Orient Express Guest House

We were lucky and unlucky that it snowed. The city was very nice and there were still Christmas lights and ornaments! The bad thing, that the ground slips, a lot, and the streets are full of puddled water which makes it very difficult to walk, we had a very big scare because of a fall. The city is decadent, with a mix of very modern and beautiful venues.

When I entered I felt at home... it felt like my farm (a shame about the comparison). Now seriously… It's true it costs very little, but I believe that a minimum of cleanliness and hygiene are priceless and should be the basis. We entered this room from a truly disturbing staircase that was falling apart at times. When we entered this house the smell was unbearable: dirt and humidity. The room where we stayed (fortunately only two nights) was full of dust from start to finish (immediate nasal clogging), dirty and stained sheets, spiders and cobwebs on the beds, dirty and smelly bathroom. What can I say, a fantastic experience. Listen to me, pay a little more and look for a clean place at least

I would love to tell you about my stay at Orient Express Hostel, but I didn't stay there. I booked days in advance and received confirmation of my reservation (through hostelsclub.com). When I arrived, there was no one at the hostel. The door ringers did not work, and no one answered when I knocked on the door. I called the listed number many times, but no one answered. Finally, after an hour of waiting in the dark, an employee happened to come and asked if I was part of a large group that was staying there. I explained that I was traveling alone and had booked one bed. She called her manager, who said that she had not checked hostelsclub.com for two years, and that they would not honor my reservation because a large group had booked all the rooms. I had traveled on a flight between three countries and was in a city I had never visited, in which I did not speak the language, in the middle of the night. The manager offered me nothing more than to use their WIFI to try to book another room somewhere or to call some hostels she knew to get me a room at a higher rate. Based on other online reviews, in which the same happened to other travelers, I am skeptical as to whether she was honest or whether she decided to overbook my room in favor of a larger group, but I suspect the latter is true. In any case, the manager didn't do much at all to make the situation right, and I do not consider this an honest business. Please book elsewhere if you can, or be very cautious if you book here.