“Even when you have a big budget, you can’t just shoot everything.” – Debbie Allen
Here are all the places I stayed in Krakow and Prague 🙂 I stayed in Wroclaw with my good friend ate Jen for a week so you might notice a gap in my accommodation bookings.
Hotel:
Novotel (Krakow)
I didn’t book in Novotel because it was way out of my budget but there was a problem with my booking in Agoda so they booked me in Novotel for the price I paid for the other property. It was quite far from the city center but they have a free shuttle to the Novotel branch closer to the main square.
There’s a Zabka shop on the next street but apart from it, I don’t think there are any shops in the area.
I’m not sure if they are renovating or expanding the hotel but it was quite noisy in the morning especially on the floor above me. They were drilling something and that sharp noise you hear when there’s a construction going on.
The food in the hotel is great. As it was far from the city, I have been ordering room service during my stay. It was more expensive than the ones you can order from the city but the money I will pay the taxi would be higher than my bill.
The beds were my least favourite because they looked really old and not as comfortable than any of the places I stayed before. The sheets look old but it was clean.
I’m not sure I would recommend this hotel if you want to explore the city because location wise, it’s far. And for the price, there are better choices that’s near the main square. But if you want a hotel that’s farther from the city, then this would be a good option.
Hostels:
Premium Hostel (Krakow)
I booked a room good for 2 persons in Premium Hostel because I wanted to get some good sleep and wasn’t feeling like staying in a dorm. Sadly, the walls are very thin or it wasn’t soundproof. If I only knew this, I would’ve just booked the dorm room as I didn’t get a good sleep ’cause there were always people outside my door and they were talking loudly. The good thing is that I only stayed here for one night.
Bubble Hostel (Krakow)
Bubble Hostel is very near the main square. You can even see Barbican from one of the windows there. It might be quite hard to find this hostel as it is in the same building as another hostel and other offices. It is on the 5th floor and trust me when I say this, the elevator in this property is the oldest one I’ve ever seen, ever. The kind where there is a door and it locks before going up. It’s like being in a horror movie, minus the horror. LOL. I didn’t know how to use it at first so I had to use the stairs from the ground floor to the 5th floor. With more than 20kg luggage, a shoulder bag and a full backpack, I had a good workout.
But the location is really good. There are shops, restaurants and bus/tram station when you go out of the building.
I did my laundry in this hostel and I think I paid 25zloty which includes the use of dryer but my clothes weren’t really dry. If there’s a good thing about this hostel, it’s their heater. I never felt cold in the dorm room. Maybe because the heater was near the bed. *grin* It was very warm I had to open the windows near my bed.
If you love meeting new people and in a tight budget, this hostel is for you. I booked a room good for 10 persons but some of the beds weren’t occupied. I was able to visit Auschwitz because I met two friendly girls (Ali from the US and Emma from OZ) in the kitchen while I was having my dinner. They invited me to go with them so I did. I paid more for the tour because I didn’t have the student discount. But every penny was worth it.
Hostel Mango (Prague)
Hostel Mango has the best english speaking staff in all the places I stayed at. Some sounded British and others had a really great grasp of it. For its location, the price is really cheap. It’s a minute walk to Charles Bridge and the best place to eat in the area called Lokal. I wasn’t able to dine or grab a drink there because it was always full of people. The best trdelnik with chocolate is also a few steps away from the hostel (I had three while I was there LOL).
I booked a dorm room good for 6 persons but there were a few unoccupied bed. First night, we had one vacant bed and for the rest of my stay, we were only three occupants in the room. The bathroom is quite big but can only be used by one person. Unless you don’t mind sharing it with other people then by all means two people can use it at once. *haha*
They have a common area which is like a bar and a good place to meet people. One of my roomates, Jake from Ireland, hangs out there and he told me that it isn’t that crowded. The kitchen is also connected in the common area/bar.
Apartment:
Avanti Home (Krakow)
I stayed twice in Avanti Home, when I arrived in Krakow and before I left. I’d like to call it my home away from home. It has that feel to it. I loved every bit of my stay there. The first room I booked there was good for 2 persons with shared bathroom and kitchen (two rooms share the bathroom and kitchen). The second one was good for one person and it has a kitchen and own bathroom. Like a modern studio apartment. The kitchen is fully equipped so I had been cooking my meals, mostly breakfast and dinner.
Izabella, the host, is so much fun to talk with and very helpful! Before I arrived, I told her I wanted to try makowiec and pierogi. When I entered my room, there was a makowiec waiting for me. She also wrote a guide on where to find the best pierogi near the property and marked it on the map. There are lots of guides available in the living room and also chocolates. Yum! Unlimited coffee, instant and a lovely coffee maker, and tea are available in the living room as well.
Another thing I really loved about Avanti Home is its location. It’s basically near everything! There are a couple of shops you can do your groceries, there are lots of food places and cafes, there are shopping stores and is a short walk to the main square. If you need to send a package, there’s a post office three blocks away and if you need to register your sim card, there is also a shop near there where you can have it registered.
Accommodation Expenses
Here are all my booking receipts:
