Apple Hostel

The hostel is a good 10-15 minutes from the center, and there’s a large shopping center, Forum Lviv, less than five minutes away. There’s a big parking area right outside, though it tends to be full on weekday mornings.

Be careful about what you pay. They may charge a lot for a room that’s below standard.

The one saving grace was the location, near the city center and Forum, with good food, shops, and a cinema. We were only staying one night to wait for our train connection, and I’m glad it wasn’t longer. We booked a double room through Booking.com with a shared bathroom in the hall, but nobody told us the other room was for ten teenagers, boys and girls. There was constant loud music, swearing, and orgies, and the hostel administration did nothing about it. There was no security, and the doors stayed open all night, so it felt like anyone could come through. The place looked like a worn-out communal apartment as soon as we arrived. Every door was different, some plywood with holes, others armored, and the walls had graffiti beyond the designer’s work. I only learned from reviews that there might be a shared kitchen and tea and coffee somewhere. Nobody made us feel welcome. They just handed over a key and said, “Second floor, turn right.” Our room looked very different from the website photos. There had been no renovation, just whitewash over the mold. There was an old wardrobe with shelves, hangers on a nail attached to it, and a chair with torn upholstery that looked like bedbugs could crawl out of it. The linen was washed out, as was the small towel. The thin plywood entrance door was cracked, so you could easily see people moving around in the room. There was no soundproofing, and the partitions were like cardboard. The toilet and shower were combined in a space about one by two meters. That bathroom was a breeding ground for unsanitary conditions. With ten neighbors using the toilet and shower, everything got wet, damp, and steamy. There was no ventilation, the shower doors wouldn’t close properly, and the tray drained badly. I didn’t dare shower there. We spent our time at Forum, at the opera, at the last movie showing, and walking around the center, arriving late and leaving early. It was too depressing to stay in the room. Even though we’d paid for late checkout, we left our bags at the railway station and walked around instead. Staying there was impossible. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Only consider this hostel if there’s really no other option. The sound carries terribly, and we could hear every word from neighboring rooms. We had a double room, and the one real plus was that we only had to share the shower. There was no TV or air conditioning, and the windows had no curtains. The roller blind was the only sun protection, and it didn’t work. The bed linen was poor, and the towels should be thrown out. The shower looked renovated, though not recently, but the stall was broken and the doors seemed ready to fall on your feet. Our room was 11. We paid 1350 UAH for three nights, including a 150 UAH Booking discount. I’d suggest paying more for a decent apartment, or booking in Lviv at least a month ahead.