Stay and Learn Residence

kpvincent
kpvincent
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
Reviews
9
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Editor Pick

Stay and Learn Residence

  • February 27, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by travellingdave from Calgary, Alberta
Stay and Learn Residence

Stay and Learn hostel is a mixture of the good and the bad, combining elements of everything you want in a budget accommodation, along with many things you'd rather avoid. This complicated situation makes rating this hostel difficult.

I arrived and checked into my dorm room, which was clean, but in minor disrepair. The television did not function, the beds were a bit rickety, and there was noticeable dust around the room. The bathroom was another story, with it being clean as could be, sparking with an almost unbelievable cleanliness. My bed was comfortable, but cold. Luckily, the hostel provides all linen for free, including down comforters and wool blankets. Towels are also provided, which is a rarity in many hostels.

The atmosphere was smoky - simply put. If you are sensitive to smoke, have allergies, or are travelling with small children, this hostel is definitely not for you. The clientele are severe chain smokers, and during the evenings all the guests congregate in the common area / lobby / breakfast room to use the hotel's complimentary WiFi signal, smoke, and drink beer (available for purchase at around double the price of retail).

The hostel was quiet enough, but the 24 hour open door policy can be annoying, especially if you are trying to get a good night's sleep. Once I managed to fall asleep (I was the only one in a ten bed dorm), three new guests barged in at around 2am and took bunks. The hostel allows check-in at any time of day, which can be good for you if you tend to be a late arriver, but it can be an issue for people who don't want to be disturbed.

Breakfast is included, and features homemade muesli, cereal, coffee, tea, milk, and a variety of German breads, along with the standard butter and jam. It's an all-you-can-eat style place, so eat as much as you want.

The hostel is not very useful in letting you know their exact rules. They had said a locker rental was $2 euros per day, but when I checked out, they charged me $4 euros, because they count the 6 hours I had the locker on Friday night, and the few hours Saturday morning at two separate days.

Dorm beds are a flat $20 euros per night. Single bedrooms start at $40 euros per night.

There is an Easy Internet cafe on-site for those who want to check their email or surf the net. It's around 1-2 euros per hour.

The hostel is located directly across from the Train Station (literally right across the street), with train noise not even being an issue. The hostel is within walking distance to all of Frankfurt's sights.

I recommend this hostel as long as you know what you're getting into, and you're willing to shell out the extra few euros they might milk through locker rentals and expensive beer. Most of these drawbacks are easily made up for through the excellent breakfast buffet.

From journal Mainhattan - Fun in Frankfurt

Stay and Learn Residence

  • August 30, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by f05 from Praha, Alabama, Czech Republic
Stay and Learn Residence

The Stay and Learn Hostel is an excellent way to experience Frankfurt. Some of the staff gives excellent service. Though it’s in a sketchy part of town, the location is perfect, since it’s really close to the Hauptbahnhof-Central station. The sheets and washrooms were clean, and I definitely would recommend staying there!

From journal 1-Night Stay in Frankfurt

Editor Pick

Stay and Learn Residence

  • August 14, 2002
  • Rated 3 of 5 by kpvincent from Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Stay and Learn Residence

Despite its name, this place appeared to me to be primarily a hostel, albeit an independent one. I think they may also run classes in German, English and/or computers, but it didn’t seem to be overrun with students of any type, except the foreign traveling type. When I arrived, there was a respectable-looking family (a couple and 3 kids) checking in at the same time, so it’s not just for students.

They offer beds in rooms with differing number of beds. Although I had signed up (online) for an 8-bedded dorm, the dorm I ended up staying in had 6, each with a chair next to it. From what I gather, the dorm rooms are all coed, and they all cost around 20 euro per night. There are also singles, doubles, triples and quads available, but of course these cost more.

While some of the other rooms have their own bathrooms and showers, the dorms don’t. But the shower and bathroom were right next door to my room, and there was another one around the corner on the same floor. The shower, bathroom and my room were all very clean.

The only complaint I had about my room was that the hall light was so incredibly bright, and there was no way to turn it off. The first night I spent there I had the room to myself, and when I turned the light off I wondered where the other light switch was. I couldn’t sleep, and ended up getting out a book and reading simply from the light from the hall (and no, it wasn’t bad for my eyes!). On my third night there, a guy stayed in the room who had stayed in another room on the same floor, and he said the other room was much better. So, I guess it’s the luck of the draw.

One very nice thing about this hostel is that they have 6 computers with internet, and it’s free! And only one time did I have to wait for a computer. There is also a bar in the room with the computers where they serve many cold drinks.

The other great thing about it is its location. It is across the street from the Hauptbahnhof, so it is convenient for everything in town. Of course, this also means you’ll be right in the middle of the shadier side of the city, which congregates around the main station, but I never had any problems at all.

Find out more about the non-dorm rooms at their website, http://www.room-frankfurt.de/, where you can also make a reservation. There does not seem to be info on their dorm rooms there, although you can find out about (and book) them at the independent hostel site for Europe, http://www.hostelseurope.com/germany/germanyhostels.html (scroll down to see the listing, and click on the Reservation button at the top to make one).

From journal Sampling Frankfurt in 3 Short Days

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