Odyssee Hostel
While other hostels may be easier to get to or appear more centrally located on a map, the Odyssey could not be better situated for someone looking for that real East Berlin experience. The hostel, found in an old factory building, is walking distance from the East Side Gallery and on the brink of Freidrichshain’s club/restaurant/bar Mecca, not to mention some of Berlin’s funkiest vintage shopping. In addition to location, the Odyssey provides 24-hour reception, free Wifi, a fantastic 3-euro breakfast spread, and a roomy sitting area with an in-house bar perfect for meeting fellow travelers.
Grünberger Strasse 23, 10243 Berlin
Tel: 030 29000081
www.odyssee-hostel.de/ Circus Hostel
Amongst the hundreds of ways Berlin triumphs over, well, anywhere else is the abundance of spotless, comfortable hostels and the Circus Hostel seems to have set this standard. Unfalteringly friendly service and amenities like hair dryers and phone chargers and free Wifi, Skypephone, and clean, comfy bedding are just a few of the little luxuries that set the Circus apart from your clichéd dingy hostel experience. Free beer on Mondays and the U2 U-bahn at your doorstep are just a few cherries on top of an already pretty perfect cake.
Rosenthaler Strasse 1, 10119 Berlin
Tel: 030 200003939
www.circus-berlin.de/circus_berlin_hostel.html
Gay Hostel
If you’re a boy looking to party it up with other boys in clean, bright, superbly decorated accommodations than may we suggest Berlin’s Gay Hostel. The hostel is located in the traditional center of Gay Berlin and makes for the perfect starting point to discover Berlin’s best gay hotspots. Sorry, no girls allowed.
Motzstrasse 28, 10777 Berlin
Tel: 030 21005709
www.gay-hostel.de/welcome.html
Pfefferbett Hostel
For a hostel built in an old brewery building, the Pfefferbett is shockingly state of the art. The high arched brick ceilings of the mid-19th century architecture blend brilliantly with contemporary stainless steel furniture, giving travelers that old, gritty Berlin feel with a cutting-edge twist. The garden, open fire place, and 24-hour bar will make it difficult to tear yourself away from this hostel but should you find the motivation, Kastanienallee, one of Berlin's hippest, most abuzz streets, is just around the corner.
Christinen Strasse 18-19, 10119 Berlin
Tel: 030 93 93 58 58
www.pfefferbett.de/en/hostel/
Eastern Comfort
If you worry that a hostel built on land might be a bit too run of the mill for you then we've got the place. Eastern Comfort sits, or rather floats, on Berlin's River Spree across from the East Side Gallery. Hostel goers can bunk away in the ship's cabins or bring their own tent and set up on the top deck beneath the stars. No matter what, guests are guaranteed an experience all its own.
Mühlenstraße 73,10243 Berlin
Tel: 030 66763806
www.eastern-comfort.com/index.html
36 Rooms
Found in a restored Berlin townhouse with a view overlooking Gorlitzer Park and a location right in the heart of Kreuzberg, one could not ask for a more pleasant hostel abode. 36 Rooms has maintained all the traditional charm of its townhouse roots while also keeping things chic and modern. They offer a sweet little refuge from the incredible swarm of bars, clubs, and restaurants of Kreuzberg that surround the hostel in every direction.
Spreewaldplatz 8, 10999 Berlin
Tel: 030 53086398
www.36rooms.com/
Ostel
Retro does not begin to illustrate the amazing fringe lampshades, patterned wallpaper, and portraits of former communist officials that hang from the walls of Ostel. Rent a room/bed in this hostel and you'll be immediately thrown back to an era of the GDR and lava lamps.
Wriezener Karree 5, 10243 Berlin
Tel: 030 25768660
www.ostel.eu/
Wombat
Alte Schönhauser Strasse 2, 10119 Berlin
Tel: 030 84710820
www.wombats-hostels.com/berlin/
Hotel4Youth
Schönhauser Allee 103, 10439 Berlin
Tel: 030 4467783
hotel4youth.com/
