Hostel Stella Di Notte

I ended up on the street with my luggage on a weekend, when other places were either full or about 10 times more expensive. I’d booked and was counting on that stay, but staff said they were overbooked and someone was coming for my bed. They pressured me to request a refund and free cancellation through the platform, saying I’d get no money otherwise and had to leave right away. They wouldn’t give me anything in writing or evidence of the overbooking. I have proof of what I describe here. When I asked to leave my luggage for a few hours while I looked for somewhere else and carried on with my plans, they wanted 7€ for that. I asked to speak to the manager. She offered two ways to fix the problem they’d caused: I could pay double for a bed in the female dorm and leave a good review for all three bookings, or store my luggage free for a few hours if I immediately wrote a good review for all three. That felt like blatant review manipulation, against the platform’s policy. I refused. I’d rather sleep on a bench than praise this place. The property has serious safety concerns and management problems. Please avoid it. Thanks for reading. I’d already had a bad stay before that. Other guests kept bothering me at night, pushing, touching me, and insisting I talk to them, so I couldn’t sleep properly. I didn’t mind at first that the hostel was a house of Pakistani and Russian immigrants. They’re people like us, and I was only staying a few nights. But when I asked staff to help or separate us, they said I could leave without a refund if I didn’t like it. I’d planned to leave the next day, but everywhere else was full for the weekend, so I had to stay one more night. Early that morning, loud music woke me up. Staff started shouting and demanded payment right away for my next valid booking. I’d thought the high price meant this would be a normally functioning, safe hostel. It wasn’t. 🚨 WARNING 🚨 The staff were rude, too.

After a month there, paying regularly, I expected to be treated with respect and to feel safe. Instead, I was insulted, accused of something I strongly deny, and eventually put out on the street. I was told I should never stay in any hostel again. The owner, Ivana, and receptionist Mirko yelled at me in front of others, and she personally insulted me. As someone living with muscular dystrophy, I found that shocking and humiliating. I was accused of inappropriate behavior toward a female guest without evidence, which I think was irresponsible and damaging. This happened after I complained that I was being made to leave even though I’d booked a room for four more nights. She said she had to bring in a group of 30 people. Other guests with booked accommodation were also expelled, and treated similarly, in my view. There were other problems during the stay. Two towels disappeared, and staff acted as if they didn’t know what happened. Food went missing from the shared kitchen several times. The sheets seemed to be changed only around every 10 days, and I wasn’t always given receipts after paying. Reception staff Mirko and Nikola often came across as arrogant and dismissive. Mirko spent a lot of time smoking weed on the terrace instead of acting like hospitality staff. The management and service were very poor.

Belgrade was a blast! Adam was awesome, and Chris gave us lots of help picking places to enjoy. The vibes were insane.

I had a great time chatting and laughing with the interesting people there. The hostel itself is pretty nice, with a great location and price, and there’s a kitchen. I’d stay again when I’m back in Belgrade.