Pallet Hostel

I went to Pallet because Kiev Central Station hostel was fully booked, and I didn’t extend my stay. The atmosphere was poor and the staff seemed very moody. Ana rudely made me leave the common area after checkout. I found that a pity, especially since she’s quite young, though I described the people there as older and Russian-like. If you’re after a good time, I’d avoid this hostel. Kiev Central Station had much better staff and atmosphere.

For travellers on a budget who don’t expect high standards, I’d recommend it. My single room was small, but the bed was nice, and I can’t expect more at this price. The staff were very friendly even though we had trouble communicating because I don’t speak Ukrainian or Russian yet.

It’s a hostel, not a hotel, so it’s about what you’d expect, though less than ideal. The showers need some attention: water sprayed out of the hose. Still, I slept well.

Guests would play Gangstas Paradise quite loudly in the kitchen above my room, and there were loud conversations going on in rooms at 2am. The basement room had no curtains or blinds, so whenever someone walked down the corridor, the motion sensor switched on the light and it shone into the room, waking me several times a night. The setup also felt like a young detention centre, with guests being monitored. People staying there stared at me and made me uncomfortable. Some bathrooms and toilets seemed to be secret, only accessible to certain guests. There were odd people living there as well as travellers. Despite the curfew, guests had to ring the doorbell to get back in at 5am.