Bern Backpackers Hotel Glocke

Good price for Bern. Exceptionally good location. Extremely helpful and professional reception staff. Solid security (good locks on dorm rooms and bathrooms/showers, good-sized lockers in the dorm room). Spotlessly clean bedsheets, rooms, showers and wc's. Good wi-fi connection. Free public transportation in the city with hostel stay. Large beautiful lounge/dining room. Laundry room present. Kitchen well equipped for preparing your own food (cereals/milk and pasta available free). Economically priced grocery store around the corner. I did not experience any noise; it was very quiet during my stay (while the hostel seemed fully occupied), despite some other reviews saying differently. Note that there are relatively few showers and wc's per person, so you have to plan when to use them, but that is nearly universal in European hostels.

The hostel was amazing! Really expensive but definitely clean and comfortable. The kitchen was really good and the toilets and showers too. The location is amazing! We also had some discounts and free entry to the casino, which was great. Would recommend it to anyone, for sure.

Honestly one of the best hostels I've been too. It's expensive, sure, but you're in Switzerland... It's actually quite affordable for a Swiss hostel. The kitchen offers lots of free base foods like rice, pasta and cornflakes. The rooms are clean and tidy, the bathroom facilities are clean and comfortable, the common room is lovely and the staff are friendly and helpful. And the location... You're just about sleeping inside the famous Bern clocktower! My only footnotes would be that the mattresses are quite basic and not the most comfortable, and that they're weirdly strict about immediately removing/cleaning everything you used (food, dishes) from the kitchen as soon as you're done cooking–before you eat your food. By the time you did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, your food is cold. I get that there needs to be space for others to cook, but they even told me to immediately clean and clear the kitchen "so others can cook too" while I was eating, even though there still was plenty of space and pans/utensils left and no one else was in the common room/kitchen at that time. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely all for hostel etiquette, but some flexibility would be nice, especially when it's about eating your freshly prepared food hot or cold. This was the first hostel I've been to (I've been to a lot all over Europe) where this was such a strict thing without any adaptability. Oh well, Swiss accuracy I guess!

An excellent hostel! So clean, comfortable, well run and well equipped. Plus it's in a great location, near many sites and restaurants. Close to the main train station and the university (which has a gorgeous view - worth checking out. And coffee at the bistro in the heritage building is half the price of the larger cafe on the lawn). Lots of action in the street (see view from my room) but then super quiet overnight. Good value too.

We loved our stay at Bern backpackers! We booked a private double room with bunk beds for 3 nights. The rooms were spotless and the beds were comfortable. The shared bathroom and shower was very clean. The kitchen and common room were well maintained and had a lovely welcoming and cosy vibe. There was a laundry area as well which we really appreciated after a month of backpacking. We also loved the free tea, cereal, rice and pasta that was available. The staff were fantastic and friendly and helped us with how to get to different places using public transport. Nothing seemed like too much trouble for them! We would definitely stay again as the value for money was great.

Had a great experience at this hostel, nice staff, comfortable rooms/beds, with large lockers, lots of common space and very clean. Also, a nice touch was to include free things like free pasta, rice and cereal. You also get a free public transport card (via Bern Welcome app) which was a great bonus too.

The room comfortably accommodates three adults, although it might feel a bit cramped with four. The location is excellent, with numerous restaurants within easy reach. However, light sleepers should be aware that the nearby clock chimes hourly. Please note that there is no lift access from the ground level to the reception, so luggage will need to be carried up through stairs. Overall, the accommodations are quite satisfactory.

I cannot speak highly enough of this backpackers. While the room is just a standard backpacker room with thinnish mattress it is perfectly adequate for the price. What I am here to rave about is 1. The service which is so excellent, including by messaging before I came. Friendly, helpful and kind 2. Cleanliness and organisation - the place is spotlessly clean, as many have mentioned, and it’s run with beautiful Swiss efficiency and a little love too!

The common area at this hostel is not tiny, but it's quite cosy, so you can interact with other guests if you want. They have free pasta & rice, as well as free cereal in the mornings (for a light breakfast). My room had a big table & an extension cord with many power points. The power outlets by the bed came with 2 power plugs - both European and Swiss style, which was considerate!

I can't say enough good things about this hostel. I stayed here on two separate occasions due to how nice it was. The staff was helpful and kept everything very clean. There is a large common area with kitchen and laundry facilities (1 washer and 1 dryer). Free tea is always available and there is a vending machine with snacks, drinks, and supplies such as laundry detergent. I stayed in different 6 bed mixed rooms during my stays. Rooms were clean and the storage lockers for guests were large and secure. The hostel occupies 5 floors of the building, note that there is a night club on the first floor. The desk has earlplugs for those who want them, however I never noticed any noise from the nightclub in either room I stayed in (3rd floor and 5th floor). The floor with the common area is directly above the club and the floors with rooms are above that. So if you're worried about potential noise, I would recommend requesting a higher floor and you should be fine. The front desk sells Swiss Army knives at a discount, hats, magnets, and some children's souvenirs. They also sell fondue kits that you can use to prep your own fondue for two in the kitchen, saving you from paying 25 francs or more at a restaurant. Note that during Covid times (November/December 2021) the front desk has shorter hours. Let them know if my you're checking in late and they can leave your key in a lockbox by the front door.

Pros: Clean, orderly, extremely well-located. Smart, friendly staff. Cons: EXPENSIVE *and* you have to make and strip your own beds. They're closed from noon until 3, so forget dropping your bags and taking advantage of the warm sunny Bern afternoon and instead sit with your bags for 2 hours and get in line to check in with everybody else at 3pm. NOT THE HOSTEL'S FAULT: the massive clock tower, located a picturesque forty feet away, tolls every hour. So expect a series of hour-long naps through the night :)

This place is pretty darn good. Location: Excellent. 10 minute walk to the train station (yeah, I timed it, because I'm "that person" who always seems to run late and I had an early train to catch in the morning). You're in old town located such that you're in the epicenter for all the cool things to see in Bern - the Rosengarten, the Bears, the Aare swimming, etc. Building: Old, but in very good shape. There's an elevator which was handy as I was staying on the 5th floor and my pack was heavy. Facilities: Common room is large, with comfy couches and SPEEDY wifi. There's a kitchen for cooking. I stayed in a single room and it was, in my opinion, comparable to a hotel room. Of course it was 75 CHF a night so it better be good... On my floor there was 1 shower and 1 bathroom per sex for about 5-6 single rooms, so plenty. Reception/customer service: Very helpful, not necessarily overly friendly but then I live in Texas where I'm used to people being over the top. They are great about giving tips for things to see in town, providing newsletters, etc. I had to do an early morning checkout and had no problems - I just had to drop my key in the dropbox.

#206 If you're visiting Bern and looking to avoid making a huge hole in your wallet, I highly recommend staying at the Bern Backpackers Hotel Glocke. One of the better European hostels I've stayed at. They're in the center of the city, centrally located to the major restaurants, cafes, and stores. Also right around the corner is a McDonald's (if you're looking for the cheapest meal in Switzerland). Wi-fi is provided free of charge and the coverage is extensive. Laundry facilities (3 washers and 3 dryers) charge 5 swiss francs to use each. Rooms are separated by gender, with dorm style rooms having 6 beds (bunk style). They provide clean bed and pillow sheets. Towels you must provide your own. Kitchen for cooking, a computer for accessing the internet, and a big screen tv. The girls that work the counter are friendly and fluent in English. Electrical outlets are provided in swiss and german configuration in commons room. About 37 swiss francs per night for dorm style. Train station is about 20 minute walk from the hostel.

The rooms and facilities were clean and there was no problem on getting a free shower or toilet. The staff was really friendly and helped out to plan the night. The rooms are equipped with rather big lockers for each bed. You don't even need to bring a lock. Location is great if you are there to visit the old town. I you arrive by car it's good to know that they have a special parking deal with the rathaus parking lot which costs 18 chf for 24h.