Orange Hostel Krakow

Orange Hostel Krakow is a casual accommodation located five minutes away from Old Town Square 'Rynek Glowny' and the Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz. The main train station, Krakow Glowny, is a fifteen-minute walk. The local tram is a one-minute walk away.

The hostel has two floors of an apartment block, with reception located on the lower floor. The second floor is less crowded than the lower floor, as the hostel fills the lower floor first. It offers four- to twelve-bed mixed dorms, as well as twin rooms. The rooms have bunk beds with linen and large lockers included. A key deposit is required for the keys to your individual locker, the front door of the building (which is rarely closed), and the front door of the hostel floor. Reception is twenty-four hours and can let people in staying on the lower floor. The security of the second floor, however, is very dependent on the travelers staying there. The door is not self-locking and was rarely closed.

Each floor has a kitchen with a small fridge, kettle, percolator, toaster, and a portable electric stove. Tea, coffee, cereal, toast, and condiments are offered for breakfast, which is kept in the kitchen to help yourself to anytime, although the staff do lay it on the table from 6 a.m. until 12 p.m.

The second floor has two bathrooms, one with a toilet and a shower, the other with a toilet and bath. Its common room has two armchairs and a lounge, with the dining table and chairs. It is very bright and colourful -- red, yellow, and (of course) orange furniture and walls. There are not many lights on the second floor, making the common room a bit dreary at night but cozy because of the decor. We only stayed on the second floor but spoke to the first floor guests who said their common room had only one couch, a very squashy kitchen, and three bathrooms.

The hostel is very clean. The kitchen, bathroom, and its floors are cleaned every day. The staff speak impeccable English and are very friendly. Information on how to reach the popular sites, such as the Auschwitz/Birkenau concertration camps and Wieliczka salt mines is provided. They also provide free laundry service. Free Internet access is provided on one computer per floor in the common room, which makes it very difficult to get on if the hostel is crowded. Check-out is 12 p.m. but the hostel allows you to hang out in the common area if you are waiting for a train, plane, or bus.

All in all, Hostel Orange is a great, cheap place to stay in Krakow. We had a great week's stay at Orange, meeting great people in our dorms and over breakfast.

— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
August 2006