The MadHouse Prague

The location is the one clear advantage here. For the money, Madhouse Prague was worse than hostels I’ve stayed in across Barcelona, Munich, Vienna, Innsbruck, and Amsterdam. Amsterdam cost less and had much better facilities. There’s no lift, so luggage has to go up narrow stairs between the first-floor reception and common areas and the rooms above. Our third-floor room was split across two cramped levels, with five guests on one and three on the other. It was the smallest room I’ve encountered in Europe, with no privacy or space to move. The hostel says it holds 40 people, but the common area and little kitchen-dining room couldn’t accommodate even half that number comfortably. It felt claustrophobic, not social. At this price, having no 24-hour reception is a problem. The 9 PM quiet hours are a joke when every person moving or coming into the cramped room disturbs you. And the nightly pub crawl seems to be the only way to meet people, since there’s no usable space for casual socializing. If sleep, money, or basic comfort matter to you, I’d stay somewhere else. This was a huge letdown compared with other major European cities.

I stayed here for two weeks in 2013, and the staff were genuinely welcoming. One night I got locked out at 4am after a wild evening, but Chris let me back in. They even let me write the story in their guest book and offered me an extra night for free, though I don’t know if they still do that. This review’s a bit late, but I’ll come back and visit when I’m in Prague again. Doyle from Canada.

The shared dinners were a highlight for me. Volunteers often cooked a meal for everyone to eat together, usually for 100czk, about £3. I had some really tasty ones, including French toast casserole and pasta alfredo. The volunteers also run most of the hostel and its activities, which gives the place a relaxed, fun community feel. Since this was my first hostel stay, that welcoming atmosphere made it a great introduction. There’s usually a Prague outing during the day and bar or club trips in the evening. Group bookings often get discounted tickets, which you can sign up for at reception, cash only. Bring plenty of cash for Prague in general, since many local places take it too. The hostel is also an easy walk from lots of good bars and clubs. I’d especially recommend it if you’re travelling solo and want a fun way to see the city.

The location is excellent, close to many of Prague’s highlights, and a few staff members did try to help. But the hostel felt unsafe, dirty, overcrowded, and almost entirely centered on drinking. I wouldn’t recommend staying here. There was barely room to move, let alone open a suitcase. Bathrooms were often dirty, and dorm nights were noisy with snoring, lights going on, loud phone use, and people taking drugs. Sleeping was almost impossible. I also noticed theft. Most guests seemed to be large groups of men, and I saw everything from persistent unwanted flirting to actual harassment. Some people were eventually kicked out, but I felt it should have been taken more seriously and reported to the police. The staff experience was mixed. Some were friendly, while others seemed constantly drunk or hungover. The person who showed me around when I arrived was visibly drunk. During one drinking game, staff openly cheered for a guest because he was from Israel and expressed political support. That felt inappropriate in a professional setting and made the atmosphere divisive and hostile. There were surprise costs too. A cash deposit wasn’t mentioned when booking, and most activities needed cash in Czech crowns, which meant frequent ATM trips and fees for me with a euro-based bank account. One group dinner I joined was just fried eggs and bread, though it was cheap. Nearly every organized activity revolved around alcohol in a way that felt like promoting heavy drinking, not relaxed socializing. I left after three nights of a six-night booking and wasn’t given a refund.