Oldtown Hostel Otter

There was a refrigerator in the room which was nice. They also had a kitchen and free simple breakfast. Reception was really helpful in recommending places to go and they also had a booklet which was very helpful. The beds had curtains but were not very comfortable, the only thing that can be improved.

Convenient location. Close to several popular food vendors. Well managed in general. Bath rooms are clean. Lockers are provided for free. Bed room has no street noise, but some noise from people going up and down stairs. One of two showers on third floor has cold water and small amount of water. The towels are genuine sand paper. My mattress sags. The bedroom was filled with body odor.

Best location, very close to a lot of main attractions. Make sure to reserve directly hotel's website (a bit cheaper). The design could have been more simple if they just pick one or two colors for the walls instead of ugly drawings. Some cereals, bread, jams and coffee/tea is nice to have, thanks! They should start to charge people who leave their dirty dishes in the kitchen :)

Nice hostel with great service. They were able to accommodate one of my requests. Very quiet and great location. My one small complaint is that the ceiling over my bed was a bit low and I bumped my head a few times. Overall nice place that I would recommend.

PROS: Location is good. Staff is friendly. Lots of tea varieties and coffee in the kitchen. They let a slightly earlier check in, that was thoughtful considering the rain outside. Very very clean showers & toilets. There are hairdryers, shampoo, soap, papers etc. These are good. They give you one towel. Room & locker is big enough. Good room key system. Smooth check in & out. Lift (it has multiple floors). Kitchen has everything you may need. Quiet street in the night. CONS: Making your own bed. Bed sheets are old, they should be renewed and ironed no matter what. Bed itself is dead. The mid was collapsed and caused back pain. Pillows are so thin, beyond acceptance threshold. Quilt is probably not cotton, makes you sweat like hell. Air system in the room is terrible. You either get too cold or too hot. Building is very old maybe thats why maybe because of the way walls are painted. I got terribly sick and had multiple allergy attacks due to a big ventilator hanging on the wall covered completely with dust. It made me stop breathing and it was not removable. Imagine no one is able to think about cleaning it! That was easily vacuumable and yet dust had been accumulated there maybe for months! Same problem is with hairdryers: the back of them is also covered with dust. The walls must be painted. There was only plaster on some! Furniture must be renewed with the first chance. You get its an old place but in this modern Instagram world, hostel really needs a touch to be chosen again. Especially the common area next to the kitchen looks really bad. Needs modern lockers with proper keys. Not worth this money :(

Beds are clean but not comfy for a tall fella. Excellent value for money in a really lovely part of town.

Clean, nice, central location. Great vibe inside. One of the most affordable places to stay in Zurich, but it’s still super pleasant. The VIEW!! Amazing!! They provide free towels and soap. High speed wifi. Fans but no ac in my room. Super walkable area. They have a bar downstairs where guests get a discount on before 10p.

There is one toilet and two showers per floor. There is no sink in the washroom, but there is one in the shower area and in the room. So I have to leave the toilet without washing my hands (completely unhygienic) to get to a sink. One door of the showers did not lock, so even though there are two shower stalls, there was only ever one person in the shower. The rooms are unbearably hot at night, and I like the heat and never sweat, but one night I woke up completely drenched in sweat and so hot and uncomfortable. And this was not even in the middle of summer. The building has the worst air circulation I’ve ever seen. I stayed a week in the hostel and only got one towel, which is ridiculous. The free breakfast is minimal and sad. Bread, jam, margarine, and cereal. And it is only available from 8:30-10:30am. Once it is over they come and lock up the breakfast, which I found silly because why would I want any of that food after breakfast time. I stayed in a mixed dorm, but there is one floor that is “female only” but I heard that they let a male stay in there, though it is definitely not allowed, and there was a empty bed in my mixed dorm. Definitely look at other options before booking this one. You might find you’re better off on the street than staying here. Also had to make my own bed and bring down my bedding at the end of my stay, which felt cheap.