City Express Hostel

The hostel itself had really good conditions and was mostly a great place to stay, but the payment issue made things stressful. They said payment was due on arrival, yet five days before check-in they tried to charge the full booking without my consent. When that failed because I use disposable cards, they called and threatened to cancel, saying I had to pay before arrival, and gave a random excuse. They don't accept disposable cards, only actual cards. That was the second time I felt misled, and it just isn't right. The smaller issue was the lack of A/C, despite it being advertised on Hostel World. An employee suggested opening the room window, but that didn't solve it. Otherwise, it was a great hostel.

The beds were amazing, and I had a really good stay. The workers and check-in desk staff were nice, kind, and helpful. Bathrooms were cleaned every day. Rooms could get a bit noisy sometimes, especially on weekends when more party people came back very late, though there's a rule about keeping quiet after 22:00. Breakfast is available for an extra charge, but I didn't try it.

The beds and breakfast were okay, but I had the worst hostel experience I've had in Cracow, despite staying at several places here on yearly trips with upper secondary students. The ventilation was loud all night, and the thin walls let us hear people talking in other rooms. Over our four-day stay, the toilet and showers weren't cleaned and got very dirty. I complained to one staff member, who said she'd clean later, but she didn't. I raised it again the next day with someone else, who claimed it had been cleaned. The photo I took showed otherwise. I expect public toilets to be in better condition. The neighborhood also didn't feel safe to walk through alone as a woman, and the Wi-Fi often didn't work.

The staff were helpful, and the place was nice overall. One thing I missed was somewhere to hang hand-washed clothes. The dryer is free, sure, but using it just for underwear and socks feels wasteful, save the polar bears! Noise was the other issue: sounds from the kitchen and the rooms next door came through very clearly, almost as if there were no wall or door between us.