Heart of Gold Hostel Berlin

I have just left the Heart of Gold Hostel and can unambigously recommend it. My single room was just fine, and the mattress was surprisingly comfortable. I would have liked an en suite, but I knew what I was getting into. The pressure in the shower was outstanding. The only negative -- poor pillows. Otherwise, excellent, and great value compared to the alternatives. The main common area in the hostel was comfortable, the staff were friendly, and the music selection of the American working at the desk was outstanding. This morning was all Jack White. The only quibble -- getting a beer was a bit slow. I also recommend the guests (!) -- this morning the elevator was not working and one new arrival, spotting an old man struggling down the stairs, asked if I needed help. I love that type of gesture. Finally, I was working at Humboldt University this week. The location is fantastic for HU.

24/7 reception open it is good. Almost 90 eur per room for 2 people, not center, no toilet in room, shower in room we couldnt normally use, it is with usual glass door, for me it is not comfortable to be naked infront of my friend. We had to make the bed ourselves, take it off ourselves, and carry it back downstairs. Having to leave with your things is completely inconvenient, it's not right for guests to take off their own linens, take them to the laundry, and then lay them out themselves when they arrive. The hallways were dirty, and the restroom was very dirty and smelled bad. There were only two outlets, and only at the entrance to the room. There were no outlets near the bed, so we had to run across the room to get to the alarm in the morning. It was cold in the hallways and in the room, but there was a heater in the room, but we had to fall asleep in the cold. The elevator didn't work, and one toilet didn't work. There was no mop in the shower to remove excess water. The room was noisy, when someone walked in the hallway, it was very audible in the room. You have to pay a separate deposit for bed linens, which is very strange; this is the first time I've encountered this. Breakfast only vegan - it is absolutely not ok because there is people who want eat normal food also not only soy. 10 eur for mandarin, too sweet jogurt, cheese and vegan ham - a bit high price.

In terms of hygiene standards, disgusting is my only word for this place. I don’t usually leave reviews like this, but my stay here was really bad - and I’ve stayed in some cheap hostels. I almost left but since I only had a short stay I decided to tough it out. All the bathrooms on floor 2 were in a horrific state. Each of them stinking like an outhouse. They put a message that guests should inform the reception if the bathrooms are dirty but seriously, if all the bathrooms (on floor 2) are dirty during the entirety of my stay then that is a problem with the cleaning, not a special case where there is one dirty bathroom. Around the room I stayed in, specifically in front of my bed and the one across, were these disgusting splatter marks (some bloody) that I thought would be cleaned up after the first night but no, it was left to fester on the floor (see photos). I think it’s safe to say I kept my bag on the bed and not on the floor….. Furthermore, the beds are very squeaky, so if you are sensitive to noise, trust me, you won’t sleep. On top of all that, some of the roommates in my 6-bed room dorm weren’t using the sheets for the bed/blanket which makes you wonder what the bedding has been through… Do yourself a favour and book another hostel. I’ve been to the sunflower hostel (same price) and its so much cleaner. Or pay a few more euros to stay in the nicer hostels Berlin has to offer. They know how to manage cleanliness and high volumes of guests much better. **That being said, the reception was friendly and the common area is ok.

Nice capsule very affordable and can share it with your partner. Sharing the area with others was not bad there was lockers available to use (not assigned) and there was a box of shared bathroom products. It is not too far from other major attractions about a 15-20 min walk. The hostel had a very nice court area to hand out or by the kitchen if you like and a dinning room to also hang out. Disliked · Breakfast was okay, did not know but is primarily vegan. The staff at this hostel are very rude more those who were always speaking Spanish. Upon check in the guy spoke so fast as if he was trying to get it over with hardly explained anything about where the kitchen was and after he was done speaking before I can ask questions he went back to talking to his other friends so I walked away. Few other rude interactions were during breakfast we paid for breakfast for 2 people I got one juice and when getting the second juice later she said "you already got juice" I explained about how this is only the second one but refused to serve me again. Next day I asked another staff if juice was limited and they said no. The staff alone makes me not want to come back again.

I arrived very late and had a check-in at around midnight. The staff were friendly and explained everything perfectly, considering this was my very first time staying at a hostel.||I shared a room with some individuals who were friendly and kept to themselves.||I had the opportunity to use the bathtub and the shower, but I couldn't really get myself to use them since they weren't particularly clean. Cleanliness was pretty much the only reason that I didn't give it a five-star review.||I paid 10 euros for a one night stay, and I mean, you can't really expect luxury for that price. So, you do a get great value for the money considering the low price tag.||I arrived in a car and parked at their parking garage, which had a daily price of 15 euros per day, which funny enough as you can see is more expensive than the actual price for the stay.||Overall, the stay was worth it, but I think I'd prefer non hostels for my future stays. Just a personal preference.

Great reception service, friendly staff, reasonably priced and good value. Working elevator! Pretty and relatively safe area. Great location. Overall a very cool concept.

This place at best offers an affordable bed to sleep in with a dirty and under stocked kitchen (something like 1 spoon, 3 teaspoons and a few forks and knives for a hostel of 100+). Having stayed in hostels across Europe this one gave off a rather souless vibe. I'd say that the guests didn't help with this. No one was very friendly nor socializing so would not recommend to a solo traveler. Lastly the shared dorm was weird and a bit shady. Never have I been so cautious to lock up everything. One man would stay in the hostel room most of the day and night vaping, eating, making coffee all out of his bed. And then he would get up and down throughout the night and eat food at 4am. People would also come check into the room in the middle of the night 2am. Which is disruptive in it's own right. The key card also broke after one night and needed a replacement. Showers have mold all about. Overall no bed bugs and a place to sleep so it's fine. But don't come here expecting a magical hostel experience it's very mediocre and I was happy to get out. I would not have felt safe as a solo female traveler given the clientele as well. Also location is accessible for tourist things and public transport. But in a rather dead part of the city for any evening activities, lacks a vibrant scene.

First of all: A 10€ deposit for the key card! (Not even the cheapest hostels in Berlin practice this). Second: NO ventilation, so prepare to sleep with your door open. Staff is very friendly. You will need to make your own bed and remove them before leaving. They have ONE shower for the 90 pods that are private. The other once are in a shared room, so everyone can look at you showering. Location: Its in Mitte. Nothing interesting there. It is more expensive cuz of all the tourists there. But close train station. Worth it moneywise? Nope! I cancelled my last booking there. I just need curtains for privacy. And you can get that closer to Alexander platz for half the price.

everything was ruined by members of staff. Brenden was amazing. Ricardo, the house manager however, seems to think he can rush into your room without knocking because he 'isn't staff, he's the manager and he can do what he wants. it's a dorm - not a private room and he can come in when he wants to check anything he wants' horrible experience. felt bullied by the staff as they were drunk on shift and quite frankly, behaving like teenagers. 3 times Ricardo raised his voice, was intimidating and completely unapologetic. I expect hostel stayers to walk in yes, but male members of staff should be knocking JUST like the cleaners do. apparently Ricardo is above all that and he can do what he wants. Not one member of staff is helping me lodge a complaint and the only solution from them is for me to leave with a refund of 1 night. my answer was, I don't think so, that's not a solution. you don't shout at women when they have already said that your behaviors put them in shock and a panic. it's ego driven, misogyny and disgusting behaviour towards a customer. AND , there is absolutely NO ONE for me to complain to about this. which is pretty scary to be honest. on top of that, they deleted my comments off their Facebook page and blocked me. I'm literally still here. and this is how they handle things. another member of staff refused to give me his name last night and said 'go ask him yourself' honestly, the people staying here are great. the staff are like a pack of wolves when you have an issue, it seems.

I've stayed in a few hostels in my day and the Heart of Gold was one of the best. I think with hostels it's all about the location, and this one is perfect. If you would like to find yourself smack-dab in the middle of east Berlin then this is a great place. You are literally in what is called the "Mitte" or middle of town. Upon check-in I found the staff to be superb. Everyone speaks at least English and German and they all seem to be pretty witty and fun to interact with. There is a deposit of I think 6 Euro for the sheets, and if you ask for one, they will give you a towel too included with the deposit. Hostels never give out towels! Awesome plus if you are like me and pay the 1 Euro for a towel at every other hostel and leave it behind because it's wet... One key element of any hostel is cleanliness, and this place is clean. Now when I say it's clean I'm talking clean rooms, lobby, and common areas. Now the one thing I didn't mention was the bathrooms. This is why I can't give Heart of Gold 5 stars. The design of the bathrooms is a recipe for failure. They are laid out in a "U" shape with three different sections, a shower on one side, sink and mirror in the middle, and toilet on the opposite side of the shower. The only problem is that the shower sprays water all over the place and water ends up pooling in the middle of the room. This is OK if you are the first one to shower that day, but it's kinda gross later on and they only clean the bathrooms once a day. Now when you are the first person to use the bathroom that day they are spotless! My recommendation is to take a look at the cleaning schedule, it seemed like they were cleaned around the same time each day, and use the bathroom accordingly! They have some nice accommodations too. There is a 24 hour bar, don't worry you can't hear anything in the rooms. There is a pool table, music, internet area, lounge, and even a courtyard outside where you can eat and drink. If you are on a budget the courtyard is a really nice place to hang out with friends and eat a prepared dinner rather than going out. There is a free breakfast if you stay more than 3 nights, otherwise I think it's 3 Euro. The breakfast is your average European style with a spread of toast (white/wheat), rolls, butter, jam, juice, coffee, tea, water, and best of all this one even has nutella! If you do decide to use the net cafe there is a fee, 1 Euro for 30 mins, or 1 for 15 mins I can't remember. As I said the location is great. If you walk out of the front door and take a left on Johannisstraße and then your next left onto Tucholskystraße you will find the Oranienburger Straße S-bahn. Change at Friedrichstraße and you can pretty much go anywhere from there. This hostel is also a 20 min walk from some major attractions like Checkpoint Charlie, Museums, Unter den Linden, Brandenburger Tor, Tiergarten, Reichstag, Postdamer Platz, and Alexanderplatz. Enjoy your stay at House of Gold, I sure did!

I would 100% stay here again. I was lucky and didn't have any issues with strangers walking into my shared room of 6 and no problems with the bathrooms, but the 5 stars come from 3 main reasons: location, amenities, and customer service. This hostel is right off of the Frankestrausse, a major thoroughfare and a 10 minute walk from the very big train station in the heart of Berlin. Very close to an S Ban and U Ban line as well, so getting around the city is super easy. Well within walking, scooter, or biking distance of the museum island and so many delicious restaurants. Also, two doors down is some of the best pizza I've had outside of NYC that's open late with a grocer next door for those late night beers. The amenities are really fantastic. Lots of different rooms to choose from with great price points. There is a grab bag of toiletries that people have left over with towel service. Really nice. The internet here is very good and fast, and they have tons of guides of things to do in Berlin. The bar in the lobby is really a great resource. Reasonably priced beers, a outside deck open late, the bar is open very late, and they have a decent breakfast for 5 euros in the morning. Customer service really is great here. Everyone who works at the hostel was super nice, very helpful, and even joked with us, a bunch of fat Americans. Extremely respectful and knowledgeable about the area and things to do. Would recommend!

Due to having to pay high prices for airfares at short notice , had to keep accommodation costs low so chose a hostel. Very centrally located and easy for transport. Not had previous experience of hostels. Rooms are mixed sex so noting other comments, you need to change in the shower/wc rooms. Not a criticism of this hostel itself, but a problem with hostels in common I guess is that you have to endure other guests snoring! Ear plugs essential. Buffet breakfast at 5 euro were good value but beware any extra orange juice is another euro.

One of the best hostel I've been in yet! First of all, the staff is absolutely fantastic! Really, the nicest most helpful staff I've seen! They are for the most really edgy and know their music, which of course only adds to the charm of the place. The mega dorm (50 beds) is not what you'd expect! It's divided in smaller rooms, and it's comfortable noise wise. The only downside would be the bathroom hygiene, only decent after cleaning. The 24 hour open bar and breakfast room is really well isolated, so you can have loud fun and people could sleep in their rooms. Cheap drinks, good music, some evenings movies and football is shown.

I went to the Heart of Gold hostel for a week in Berlin with friends, and I was definitely impressed. We were interrailing, so we had our share of hostels around Europe, but during the whole trip, no hostel came close in terms of quality. We chose the "Mega Dorm" and while the name may be a bit frightening at first, it is actually divided into smaller rooms. The place was very clean, there were absolutely no issues whatsoever. The people who work there all speak fluent English (I think many of them weren't German), and are definitely nice. Finally they have one happy hour, and their beer pricing is fairly generous, compared with what some other hostels in Berlin have to offer.

If I could leave 0 stars I would. I was in the middle of changing my top when a man opens my room door. I went downstairs to speak to the manager or person in charge, he did nothing whatsoever to fix the problem. I do not feel safe sleeping here after that incident. I would recommend paying a little more for a place where you can actually feel safe.

I chose to stay here because of the excellent reviews. However I am extremely disappointed and completely regret my decision. Absolutely no employee has the right to open the door to my room, the private room that I paid extra for. Apparently, according to the manager and person in charge, it is not a problem for their employees to open room doors without knocking. Before booking this place, keep in mind that there is no such thing as privacy here. Employees and managers believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with opening a client's door without a warning.

This hostel was fantastic. Great staff. CLEAN. Food was solid. Good location. And every girl is a babe. I would stay here again

First of all, this place gets major points for its Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy theme... When you use the bathroom by the bar, you can totally pretend that you're flying through space! And if you don't have an all-important towel with you, they will give you one to use along with your sheets. My friend and I booked beds in the mega dorm since we were short on $$$. I'm not a fan of huge dormitories, but I when I arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of one large room, the mega dorm has several smaller rooms with a few beds. I recommend walking allll the way to the back - you can get into the only room with an actual door, plus you are right by the fridge, sink, and two individual bathrooms. The bathrooms closer to the front are bigger, but there may be a bunch of people in there, and the shower kinda sucks. Also, the closer to the front you are, the more foot traffic/loud people you have to deal with when attempting to sleep off your hangover. Everything was clean by hostel standards. The location can't be beat. If you are a depressingly monolingual American, you can get by since the entire staff speaks English well. Tip: Follow the rule about using their bedding instead of your own. They check, and you will get called out.

A man opened my room door without even knocking. I am with a group of girls, we don't even feel safe sleeping here anymore. The manager or supervisor did not care to address the issue. It was a complete invasion of privacy and was unacceptable. I would not recommend staying here. Look for a safe place to stay!

Stayed here for 4 nights and had a great time. The staff was very helpful, friendly and professional. My friends and I thought our room was really clean and nice. There were great walking tours offered and 1 euro beers every night. Nice location as well!

The Hostel is big, maybe too big, yet it is very clean, the bar is great, the workers are always nice.