36 Rooms (Berlin - Kreuzberg)

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36 Rooms Hostel is a cute, catchy name but I think the place has way more than thirty six rooms. The hostel is located

in the Kreuzberg section of the city, which has a hip, funky, and heavily Arabic demographic, and is about two long blocks from the Gölitzer Bahnhof metro stop (U1). But it's not hard to find.

The hostel is one of those old buildings with high ceilings, tall doors, and wood everything but the owners have fixed it up nicely with modern fixtures like contemporary lighting, bright white tiling and bathroom ware, and motion sensor lights. Most of the furniture is mix-match, adding a nice eclectic charm to compliment some of the squeaky floor boards and backpacker personalities.

I've stayed here about four times now after first coming last year. It is a really sociable hostel where people laugh and mingle. The owners/managers are the same (nice, funny guys) and so are the rates (14€ 8-bed dorm but the price is jacked up to 18€ on weekends). One very new addition, though, is the house disco underneath run by a group of foreign DJs. The place is a groovy subterranean dive with plenty of basement furniture and about four different natural lairs plus a large dance floor. The walls and ceiling are naked and, well, lower level authentic. Drink prices are reasonable but the cover, at five euros, I think is a tad steep.

One criticism of the hostel is that it obligates guests to rent bed sheets and pillow case (no refund). C'mon, if I can't use my own linen because I'm obviously not sleeping in my own bed, then don't require me to pay extra for something I can't have without the basics. Another is water buildup on the bathroom floors after guests step from the showers. It's really something. I spoke to the manager guy about this unsightly wetness -- someone forgot to install drains -- and they're looking into a couple of workable solutions, so that's a good thing. 

Spreewaldplatz 8

Berlin - Kreuzberg, 10999
info@36rooms.com 

+49 (0) 30 5308 63 98

website