Plus Prague Hostel

To find Plus Prague Hostel, take tram #5 (towards Výstavištì) and get off at Ortenovo námìstí (nine stops). Large packs require a supplement ticket on the trams, which costs extra. If you're caught without the supplement, you'll be fined 50czk on the spot. Exit the tram, and head toward the Hotel Alta, then turn left. You'll see the hostel on the lefthand side right past the police station. The hostel is, at worst, a two-minute walk from the tram station.

Plus Prague is a brand new hostel opened in April 2007. The owners and operators are clearly backpackers themselves -- this hostel has nearly everything that a backpacker could want. Staff are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. One of their managers walked around every weekday morning in the restaurant giving travel ideas, directions, and maps.

Amenities of the hostel include free wireless and wired internet, a kitchen on every floor, a comfortable and large lounge, laundry service, and a large hip bar that serves a free breakfast and operates an Italian restaurant in the evenings. The wired and wireless internet is inside the bar (a separate building just behind the rooms) and wireless is also available in the lounge, opposite reception. There are tons of internet terminals in the bar, so queuing is minimal. The best bit is that there is even a large pool and sauna in the basement of the rooms building! All buildings are non-smoking.

Access to the guest rooms is controlled with a smart chip keycard, and is therefore very secure. There are fullsized lockers in the rooms, with locks for sale at reception if you haven't got your own. You'll find a toilet and shower with sinks in each room, that is meticulously cleaned each morning. Supplies like toilet paper and soap in the rooms tend to be in short supply, but the reception desk can help if you run out.

Beds are comfortable, and there are dividers set up in the rooms to give a little extra privacy. The large overhead lights in each guest room are on timers, and cannot be turned on after 10 p.m. so that sleeping people won't be woken by those returning from the bars. Each bed has its own reading light, which is unaffected by that, so there is always enough light by which to get ready for bed. The hostel also has a girls-only room with a few extras like free big fluffy towels and larger bathrooms.

There are a couple disappointments -- the kitchen cleanliness isn't great, although it probably has more to do with high traffic than lack of attention by the cleaning staff. The kitchens could be a bit better appointed as well -- supplies like plates, cutlery, and dish soap are low. During our stay, they changed their system so that guests are required to leave a passport with reception to get kitchen supplies, which need to be washed before returning them. That may have solved the problem. In our room, the shower door was partly broken so that the floor gets wet after every shower. The supply of hot water for showers is also hit and miss.

Aside from a few bad points, this hostel is a winner. It has a great vibe from a huge group of travelers, and a fantastic amount of extras that you just won't find at 99% of the hostels out there.

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