Altes Zollhaus Stralsund

The location near both the harbor and the old town is the main upside. Inside, the furniture, windows, and curtains all seem quite worn, and the cleanliness wasn't good. All the windows in the three-room apartment face a busy cobblestone street, so it won't suit anyone who's sensitive to noise.

For ice cream in Stralsund, I think the "Altes Zollhaus" parlor is the best. The scooped flavors are excellent, and the soft serve is wonderfully creamy. There are sundaes and plenty of toppings, too. My favorite is soft serve with chocolate glaze. So good! :-)

The location made this a great stay: the harbor is right there, the bus stop is outside, and the old town is only a 10-minute walk. There's also a delicious ice cream parlor in the building. The old customs house itself is beautiful, especially its brick Gothic style. I booked a small one-person apartment for a week and was very happy with it. It was modern, clean, and had the essentials, including free Wi-Fi, a fridge, stovetop, kettle, dishes, linens, towels, soap, dish soap, salt, and sugar. I did miss having a microwave a little, but it wasn't a big deal. The bed was comfortable. I don't really understand the earlier complaints about noise and cleanliness. With the windows open, you can hear seagulls and the occasional car, but nights were quiet and I slept perfectly well. Arranging everything with the owners was easy and friendly. They sent detailed directions for finding the house and key, along with the house rules, by email and letter. No in-person meeting was needed, which I found helpful. I'd rent the apartment again and recommend it.

The location is a real plus: Alte Zollhaus sits beside a canal and the OZEANEUM Stralsund, with a lovely view and easy access to the main sights. The attic studio I stayed in was spacious, modern, and had most of what I needed. Bedding was provided and clean. It felt comfortable and homey, the shower and bath were nice to use, and the sofa bed was easy to set up with plenty of room. Getting out of the tub might be tricky for some, since there's no grab bar, but that's a small thing. The serious downside was cleaning. There was a thick layer of dust under the bed, wardrobes, and shelves. The sofa and a chair had stains, though I got them off with water and a cloth. There were also previous guests' hairs in the bath drain, which was pretty off-putting, and the glass doors were dirty. Guests are asked to take out the trash and wash the dishes, which I understand, but general cleaning should still be handled by the cleaning staff. As for noise, I know an old-town apartment on a street can be noisy. I heard some sounds outside, but nothing that bothered me much. They also offer ice cream at Alte Zollhaus, though that's beside the point of this apartment review. The location and facilities made up for some of the cleanliness problems. I'd give it 3/5 stars, or 6/10 points. Thanks for the stay.