Hostel Spinut

The hostel itself has a lot going for it: it's well located, with a public beach about 10 minutes away and the city centre around 20 minutes on foot. The rooms were clean and comfortable, the air conditioning worked well, and we had a lovely sea view. The building is large, with four floors, and looks as if it may once have been a university dorm or something similar. The receptionist was very welcoming. There's a nearby park, but it seemed to be under renovation during our visit, so access was restricted. There's a café on the ground floor for a quick bite, with a nostalgic Soviet-style feel. Two vending machines offer coffee and snacks like chocolates, cookies, and chips. The sports area has table tennis, chess, basketball, and pull-up bars. Parking is available, but there aren't many spaces for a hostel this size. There's no TV in the room, which might matter to some people. Breakfast was included and served in a cafeteria in the neighboring building, but that part was disappointing. The staff shouted to one another across the room and were quite loud. Hot choices were boiled eggs, barely edible sausages, and bacon, called "slanina" locally. Vegetables weren't ripe, the coffee was undrinkable, and the tea water was lukewarm. Pancakes were meant to be available for dessert, but we were told they'd run out with an hour and a half of breakfast service still left. It can also get noisy at the hostel, especially with lots of young guests. I even saw someone exercising on the pull-up bars with a cigarette in his mouth. There's plenty of potential here because of the location and facilities, but breakfast and noise levels could use work.

For the price, this is a simple, budget-friendly hotel with good value. The old town is about a 25-minute walk away, or 5-10 minutes by Uber, and there's a bus stop nearby. We booked breakfast at the on-site restaurant, which costs extra. The selection was good and tasty, though seating can be tight when it's busy. Our room was clean and spacious, the bed was comfortable, and the staff were friendly and helpful. Sound carries through the walls, so noise from neighbors or activity in the hallway can make it hard to sleep.

It's cheap accommodation, sure, but the rooms still need to be kept clean and in decent shape, especially the bathrooms. This was a joke. There was no way to cool the air, even though temperatures in the country can easily go over 30 degrees. That's outrageous. I'll try to add photos to this review and hope the hotel staff sees it and does something.

The walk into the center took us about 15-20 minutes, and as two young women traveling alone, we didn’t feel comfortable walking back at night. The last bus was around 23h, so keep that in mind if you plan to stay out late. That was the main thing to consider, though we were really happy with our stay and would book Hostel Spinut again. We’d read some worrying reviews beforehand, but were pleasantly surprised. Check-in was easy, and Dennis was kind and helpful. Our room, which we booked with a/c, was clean, spacious, and well equipped. Breakfast was pretty good too, and definitely worth the 6€. The staff were lovely and happy to share their favorite spots. Thanks, Tina, we felt looked after.