Tetris Sopot

An inexpensive hostel.

I only needed the room to sleep and leave my things, so the small cubicle was just what I expected. The shared bathroom was well equipped, with soap and a hairdryer, and the location worked for me: close to the model car market and a 15-20-minute walk from the pier. Transport connections to the building were excellent, and they answered extra questions right away. The room didn’t feel fully cleaned, or perhaps it just hasn’t been renovated and seems neglected. Soundproofing is nonexistent, so hallway noise comes straight through. I couldn’t sleep last night because someone kept stomping and knocking on the front door around 3:00 AM, as if they didn’t know the password. In some places the floor feels like it could give way, and one step at the bottom of the entrance stairs is so steep you could easily fall.

Behind the hostel are train tracks, and every 20 minutes you feel the shudder and vibration. There’s a scrapyard right outside the entrance, and a gym downstairs where dropped barbells make the whole building shake, starting at 6 a.m. Compared with this sleeping nightmare, backpacker hostels seem like five-star hotels. The room smelled musty, like old socks, as soon as we opened the door. The bedding didn’t seem very clean, and the bin smelled of vomit and cigarette butts. On warm days, no air conditioning or fan leaves you feeling like you’re at a barbecue. The blinds were broken beyond repair, and the cardboard doors are for anyone who likes sleeping in a safe place. There’s nowhere to store anything, just a sticky table instead of a cabinet. The sofa bed is supposed to sleep two, but unfolds to only 1.2 meters wide, so it’s a nightmare for comfort. After we booked and paid, we found out that towels and luggage storage, despite towels appearing in the photos and having a washing temperature described, were only available in dreams. The bathroom has no ventilation grille, the shower barely drains, and the uneven, sagging floor makes every step a surprise. The room is for five people. We paid 116 PLN per person per night for this pleasure. Sir, are you taking or not? Because if you’re not taking, I’m taking.

The night was quiet. The plasterboard walls and the train behind the wall didn’t bother me, unlike the noise from downstairs. Music from the garage pounded from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with bass so strong it resonated through the whole hostel and affected my nervous system. It was terribly loud. The place was cheap and comfortable, but too much so if all you want is a good night’s sleep. The bathroom is shared, and they told us to bring our own towels.