i think people here are being a bit harsh about this place. the room i stayed in anyway was impeccably clean and spacious, also ensuite. i think i may have been in the new building, so cant really speak about the old part. and yeah its quite far out, just like an awful lot of the HI hostels. and to be honest it does sometimes smell just outside, as it is right next door to a zoo, but actually inside is fine. if i went back to heidelberg i would stay here again.
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(Review ID: 7661)
a dissapointing introduction to youth hosteling, January 8, 2004
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too far from the centre of townbus service good during the day (not so good at night tho)bleak, institutional building - clean but not comfortable.breakfast was bad - just some nasty processed cheese slices with bread.claims to have a 'bistro' - turns out they mean they have pre-packed hotdogs, burgers and pizza behind the bar - on request they microwave it for you - foul tasting muck. you have been warned!!Curfew at night - really annoying to have to keep an eye on the time, instead of enjoying yourself.You musy leave the hostel between 9am and 1pm - apparently they dont like to be watched when they are 'cleaning'.........sad really.
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(Review ID: 7662)
Stress out coming home late!!, December 10, 2003
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What is going on with that curfew?? People leaving the hostel must put down the half-hour that they will return to the hostel at night. Many fellow backpackers add extra times below the 1am cutoff. I just remember having a great night sinking a few steins in a pumping nightclub, then checking the time, racing into a Merc taxi at 12:50, throwing him some extra Euro to gun it back to the hostel, making it back just before 1am. We got let in, but were warned that we only just made it! Wonder if they really would lock you out if you came back?? As far as the hostel itself, nothing memorable....it is clean, the bathrooms in rooms are good, staff - very moody and reserved. Main problem is how far away from the centre of town it is, with all the bars and tourist attractions a good 45-60mins walk away.
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(Review ID: 7663)
Not for the drinker, September 17, 2003
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Heidelberg is a great place for a pub crawl, so if you are planning any sort of evening drinking session I wouldn't recommend staying here. I felt like I was on a school trip. Breakfast finished at 8.30am (which is included in the price) and there is a 9am-1pm lockout so they can clean! They lock the door at 11pm and you have to put your name down for a time to be let in between 11.30pm and 2am on the half hour if you are planning to come back later. Getting back from the town on public transport is difficult after midnight and it is about an hour walk. The breakfast was pretty good and the rooms were clean and spacious with wardrobes and shelves. There is a 3.30 euro additional charge for non HI members which made it very expensive.I only stayed here as I thought it was the only hostel in Heidelberg, but since found out there is one at the campsite.
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(Review ID: 7664)
Smelly!!!, August 15, 2003
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Having travelled Europe for 7 weeks this is probably the worst hostel we stayed in. We forked out for a twin room, but had none of the usual facilities you would expect. It was literally a bunk bed in a room and a window!The bathroom was down the corridoor and had a distgusting smell.Very inconvenient for the town and lots of school kids. Also had a very early curfew!
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(Review ID: 7665)
Very modern, June 10, 2003
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The building I stayed looks very new. The bedrooms were clean and comfortable each with their own shower room, toilet and sink area (all separated which is useful and makes sense). It is easy to find by bus from the train station, and easy to get into town which is good cos there is nothing much to do nearby. There are several common room type areas with tv's, a bar etc. The main bad point was 'too many school kids' and despite the curfew, the staff appeared to do little about the noise they made most of the night.
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(Review ID: 7666)
Another institutional HI, November 18, 2002
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In many ways, this is your typical institutional HI. It is an older, unattractive complex located a bit out of the way of the Heidelberg town center -- there is a convenient bus connection to the rail station and town center, but it is too far to walk to either. The beds, bathrooms and hygiene are just fair, and in typical German HI fashion, the place is overrun with school groups, and there is a curfew designed to cramp your style. The one advantage here is that the staff was not as robotic and bureaucratic as is common at many of the German HI hostels, they were more friendly and helpful than what I've come to expect from these places. One of the staff members was particularly friendly, encouraging people to mingle and having a guitar handy for a bit of an informal sing-along. This lent the place with a bit more of a backpackers-style ambience, which is a welcome change from what Germany's HI's usually deliver, and made it a bit easier to socialize.I wouldn't go out of my way to stay here for its own sake, but if you must have hostel accomodation in Heidelberg, you will find it to be a tolerable stop.
