Hotel Pracowniczy Metro

We stayed 3 nights. For a hostel, and at such a low price, you can’t expect miracles, but it turned out to be an interesting experience. I was surprised to find it quite (((((comfy))))), especially since most reviews were negative. The rooms aren’t very spacious, but in winter the heat matters most, and there was more than enough. We first picked a private bedroom with a shared bathroom, then the lady offered us a room with its own bathroom for only 30 zloty. Would I recommend it? Yes!

We left after 30mn and booked somewhere else because we didn’t feel safe. The room was very dirty, with hairs and crumbs in and beside the bed, and clearly hadn’t been cleaned for a while. The shower was blocked and used water came back up. Worst of all, the door wouldn’t lock from the inside. The key jammed, and we couldn’t get out for 15mn. Getting there wasn’t easy, and arrival required cash only. The no-refund-after-payment condition also struck me as suspicious. This was probably the worst hostel experience I’ve had. If I could give a negative rating, I would.

The staff were very nice and helpful, and our room was clean, bright, and very warm. The toilet and shower facilities were OK, though the number for women and men isn’t proportionate to the number of guests. So if the women’s shower is locked, it’s probably occupied by a man. It’s quite far from the city center, but the tram connection is good. Some reviews say the area is dodgy, but it doesn’t seem that way anymore. Most of the nearby construction is finished, and there are lots of ordinary people out walking their dogs and running.

For a woman, the bathroom setup was a problem. I’m 5ft, and my knees meant the toilet door wouldn’t even close. It had clear plastic panels, so you could see everything. There was only one downstairs toilet, used by residents and sometimes men too. I tried locking the bathroom door and got stuck inside, and my partner had to help me out. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone traveling alone, as I felt intimidated by the local residents, mostly construction workers and a family of gypsies. The rooms are shipping containers. Once that initial shock wears off, it’s not too bad: the water worked and there was a sink in the room. The rooms weren’t clean, though the bedding was. It was easy to cool the container in summer, but I imagine it would be freezing in winter. My partner said he’d stayed in better hostels in Cambodia for $2 a night and was genuinely shocked by this place. It’s about a 15 min walk to the nearest tram or shop. There’s also a bus not far outside the industrial estate, running about every half an hour. People get up for work by 6 am, then the children wake up, so sleeping late isn’t really possible. At night after 10pm it wasn’t too bad, though one or two men might quietly have a beer. There weren’t wild parties. I’d say 2 days maximum, one to get over the shock and the next to realize it isn’t as bad, though you’d rather stay somewhere else.