Hostel Westküste

There aren't any shops or restaurants close by, and the stairs are narrow and steep. Getting there also takes a bit of effort: the hostel sits behind the train station, and the gravel harbor path is awkward with a suitcase. It has several buildings, so finding my room took a moment. My six-bed dorm was roomy and had windows and lockable lockers, with the sheets already made up. The shared lounge felt cozy, and there was free tea, plus drinks for sale. The floor bathrooms were clean and mixed-gender, and a microwave was available too.

I couldn't get anyone to answer when I was trying to check in, and the place was dirty everywhere. The top bunk was so close to the ceiling that you sleep practically against it, and there were spiders up there. It looks close to the station on the map, but in reality it isn't. Don't book if you don't want to be upset.

The bed arrangements were a mess. Some envelopes had bed numbers and some didn't, so I thought I could choose any bed when mine had no number. I picked one, went to shower, and came back to find someone had put my things aside and taken it. When I said I'd chosen it first, he insisted it was his and showed me an envelope with my bed number on it. I was really frustrated. If the landlord assigns bed numbers, they should do it for everyone. Why assign them to some guests and not others? It just made people fight. He wouldn't give the bed back, so I ended up in the last one available. Before arriving, I had seen on Airbnb that check-in had to be before 11:00 PM. My train was due after that, so I messaged the hotel, but got no reply. When I arrived, nobody was there and there were no directions to the key. I called several times, including the number meant for emergencies, and nobody picked up. I thought I'd been stood up and had to find another hotel. The next day I came before check-in time to wait for them to open. When the staff finally arrived, they told me where the key was. I was dumbfounded. Those are the two main reasons I can't recommend this hotel. Honestly, I wouldn't give it even one star. It was the worst hotel experience I've had.

We paid quite a lot for the room, probably because there was an exhibition in Friedrichshafen, and it didn't feel worth the money. It's acceptable for a hostel, though it could be cleaner and some basic things could use updating.