Hotel Kristl

Someone else in our group arranged this overnight stop because it was easy to get to and breakfast was included. I wouldn't have picked a hostel for my vacation, so that may color my view. It seemed run down compared with hostels I've seen online in the US, though I haven't stayed in others, so perhaps that's normal. The linens and towels were faded and scratchy, the carpet had worrying stains, sounds carried through the walls, and the mattresses were old. There was a musty smell, which my spouse thought might be stale urine, as well as cigarette smoke despite the no-smoking signs. There are several floors but no elevator, and reception closes after 2 p.m. It's a cheap hostel, not dirty, but poorly maintained compared with others. I wouldn't recommend it.

We travel for sports competitions about three times a month, and have never had an experience like this. We were booked for two nights but, luckily, something came up and we stayed only one. I think we should get the full accommodation cost back because the service fell far below accepted standards. The children cried and didn't want to sleep there after we opened the room door. It smelled so strongly of cigarettes that the bedding, pillows, and even our clothes stank. My son couldn't sleep because of the smell and cold, though he had a competition early the next morning. The radiators had been off, so I turned them all the way up. Later we found they only heated to about 30 degrees, less than a person's body warmth. There was a party behind the wall until around 3 a.m., and we could hear all the talking and laughter, though I couldn't understand the language. The carpet was filthy, like field workers had been living there. We were also embarrassed by Hotel Kristl's service: it took days of asking to get a properly issued invoice for our sports club settlement. When we arrived with the whole family, we couldn't get in. The intercom got no response, nobody answered the phone, and nobody has called back to this day.

A budget place, and an easy walk into town. The beds and room were clean, but don't count on shower soap or towels large enough to dry yourself.

Our group of six fit comfortably in this lovely studio. It was spacious, stylish, and very well equipped.