Edem Hostel

Fine for a one-night stay.

The kitchen was more or less clean, the toilets always had toilet paper, and there was hot water. The places that weren’t constantly occupied by hostel residents were clean. They’d also provided clean sheets and towels. But this was my first and last stay at THIS hostel, and I can imagine staying in similar places too. I’d rather pay a little more. The hostel looked alright in the photos, but in person it was filthy and smelled of garlic and shawarma. The carpets weren’t cleaned. Under my mattress I found someone’s dirty bandage and an old packet of food. Nobody seemed to vacuum or even wipe the windowsill. The beds wobbled badly. There were cracks in the shower ceiling and curtain, and the whole hostel had just one tiny sink besides the kitchen, with everyone crowding around it in the morning. I booked a bed in a four-person room through Booking.com, but they put me in a six-person room. A couple of rooms seemed to have been occupied by the same people for years, which made it feel like moving into a dorm. There were only four power outlets for six beds, and if you hadn’t charged your phone in time, that was your problem. Even the administration wouldn’t help. The place felt dirty and shabby, and more and more like a dorm. Many of the residents didn’t seem very clean or considerate, and seemed to be from rural areas. I booked because the hospital we’d deliberately travelled to was nearby. We were supposedly given a VIP two-room suite with a shower and toilet inside. As soon as I walked in, I noticed dirt everywhere, even on the dusty reception desk. I kept hoping at least the room would be clean. When we opened the door, a cockroach rushed in and quickly hid in the door crack. The carpet was filthy, and I was afraid to walk on it barefoot. The stained sofa was so unpleasant that I didn’t want to put my pyjamas or personal things on it. I had to clean the toilet before using it. The toilet and shower cabin were dirty, with hair and streaks, so I showered with bags over my feet. We were given two small towels for two people. After using one, it smelled bad, which made me think it hadn’t been washed at 60 degrees or ironed, and that the smell could indicate fungus. The bedroom carpet was filthy too. Unwatered flowers stood on the floor with fallen leaves around them, and there was a sheet of oilcloth under the radiators for some reason. The bedding was clean. The TV and internet didn’t work, and we couldn’t pay by card. The paint on the walls instead of wallpaper, and the general poverty of the place, wouldn’t have bothered me if it had at least been clean. The dirt felt disrespectful to guests. I was glad there was a small hair dryer, an electric kettle, two tea bags, and sugar packets. The hostel site had fake reviews that we believed. Maybe the photos were taken when it first opened. I can’t recommend the hostel unless they start cleaning. Next time I’d rather pay more than be afraid to touch anything and have to look at everything with disgust. What kept me going was knowing it was just one night and I only had to put up with it.

We picked this hostel because it was near the hospital we’d come to visit. We were supposedly in a VIP two-room suite with a shower and toilet inside. As soon as I walked in, I noticed dirt everywhere, even on the dusty reception desk. I kept hoping the room would at least be clean. When we opened the door, a cockroach greeted us, then quickly hid in the crack in the door. The carpet was filthy, and I was afraid to walk barefoot on it. The stained sofa was so unpleasant that I didn’t want to put my pyjamas or personal belongings on it. I had to wash the toilet before using it, and I won’t even get into how dirty the toilet and shower were, with hair and streaks everywhere. I had to shower with bags on my feet. They gave two small towels for the two of us. After one was used, it smelled bad, which suggests it hadn’t been washed at 60 degrees or ironed. A towel that stinks after use suggests fungus. The bedroom carpet was dirty too. Unwatered flowers stood on the floor, with fallen leaves around them, and there was oilcloth under the radiators for some strange reason. The bedding was clean. The TV and internet didn’t work, and we couldn’t pay by card. Overall, it was a total dump. I’m sorry, but even if it’s Soviet-style and very poor, with paint on the walls instead of wallpaper, the least they can do is keep it clean. How can they treat guests this way? There were a couple of things I appreciated: a small hair dryer, an electric kettle, two tea bags, and sugar packets. We believed the fake reviews on the hostel’s website. Maybe the photos were taken when it first opened. I can’t recommend this hostel until they start cleaning. That level of dirt is disrespectful to guests. Next time I’d rather pay extra than be afraid to touch anything and have to look at it all with disgust. The one thing that comforted me was knowing it was just one night and I only had to put up with it.

I really like the hostel. It’s quiet and comfortable, and I love staying here. But sharing a room with Larisa, a permanent resident who’s been here a long time, is impossible for me and others. In the morning, you can’t turn on the light to get ready or use your phone without her yelling and complaining that she hasn’t had enough sleep. That’s her problem. People need to get up and get ready, not wait for Her Majesty to finish sleeping. When Larisa gets up, though, she turns on the light for herself and switches it off when she goes to bed. Her attitude seems to be, “I’m the hostess, I do what I want.” My friend no longer comes here because of that nasty woman. The administration runs a hostel, not a rented apartment, and should make sure tenants are treated fairly. Please do something about it. One room has the light on 24/7, and the price of housing will skyrocket, while you can’t turn the light on or off when you need it. I hope you’ll take action.