New Hostel Berlin Mitte FREE SNACK hot tea and coffee

The owner was friendly when we checked in, but after that this stay was a mess. We booked several nights without looking first, and regretted it. The hostel is far from most places and in an area we didn't like. Many guests seem to live there long term rather than travel, and I saw one very drunk guest harassing someone on the street. Another guest told us staff had allegedly pushed him to lend them money and extend his stay more than two weeks before his original booking ended. There was rarely anyone around, and no front desk. The gate didn't shut properly and the door was left open, so people could walk in. One morning a clearly mentally ill man came inside. Staff sent him away, which was warranted, but treated him cruelly. The two staff members were the only ones working there. One spoke neither English nor German and was hostile to guests who upset her for any reason. When we needed help checking in, she stared at us without trying to sort it out. We tried to be kind, even offered her food, but she stayed unpleasant with everyone except the Russian-speaking guests, several of whom were living there long term. I've never seen anything like it. Breakfast was just a few discounted pastries that were already two days old, chopped into tiny pieces. Some were hard and inedible, and flies came out of the basket when the cloth was lifted. No one could get the coffee machine working, and there was no staff member to help. They put out loads of jam and spreads but nothing to eat them with, not even toast. Food left in the fridge got thrown out every morning, even fresh, packaged, unopened items with names on them. On our second day, our takeaway, which we'd paid about 25 Euro for just hours earlier, was gone. Nobody apologized or offered compensation. They blamed us for not labeling it, even though we had. They could have checked the cameras to confirm that, or show we were wrong, but just blamed us. The luggage storage was an unlocked room other people could enter. We might as well have left our suitcases outside. The wifi was slow and glitchy everywhere, and didn't work in much of the hostel. Rooms had no desk, chairs, or anywhere to sit. The woman came in to clean beds at 9:30am without knocking, glaring at us as if we'd done something wrong by being there. Checkout was 10:30, earlier than we'd have liked. The owner was friendly at check-in, but that's about the only positive I can think of. She also replies passive-aggressively to bad reviews. At some point you'd think she'd consider whether the complaints might be valid and whether she has something in common with them.

We really enjoyed the hostel, especially the backyard, and felt very comfortable there. The location worked well, with the city center about 20 minutes away and the bus and metro stops close by. As two women, though, we didn't feel at ease walking back from the station. I'd definitely recommend the place otherwise.

The room I booked wasn't ready when I arrived, so I was put in another one and told to return the next day after sightseeing to move. Then they said I didn't have to move after all. The owner could have saved me the extra trip with a quick message, but there was no communication. The owner also accused me in a rude email of using red paint in the shared bathroom and threatened to charge me 20 euros. She told me off over a little makeup on a pillow, too. When my suitcase broke, staff couldn't understand me because they didn't speak English. I left it in the courtyard, thinking I was being considerate, like Germans who put things out for others to take, but then got blamed for it. The owner offered a refund for my last night, and I accepted because I didn't feel safe in the area or welcome there. The money never came, so now I have to follow up with AGODA. Her exact message was: "If you don't like my message, I won't mind if you move to another Hotel today. I'll even make sure that you get your money refunded overnight. Nelly." Yeah, right. My roommates' beds were made every day, but mine wasn't. The "free coffee and snacks" were stale pretzels, and I got half a tiny croissant once. The walk back from the subway took 12 minutes and felt unnerving at night. The area felt dodgy. Look elsewhere if you want a comfortable stay.

It was a clean, cozy place, and the staff were lovely and ready to help. I'd happily come back.