Danhostel Sønderborg Vollerup

The rooms were clean, but there was a lot of noise, which makes sense given how family friendly the hostel is for people with kids. I had trouble speaking English with the older staff, and found them impolite and irresponsible. Although I’m not Danish, I do have a Danish phone number. I contacted them several times to get the front door code and managed to reach staff, but they didn’t do anything. I nearly booked a room and then couldn’t get into the hostel.

It’s quiet around the hostel, with no traffic noise, and the grounds are spacious and attractive. There’s a children’s park, trampoline, barbecue and grilling area, and a decent sized football pitch. The rooms and restroom were neat and clean, and although the buildings are a bit old, they’re well maintained. The receptionist was friendly and helpful. It’s also more affordable than places in Sønderborg, which is about a ten minute drive away, and the setting is lovely. Getting there without your own vehicle can be difficult because it’s remote and public transport isn’t reliable. There aren’t shops or restaurants nearby, and it can feel like a deserted town. Breakfast is available at the hostel for a fee, but if you get hungry or thirsty at night, there’s nowhere to go, so bring water and snacks. My room’s door lock was old and took a while to figure out, though it did work and wasn’t insecure. There also wasn’t enough storage, with too few cupboards and shelves, and at least our room had no TV. These drawbacks are minor for most people. It’s a fantastic, reasonably priced place to stay while visiting Sonderborg.

They let us leave the car there for two weeks without charging us, which was a nice plus. My wife and I stayed for two days, at the beginning and end of our holiday in a beautiful country. But the place felt dirty and neglected, and needs updating. We stayed at six Danhostels in Denmark, and this was easily the worst.

The entrance smells like cat pee, and the whole place feels dirty enough that you don’t want to touch anything. The rooms and everything else are old and run down. Pipes drip, and noises from inside the walls made it impossible to get a good night’s sleep. The TV keeps losing its signal, and the channel selection is terrible.