Gaia Hostel

My stay here was great. Check in smooth and pleasant. Don't judge the hostel on the entrance. The entrance downstairs is cold, bleak, damp and dirty. Upstairs in the actual hostel is very clean, which I saw get cleaned every day. The building is very old, therefore the rooms are old. But definitely clean. There isn't always someone on site to ask questions, so get them in the morning. Judit also offered for you to message her questions. Lots of leaflets around. I don't know what happened with my booking. I booked a room to myself with a double bed. I got a room to myself with four single beds. Couldn't even make a double out of them. I have a health condition that effects my muscles and means I have to move around a lot. Hence the double. Wasn't half bad as they have invested in the mattresses and they are well comfy. Nice to see a cheaper place do that. However, the slats weren't nailed down and everytime I had to move (remember I have to move a lot ) the slats would fall out and I'd have to get out to put them back into place. Relatively quiet after approx 11pm, which is nice in such a back packer city. Except the last night where someone slammed doors around 10pm. Can't grumble at that really. Which takes me to security. Five locked doors to get to your room. Excessive but good for peace of mind. Apart from when people leave the first four unlocked, which happened on the last night. If I return to Budapest I will certainly stay here again.

Judit, the owner, helped us as much as possible with everything. Rooms as described, big, clean. Location walking distance from old town, river and public transport. We called it home. Would stay here again

Overall, definitely a great hostel to stay at in Budapest! There's only 4 rooms, so it's a better hostel to stay if you enjoy your privacy, or if you're in a group. The 100e express bus from the airport stops a block away, making it super easy to access. While the central location allows you to walk to all the major sites. For your convenience, there is a supermarket next door. While there are plenty of restaurant options to fit people's budgets. The hostel itself isn't next to a bar or anything, so it's not overly loud. However, when I stayed there - construction was occurring on the street below. So it got a bit loud in the mornings (just wear earplugs), especially since I had the windows open. Do note: there isn't A/C or a fan, so I imagine during summer it could get very hot inside. Hostel room itself was nice and homey. The owner has tried to supply other amenities and odds and ends (like sunscreen). There's a small kitchen for guests to use (tap water is safe to drink). When I go back to Budapest, I would definitely stay there again.