Claudia Fabbro Hostel

The room was tiny and warm, and the TV had no channels to watch. The bathroom was shared and dirty, and the towels were torn and grimy. The bed was listed online as a French bed, but it was really a recliner. There was no light in the living room, so you had to feel your way around in the dark. The bathroom door had no handle, just a bent nail hammered into the frame on the inside, and you could only shut it by hanging it there. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone.

We paid a very good price, and the city center was close, about five trolley stops or a 20-minute walk. The place was clean and tidy, and the service was fine. Our room choice turned out badly, though. It faced a pub where a Saturday party went on until dawn, so we didn't get a restful night's sleep.

There's a pub next door that stays open 24/7, and tobacco smoke often hangs around the house, especially in shared areas like the toilet. It doesn't usually get into the rooms unless you leave a door and window open, but it's a nuisance if you don't smoke. The place itself is dirty, cold, smelly, and unfriendly, and the other residents can be pretty strange. The caretaker lives there, so you run into him a lot. He doesn't leave people alone, and it's hard to understand him. Ask him to repeat something and he gets loud and nervous, as if you're to blame. Heating depends on his mood. Sometimes it's off when it should be on; if you ask, you get that same reaction. He might turn it on, then switch it off without warning when you're still cold, or say he'll turn it on without doing so when you ask. Who knows why. He also meddles in plenty of things. Money seems to be all that matters here, and odd people stay alongside the few normal ones. If you're looking to relax, this isn't the place.

We booked two nights and left after just one. A 24-hour bar across the street made sleep impossible, and the sign outside advertising beds by the hour says plenty about the clientele. The place is loud and filthy, and not worth a single forint or cent. I can't find the words for this dump, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.