A&S Hostel Franko

Everything was fine.

The low price and good location are the only real positives. It feels more like a crowded dorm where people live long-term than a hostel, and the administrator acts like a dorm supervisor. You can't enter or leave between 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. It's dirty, there are cockroaches everywhere, and the locals make constant noise. In the evenings and mornings, the showers and toilets have endless queues. I wouldn't choose it for a holiday or a work trip.

The location is great, right by the metro, with shops and places to eat close by. There's internet and hot water, and the kitchen has gorgeous windows and a small cozy balcony. It could work for one night, but I wouldn't stay longer. There's no proper sitting area, so you're stuck in the uncomfortable kitchen, with its beat-up chairs. Guests share one shower and toilet, which is especially inconvenient in the evening. It's also hard to find, with no sign to identify the place. There wasn't any tea for guests in the kitchen either, though there usually is.

The location worked really well for me, close to the Ministry of Education and Taras Shevchenko University, and handy if you're visiting the Higher Attestation Commission or have other business with the Ministry. It's in a central Stalin-era building that must once have been a luxurious apartment, but there's no sign outside. I think the entrance is on the third floor, behind a door with a concierge. Inside, there are lots of people: one big shared room with a balcony, plus two smaller rooms for girls or families. I stayed in the shared room and paid 120 UAH a night. The kitchen was dirty and had a small balcony for smoking. There were drawers and a washing machine, and the combined bathtub and toilet sometimes clogged. Some guests seemed to live there permanently.