East Side Hostel

The rooms were clean and modest, and the shared kitchen, bathroom, and showers were fine. Staff were friendly and helpful when reception opened the next morning. Getting in on the first night was a problem, though. You're given a code for the front gate at check-in, but my girlfriend and I arrived after reception had closed following a late flight. Nobody was there to buzz us in, and we were left in the snow not knowing what to do until other guests came back and let us in. The walls are thin. A family with a baby was next door, and hearing a newborn cry all night wasn't ideal. That's probably unusual, but you can also hear regular conversations from nearby rooms. It's a nice, affordable place to return to and sleep after a long day out. If you plan to spend much time in the room or hostel, though, it may not feel very peaceful or relaxing.

I booked one room for myself and three children in my family for one night. Only after the booking did they email to say that, under Hungarian Visa regulations, I had to provide lots of information for every traveler, including names at birth and their mothers' names and names at birth. I called to ask about it since we're all EU nationals. Before I could finish half a sentence, the receptionist interrupted and yelled, "If we sent you all the info you must provide, why do you call me??" I can accept a rule if it's explained respectfully, but being yelled at by a hotel representative for asking a question is hard to believe.

We had a room for the four of us, me and my friends, for one night, and it was very comfortable. The place is clean and nice, with fair prices, and it's a quiet place to stay in crowded Budapest. The big minus was arriving late. Since reception isn't staffed around the clock, we had to go to another hotel to collect the key. I can't imagine making that trip there and back through the city at night, tired after 14 hours of nonstop travel, if I hadn't had a car.

It's a very cheap place, and I'd stay again. The location works well, about five minutes on foot from Keleti railway station, with a Spar not far away. Reception staff were kind and helpful, and although I had a bad experience with other guests, I can't blame the hostel for that. The bathrooms smell bad, and there's no toilet upstairs, though that is mentioned in the description. There are two kitchens on the first floor, both with what you need to make decent meals. The rooms didn't seem very clean, maybe they were prepared in a rush, and the corridors are cold. A toilet on the second floor would be great.