Globetrotter Hostel Odyssee, Berlin

Excellent first hostel experience, thanks to GlobetrotterHostelOdyssee

It wasn't my first time in Berlin (actually it was the third) but it was my first experience in an hostel. I was there from the 24th to the 28th of December 2011 and it was simply great. the hostel is really simple, nice and cheap: you pay what you have. you can have duvet, towels and blankets but no hairdryer room service. the position of the hostel is perfect, the real Berlin from the eastern area with the walls covered with graffiti and cool alternative people walking around the "neighborhood": this is Friedrichshain. There are not megastore or big malls, a kebab seller, a supermarket, and lots of clubs or bars or pubs it's enough. you can find next to you (5 min walking) the best clubs in the word, Panorama Bar, Watergate, and so on. the metro stop (warshauer strasse) is just in front of this place, amazing. the hostel is cosy, with cool young people around, clean, shared bathroom and toilet of course (where you can meet interesting people) and locked closet as well. it is not the most luxury place in berlin, it's just cheap (15 euro per night), with a good location, easy-staying, simple but with a nice style (in the main room you can find a pool table, cool sofas, poster, flyer and drawing everywhere) and cool people. 3 euro all you can eat breakfast is perfect. I really recommend this hostel to people that want to travel cheap but in a nice place and moreover to group of friends (like 5-6 people) that want to stay all together in this kind of dormitory-room. I will go there again, for sure!

Cozy

This was the first hostel I ever stayed at, and it was above my expectations. The bathrooms were cleaned daily, and were as clean as my dorm room in the States. The rooms themselves were nice and themed (a bit oddly themed, but I appreciated the effort). The breakfast was 3 euros and I was happy with Brie, salami, toast, muesli, nutella and fruit--all you can eat. The lobby area makes it VERy easy to meet people and I met a lot of great people at this hostel. Safe neighborhood too, if not in the center of things in Berlin.

This hostel is a little out of town but is fantastic if you want to be treated as person, not a tariff and the meals are fantastic!

LAYOUT/LOCATION

This hostel is more of a large suburban house that has been converted into a hostel. Run by a little old couple who will do anything to please, it is 3 stories of dorms and private rooms, a common room with internet, book exchange and drinks for sale. It is very homely, you feel more like you are at your grandparent's house than a hostel and Damian (customer liaison and adorable old man!) will pick you up from the station, drop you into town, do your washing for a very low price and arrange a 3 course traditional Slovenian meal for 6 euro!

The hostel is about 5km out of town but they will pick you up from the station when you arrive and usually do about 2-3 trips into town a day (10am to take you into town and 7pm to pick you up if you arrange a few people he will also do special trips to the mountains, gorge or sporting activities is you are nice!). The hostel is just below the mountains amongst corn fields and churches and a bike ride around town is the perfect way to see a traditional Slovenian village. Although it is a little inconvenient being 15minutes from the lake itself, there is still plenty around to see and is a great location to take in the countryside. To get there, catch a train to Lesce Bled station and Damian will pick you up from there. Sundays not all the trains are running so check the timetable.

ROOMS AND BATHROOMS

The rooms are small, some are underground with little light but some have balconies and are slightly larger. Some rooms have their own bathrooms, and other's don't, it really depends on how many beds in your dorm (more beds, more chance of a shared shower). The rooms are slightly chilly but there are large fluffy quilts and pillows and places to hang your clothes.

The showers are small and slightly falling apart but they're hot and do the job. Don't expect a whole lot of room here to spread your stuff out and if Damian sees your clothes strewn about the room he will comment on your likeness to living like a goat, but all in good humour!

COMMON SPACES

There is not public kitchen but breakfast is included (cereal, tea, coffee, eggs and toast) and a fantastic 3 course dinner is available for 6 euro, well worth it.

There is free internet, it's a bit slow though and perched on top of a shelf that is way too high so surfing for too long will make your neck sore!

The common areas are welcoming and covered in photos from all over the world and thank you letters from the people who have stayed there, an indictment on the hospitality offered.

There are bikes to use free of charge, they will let you use the fridge to chill your wine and will happily arrange any activities for you (horse riding, canyoning, rafting) but it pays to be nice to the old couple as they sometimes get a bit stroppy if you forget your manners treat them like you would your grandparents!

SUMMARY

This hostel is a very welcoming place, and reasonably priced (however don't be surprised if they tag on an extra few euro for the lifts). Overall, staying here was a very pleasurable experience, the type of place its very hard to leave!!

Nice atmosphere, low substance

I got bedbugs from their sheets. The location is scary at night. The directions they give are just plain wrong. The showers don't drain properly. It costs $2.25 for a Snickers bar. Do not stay here! It looks nice but it's actually filthy.

I stayed five nights here in June I won't stay again.

***Rooms very poor lighting, only one power outlet per room. Not good when you're in a group and everyone wants to charge their camera battery/phone etc. Most rooms were colorful, some with rather bizarre designs. Beds ok. Rooms very small.

***Bathrooms not clean!!! The shower didn't drain properly, the floors were fairly dirty, but what was worse someone threw up in the basin and this totally clogged up the pipe. We asked to have these things fixed, but nothing happened. Not enough showers per floor.

***Staff fairly friendly but smoked while talking to guests. Didn't always give the best advice. Didn't really communicate information about reservations among themselves well.

***Atmosphere caters to the pot-smoking, late partying crowd. Smoking is banned in the rooms, but certainly not policed. Very noisy at night. Black paper-mach statues of strange figures in armor adorn the common room.

***Security the rooms can't be locked from the inside. We don't think anyone tried coming in to our rooms at night, but we didn't feel secure about this at all.

***Breakfast all you can eat, but not very good. Rolls were those "back at home" ones sometimes fresh, sometimes left over from the previous day. I've had much better hostel breakfasts for the same price. It's served 8 a.m. until noon. Quite a late start if you have a day of sightseeing planned.

***Location convenient to Ostbahnhof for travel to and from Berlin. Bus 240 runs every 10 minutes for most of the day.

***Facilities Internet access ok. No laundry.

I have been here three years in a row. You will not find a better hostel in Berlin. Very clean. great staff, good bar and good music.

Despite some noise a few guests made when coming back from a club at 3 a.m., this hostel was great. The rooms were clean and the wall paintings are awesome. The bathrooms aren't too fancy, but they were very clean, as were the toilets. Breakfast is definitely worth the few euros. The staff were very friendly and helpful. And the drinks at the bar are cheap. If I ever visit Berlin again, I'll go to this hostel.

I had a good time at the Odyssee. It was a good party, for sure.