Every once in a while, I stay at a hostel that is done right. There’s no other way to say it—it’s just good. Dream House Hostel in Kiev, Ukraine, is like that. You can clearly tell this is a professionally-run hostel, and it definitely made my stay easy. Here’s my full review!
Location: Dream House Hostel has a superb location in Kiev. The hostel is located in the Podil neighborhood, which I absolutely loved. The hostel is less than a 10-minute walk from a Metro station, so getting around the city was easy. It’s also very close to a Puzata Hata (the only thing you need in a hostel??), and also very close to a giant 24/7 supermarket. Staying in this neighborhood was one of the reasons that I loved Kiev so much—there was always something happening, even if it was just live music in the main square. It’s also located on Andriyivskyy Descent, which is a really popular, beautiful street.
Room: I stayed in a 6-bed dorm room for my 5 nights in Kiev. While the room was small, it wasn’t cramped. Each bed had individual reading lights and plugs, which I absolutely loved. They had lockers in the room (you could get a key from reception), which weren’t huge enough to fit my luggage, but had plenty of room for my valuables. My only comment is that they could have done with screens on the windows, as I got bitten by mosquitoes a lot at night.
Price: The price for Dream House Hostel was excellent. I paid £36 (~$47) for 5 nights, making my cost about £7.20 (~$9.40) per night. This is a great value for money, as the hostel was so nice and offered so much more than just a bed. This was the first place where I thought, “yeah, I could stay here for a month or two.” Prices start at roughly £7 // ~$9.15 for dorms per night.
Bathrooms: The bathrooms have separate rooms for toilets and showers on each floor. There are three toilets and three showers in each. Each shower is in its own private cubicle, which I really appreciated. The bathrooms could have done with having the toilet paper re-filled during the mornings, as it ran out in some stalls in the mornings. But all the bathrooms were cleaned regularly.
Staff: The staff at Dream House were absolutely phenomenal. They helped us organize a daytrip to the Tunnel of Love, and even though it didn’t work out, they went to great lengths to help. They served as the contact person for BlaBla Cars, and emailed and messaged me on Facebook me with updates. The daytrip ended up not working out due to transport, but I really appreciated their help. They were all super nice and happy to answer any questions I had.
Common Areas: There’s a large downstairs common area by the reception, as well as an outdoor area with seating. Both are great for relaxing and hanging out. My favorite part was the fully-equipped kitchen in the basement, which was quite large and always quiet. There’s a popular café next door to Dream House, called Druzi, which was always quite busy and had both food and drinks available all day.
Amenities: Dream House Hostel has laundry on-site, which was really cheap. It was only 60 hryvnia // ~£1.75 // $2.30 for a load! They also have luggage storage in a secure (keycard access) room. The wifi worked well everywhere, and there were computers for guests in the reception area. There’s a great social atmosphere, and I could tell that it would be easy to meet people if I were traveling solo. There are events regularly throughout the week at the hostel, including bar crawls, tours, Ukrainian language lessons.
Security: The hostel has keycard security, so I felt really safe. They also have 24/7 reception as well, so there’s a staff member around if you’re arriving late or need something during the night. While the café is attached to the hostel, you need to have a door code to get into the actual hostel part—so people who are just hanging out at the café couldn’t get into the hostel. The hostel entrance is also through a small courtyard, so it’s not right on the main street. The neighborhood was fun and I felt safe walking around there.
Verdict: Would I return? Absolutely. Dream House Hostel is well-run, and you can tell—they know what travelers want, and they deliver. It was an excellent value for the price, and the hostel was a great base for exploring Kiev. I highly recommend staying here if you find yourself in Kiev. Dream Hostels are a chain, with locations in several different cities around Ukraine and in Central/Eastern Europe. You can visit their website here.
What do you like about hostels? Are there any things you dislike? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I was not compensated in any way by this hostel—my opinions are always my own.
