3 Little Pigs Hostel

The very fun 3 Little Pigs Hostel is located in a former convent building, and is quite close to the divide between former East and West Berlin. Although the building where the rooms are located can seem a little dark and uninviting upon entering, the hostel is welcoming and has everything the traveler to Berlin could want. Reception is located in a different wing than many of the rooms, but it is not difficult to go between them. The hostel can organize tours of the city in addition to bicycle rental, and the street has a proper bicycle lane.

The Location

The hostel is located on a relatively quiet, yet large, street close to Anhalter S-Bahn station and Potsdamer Platz U-Bahn and railway stations. The hostel building is set back from the street a little, but the signage is great and the building is easy to find. There are a number of restaurants within walking distance, as well as a corner store, grocery store, and a handful of souvenir shops. It is close to some of Berlin's tourist attractions (Topographie des Terrors and Checkpoint Charlie) and the neighbourhood feels very safe.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The rooms are spartan but clean, and the beds are relatively comfortable. The ten-bed dorm rooms provide enough space between beds so that you aren't sleeping with your neighbour, and have room for your suitcase. There are full-sized lockers in the rooms, and padlocks are available from reception if you don't have your own. The windows open wide, so it's possible to have a nice breeze cooling off the room in summer. Each floor has a washroom with four toilets and two sinks. There is also another room with three showers, which also has a toilet in a small room. There are no places for clothes or soap in the shower rooms, and most people wear their towels into the shower room or simply leave their clothing on the floor. Although the bathrooms feel very institutional, they are clean. The showers have good water pressure, and lots of hot water.

Common Spaces

The hostel has a number of quite large common spaces, the main one being in the same building as reception. Here you can find couches, three internet computers, tourist information, and a pool table. If you have an iPod, reception will allow you to play your own music over their sound system. Reception also sells ice cream, drinks, and incidentals such as shampoo. Each floor also has its own very large self-catering kitchen, equipped with a refrigerator, two ovens, and a variety of utensils. There is no locked luggage storage, although reception does allow to leave your bags with them if necessary. The atmosphere is fun, but not wild, and many of the travelers seem to keep to themselves.

Summary

The hostel is clean and welcoming, and reception is open twenty-four hours a day to answer questions. This is the perfect place for travelers who want to be close to the centre of the city without having to deal with city noise.

— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
August 2009