Ostello Giovane Europa di Trento

I came back after 20 years, and the place feels more comfortable than it used to. Its position near the stations and historic center is very convenient. The breakfast deserves a special mention, it was very complete.

The room and bathroom were fine, and thankfully there was AC. The location is great and the rooms are decent, but the stay felt like paying a lot for a school dorm. We booked a day ahead for a surprise visit to Trento. The rate was competitive, though not the cheapest nearby, and with more planning there would probably be other options. There were ants in our third-floor room, we had to take our sheets downstairs, and towels cost extra. A 15-minute check-in delay after the 9 PM cutoff also meant a €10 per-person fee. The staff weren’t very welcoming. When I messaged about being late, they said they’d see if anyone could check us in, even though I’d sent all our details by WhatsApp. I was passing the desk before midnight, so it felt like we paid extra just to get a key from someone already on shift. I understand a late fee, but being left unsure whether we’d even get checked in, with our bags in the waiting room, made us anxious.

The low price, great location, and included breakfast are the main positives. The room was about what I expected for the rate, but the check-in experience was awful, and there are several extra charges. Late check-in is €15 and losing a room key costs €20. If you need the budget price, be aware of that. My train to Trento was delayed by hours. I was due at 8 PM, and my reservation said check-in began at 7. At 8:57 PM, I got an email saying check-in ended at 9, that they’d tried to call, and asking me to call back. I hadn’t received a call. I tried calling around 20 times in a panic and got no answer. When I arrived, the door was locked and nobody responded to the bell. It was 10 PM, I had nowhere to stay, and the other hotels I called were full. After about an hour, I got inside by following guests with keycards. The receptionist was very rude, accused me of not contacting them, and charged me €15. The 7-9 PM check-in window is extremely limited, and I couldn’t find the 9 PM cutoff on the website or reservation. Even if the hours were listed, a reminder three minutes before reception closed is not enough notice. After I replied right away, they also didn’t answer several emails or calls for quite a while. The entrance bell was hard to see, which added to the problem once the door was locked. None of this excuses the staff’s rude remarks to a paying guest asking about check-in or hotel services. Their explanation that late check-in and replacement key fees cover extra operating costs seems absurd to me. If reception is staffed anyway, checking someone in at 10:20 PM doesn’t cost more than at 3 PM, and a replacement key card costs nowhere near €20. It feels like a way to profit when guests have no choice but to pay while still advertising as a budget hotel. After all this, I’d say stay elsewhere if you can afford it. I’m keeping the extra star only because of the base price and location.

It was a dorm at the price of a three-star hotel, with a strong disinfectant smell. A very unpleasant stay.