Best budget accommodations in Romania
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Felinarul Hostel (Sibiu)
Web info: Come and rest in our Transylvanian nest, Sibiu’s only boutique-style hostel and every day you can enjoy our organic breakfast for free. Owned and run by a Romanian/Irish couple, it promises a friendly welcome. The old house has been renovated with great attention to detail, with a mix of vintage Romanian furniture and crafts alongside modern facilities. The intimate cobblestone courtyard is a quiet oasis of calm in the heart of the old town, where customers and friends can hang out in the shade and sip a beer or glass of wine. The hostel also has chill-out zone, complete with library. An organic home-made breakfast is served each morning free of charge.
Leif’s take: A 14-bed sanctuary, roughly mid-way between the train station and the center. The Romanian-Irish husband and wife team have put a lot of thought into the design, including tasteful German, Hungarian and Romania influences. On Thursdays they whip up a Transylvanian Goulash, served with a palate-sterilising shot of tuica, naturally.
Flying Time Hostel (Sibiu)
Web info: Located in the heart of the old town of Sibiu (Hermannstadt), the 18th century building is probably the best choice the budget traveler can make when it comes to fun, comfortable and cheap accommodation.
Leif’s take: In an 18th-century building designed to stay naturally cool, this place has ‘classic’ furniture and decor courtesy of an interior designer’s brain splatter. There’s great beds, a flowery inner courtyard, a cafe serving excellent coffee and a basement pub that gets raucous at the weekend.
The Midland Youth Hostel 2 (Bucharest)
Leif’s take: Slightly less central than the original (now closed), but run by the same good people. They have dorms with 14, 10 and six beds, a large kitchen, computers, wifi and lockers for all. The large common area has TV/DVD and a cool skylight.
Kismet Dao Hostel (Brasov)
Leif’s take: This is a busy, dorm-y, four-floor, six-room villa. They have a DVD library, playful staff and one free beer/soda each day to get your evening started. It’s the party-leaning hostel in town.
Rolling Stone Hostel (Brasov)
Leif’s take: Run by the high-energy, friendly Bolea Family, the Stone is a welcoming hostel spot with a more homey feel. Unfortunately, it gets pretty tight in the kitchen and bathrooms. They also rent private apartments off-site.
High Class Hostel (Suceava)
Web info: Your best choice for accommodation in Suceava for the painted monasteries in Bucovina. We offer the best trips to these UNESCO awarded painted monasteries with a licensed tour guide who can explain lots of the stories behind the 500 year old frescoes of painted monasteries. Come and try us out!
Leif’s take: Monica, your interminably good-natured, problem-solving host, is a licensed tour guide for all of Romania and has particularly encyclopaedic knowledge of Bucovina, Neamt and Maramures. Not surprisingly, she leads outstanding monastery tours. The comfy hostel occupies a flowery villa, five minutes walk from the bus station. A self-cater kitchen and laundry service are available.
Retro Hostel (Cluj)
Leif’s take: On a quiet lane amidst 16th-century citadel wall fragments, the happy, superbly run Retro is one of Romania’s best hostels. The larger dorms are a bit tight, but colourful with gold walls, moonlight windows and sunshiny bedspreads and the privates are a good value. The chatty and tirelessly helpful staff offer maps and good-value day trips.
Transylvania Hostel (Cluj)
Leif’s take: The leafy inner courtyard is prime end-of-day, cruisy, drinking territory. Even without the copiously consumed alcohol, this centrally located, 50-bed place is disarmingly welcoming, with all the next-gen hostel attributes: PCs, wi-fi, home theatre, large self-cater kitchen and combo sauna/massage showers inspired by Star Trek. The privates feel a bit overpriced.
Nathan’s Villa Hostel (Sighisoara)
Web info: The 1st hostel in Sighisoara and still the best. 3 years after opening we have moved into a new house and completely remodeled the historic 100 year old building on the inside! Brand new bathrooms, heating system, fully equipped kitchen and 24 hour hot water. The dorms have nice, thick mattresses on the beds. We have a billiard table, bar and lounge with cable TV. Outdoor BBQ area with seating under the grape vines. Guests who book only one night never just stay one night. We have created a unique atmosphere and do our best to entertain you with parties almost every night and extremely helpful English speaking staff.
Leif’s take: This is Sighy’s main backpacker hub, with a bar in the basement, pool table, wi-fi, a basic breakfast, self-cater kitchen and laundry service. It’s an easy 200m walk west of the train station. They say guests who book one night never stay one night, that’s probably because Nick, the guy in charge and a world class enabler, usually keeps guests in the bar until well after 1am (and reasonable sobriety).
Pensiunea Ruxi (Curtea de Arges)
Tel. +40 (0) 727 827 675
Str Negru Voda 104
Family-run Pensiunea Ruxi, sitting inconspicuously across from Hotel Confarg, is exceptional. The rooms are new and comfortable (though the walls are smidge thin). Never mind that, the real treat is the homey atmosphere, where the family will go to heart-breaking lengths to take care of you. Daughter Ruxandra speaks passable English and sweet taking her will likely win you access to her computer for a quick, gratis email session. A home cooked breakfast is three euros and is served on in front of the TV, with remote control at the ready. Just like home.