A while ago TimesOnline published a list of Europe Top 10 Boutique Hostels. The list is based on ratings on HostelBookers.com.
Few ratings may have changed meanwhile, but here’s the list as of last June:
Lisbon Lounge, Lisbon
La Controra Flashpackers Hostel, Naples
Centric Point Hostel, Barcelona
Mleczarnia Hostel, Wroclaw
The first thing to notice is that more and more hostels are catering for flashapackers. The one in Naples has the word “Flashpackers” even in the name. The old days to stay in an hostel meant to go for the cheapest accommodation, no frills, no privacy, and of course no luxurious extras like a flat screen TV. The Flashpacking phenomenon is really growing, and hostel owners are aware of it.
To me it was striking also how many of the best hostels are located in East Europe. Out of 10 hostels 2 are in Poland, 1 in Prague and 1 in Budapest.
While Prague and Budapest are acknowledged tourist capitals, Poland is not often mentioned as a tourist destination. That means that while Prague is already boosting with tourists and prices are getting more expensive, Poland still offers a lot of jewels virtually tourist free and with very affordable prices.
Wroclaw, Market Place
Warsaw, Krakow Gdańsk and Wroclaw just to mention the most known destinations, still offer luxury for the flashpacker at very reasonable rates. There’s plenty of culture, architecture, history and gourmet food to be discovered. Have a look at few cities here for example, and get ready to discover one of Europe’s best kept secret.
Popularity: 31% [?]
