Elga's Punk Rock Hostel

The owners are so welcoming and friendly, and they make sure you're having a good time. It's about a five-minute walk to the beach, with a non-stop market right next door. There's also an open area for coffee or breakfast. The rooms can feel small, but in Vama Veche you mostly need somewhere to sleep and shower. Sound does travel between rooms, though by the time you get back to rest, you're probably too tired to notice. A good-value place for couples or groups, and a great base for enjoying Vama Veche.

It's good value for the price and very clean, which really impressed me. The downside is that the buildings are wooden, with no real walls or ceilings to block sound, so you hear people in other rooms. But it's Vama Veche. If you're staying on the beach until sunrise and listening to that nice Bolero song at the stuff, you'll probably care less about the noise. You'll be a zombie from lack of sleep anyway.

For 120 lei a night, the room felt almost like an open dorm, with hardly any privacy. You can hear every sound from anywhere, so I wouldn't choose it for a couple. The outside guest rules were also handled rudely: I couldn't bring a friend in just to help with my luggage, and my friends couldn't wait in the street because the host came out to ask what they were doing there. I understood that outside visitors weren't allowed, but the way this was handled was rude. The room wasn't properly cleaned. The bathroom was filthy, the toilet seat was broken, and everything smelled of mold. I could have put up with the noise and other issues if the room had been clean and didn't stink of mold. With everything made of wood and no real walls, sleep was badly disrupted.

We were six people and stayed for a week, so it worked well for a group. The owner was kind and helped however he could. I lost my apartment key and had to pay a lot, but that was part of the agreement. The walls are a bit thin, though you get used to it.