Hostel Aachen

My room was clean, but the place overall wasn't very clean, and some rooms smelled a bit of smoke. The main problem was that there was no hot water. Until they fix it, only come when it's warm.

The bus stop is less than a minute away, and Aachen Schanz station is about a five-minute walk. Finding a supermarket takes more like 10-12 minutes on foot. Check-in was easy, and one staff member was friendly, though a man kept coming in to check the room for reasons I couldn't work out. There’s a cupboard for luggage, but bring your own lock. No charging outlets by the upper bunks, unfortunately. The toilet and bathroom were clean. The railway runs right behind the hostel, so trains are audible at night. Wi-Fi is free, but I only got usable speed in the kitchen, not the room. You’re given a PIN for the main entrance, with no key or card for the room door, which surprised me. For what I paid, I don’t think it was worth it.

For 25 euro you get a bed and comforter, so it could work for backpackers needing somewhere to stay for a night. The kitchen has plenty of equipment, though it wasn’t very clean, and the dining hall was the same. It’s a bit of a walk from Aachen hbf and even from the nearest public transport stop, "Schanz".

The shower was clean, and you can cook in the kitchen, but both that area and the common space need a thorough cleaning. There are only two places to sit and charge anything in the common area, one with a plug awkwardly jammed behind a sofa. Wi-Fi was practically unusable, with only one or two people able to connect at once. The mattresses and pillows were hard, the rooms were dirty, and there seemed to be a lot of students staying there, with dirt and laptops left around and flashing lights at night. The place felt stuffy. Opening the windows wide brought a draft and plenty of noise, since the building is beside both the railway and ring road. There are few outlets, so upper bunk guests shouldn’t count on charging a phone overnight. You get a combination for the front door, but it didn’t work, and the owner had to ring to get back in. Room doors don’t lock, anyone can walk in, and there are no lockers for bags. For the quality, this rundown, very basic hostel should be around €15. I’d only book it to save money or for one night. Proper WiFi, door locks, decent beds, and lockers are hostel essentials. No sleep, no fun. Disappointed.