New World St. Hostel

New World St. Hostel spreads over the third and last floor of an old building in the bustling street of Nowy Swiat, just fifteen minutes' walk from the station and from the old town. It is fresh, brightly painted, and has welcoming staff and common room.

The Location

The hotel is a bit further from the historical centre than others, but it is walkable in about twenty minutes. It is about a kilometer from the train station. There are also buses and trams to the old town and to the train station. It is in a very nice area, with nice coffee shops and boutiques.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The hostel has large bright rooms, decorated IKEA-style, with wooden floors. The double glazed windows ensure quiet sleep and warmth. Dorms have no more than eight beds. Each bed has its own locker and bedside lamp. You must leave your keys (for which you pay a deposit) at reception when leaving the building. Towels are available for free. Beds are comfortable -- covers are warm and spotless white.

The hot water comes from a push button (so it stops automatically after a minute or two) and is neither terribly hot, nor does it have much pressure. Hot water does also not last very long when everyone is taking their shower at the same time. There are separate shower rooms for male and female which is nice because the shower curtain opens onto the shower room, so you have limited privacy when stepping out of the shower. There are hooks, but no soap holders. There are sufficient toilets and sinks. One of the toilets has a toilet and a urinal, so when girls sit down, they have their head just above the urinal -- not very nice even if the toilets reek of iodine/bleach water. The whole place is cleaned daily.

Common Spaces

This is a nice place to hang out with fellow travelers, cook, or watch a film from the inviting sofas. Free fruit and biscuits are sometimes on the common room coffee tables. Coffee and tea are always available for free, and breakfast is served from 8 a.m. for a nominal fee. There is a dishwasher so no need to clean up -- just put your dirty dishes in the sink, says the sign. There are many tours suggested, with maps and brochures available and the staff are happy to advise you.

Summary

All in all, it's a very warmly decorated and welcoming place with a good atmosphere. It is in a lively neighbourhood and has bubbly staff twenty-four/seven. This is a great address.

— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
October 2009