ground floor. There's no smoking inside the hostel. Breakfast is served every morning from 8 to 10 a.m. officially, but it's usually kept out until noon or so -- very fitting for the laid-back vibe at the hostel.
Summary
This is a great hostel for a combination of relaxing and partying. The location is a bit further away from the main hub of town, but it's easy to get around and is a bit more quiet than the main town would be. It's often a full hostel with lots of parties, so book in advance and bring your own booze since the convenience store down the street closes at 8 p.m.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2007
Their Description
Good Bye Lenin Hostel - Zakopane Details
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Good Bye Lenin Hostel - Zakopane Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Fantastic! Friendly and very chilled This was a truly enjoyable experience! My Girlfriend and I had originally planned to stay for 3 nights and ended up staying for nearly 10 nights. Thankfully the hostel closed for end of season, else we wouldn't have had time to see the rest of Poland. Despite growing tourism Zakopane is still a wonderful place. GBL Zakopane is far enough out of town that it is like having your own mountain cabin but not so far that it is an inconvenience. I am an out of doors person so for me the location is a big plus. There is a variety of well signed hikes in the National park that start just at the end of the driveway. There are a multitude of ski slopes in the area including 2 an easy walk away. My deepest thanks to the helpful and welcoming staff Dave, Stan and Agga. You guys really made an enchanting place into an unforgettable holiday. — Shenandoah , Australia (2012-05-09) Home away from home. I had a really great time here. The staff Andrzej, Silvia, and Monika are awesome and are always up for a good time. It's a lovely, old wooden house, nice and small and the rooms/bathrooms are clean and comfortable. Zakopane is a beautiful location and this hostel is situated at the foot of the tatra mountains which are great for hiking during the summer or alternatively Zakopane is well renowned for it's skiing during the winter as well, and it won't break the budget either! The most "homey" hostel I've ever been too. Be sure to ask about the different flavoured vodkas that Poland has to offer, cherry and honey are pretty tasty. And the staff will be more than happy to assist. I only stayed three nights and it wasn't enough! I hope one day i'll be back! — Rob , Australia (2009-02-24) This hostel is a lovely place. The building is a beautiful, recently restored, hundred-year-old log home with a rustic feel yet with completely modern conveniences. There is a modern kitchen area and a lounge with leather sofas and a large flat-screen TV. The hostel is located just down the road from the Nosal ski area outside of Zakopane. It is surrounded by forest and is across the road from an entrance to the Tatras national park. The hostel is difficult to find and transportation to/from it is a little complicated. It is essential to have the hostel brochure or a map. There are frequent buses that go everywhere in Zakopane, but they are all operated by different people and have different signs in the windows (fare is 2 to 3 zl). After getting dropped off by the bus from Krakow I wandered around a bit and tried to get a town bus toward the hostel. I flagged a couple of them down and asked, but they weren't going that way. I decided to walk it. It was a lovely day and it took maybe forty-five minutes. Maybe it would be less fun at night or in a snowstorm. The hostel doesn't have a sign (due to the local zoning regulations) as of yet. One could take a taxi (15 zl), but that always makes me feel like I've lost the battle. Once you find it, it's a great place! — Ray , USA (2007-04-28)