Institute St. Sebastian

Institute St. Sebastian is a large hostel that is practical and has many features. It has a great location -- only a fifteen- to twenty-minute walk from the train station. Alternatively you can take a bus toward the old town and get off before crossing the river. From Linzer Gasse, go through the gate marked Feuerwache Bruderhof. From the airport you can stay on bus 2. It is only a further five-minute walk to the old town from the hostel.

The dorm rooms at the hostel are spacious, clean, and secure. Each room has a lock on the door and each guest gets a large locker with a key. The beds are comfortable enough. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag or sheets if you don't want to pay extra to rent them. The bathrooms are very clean and modern, as well as having plenty of privacy. If the hostel is busy, though, it seems like showers may be in short supply.

Breakfast is served daily between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. -- it is a very basic bread roll, tea and coffee, and juice. Each floor of the hostel also has a dining room and kitchen (cooking equipment must be borrowed from reception). The security in the kitchens is a bit excessive -- the fridge is divided into lockers, and every cupboard also requires key entry.

Internet access is available (wireless) but you have to buy time from reception. It is also possible to do washing for a fee, and use the public phone in the reception area.

The downsides of the hostel include the loud church bells nearby and the echoing hallways, which seem to amplify any noise. The large size of the hostel means there is a complete lack of atmosphere, and as it is so large, it is popular with groups. There are no real communal areas apart from the smoking areas (a central section on each floor with no ventilation so all the halls smell of stale smoke) and the uninviting dining rooms.

This is a well located hostel that provides a good place to sleep for a night, but it is not a social hostel or a place that encourages you to meet other travelers.

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