Moscow: Hostel Home from Home

I booked the Home from Home Hostel in Moscow a long time in advance in the internet, because I wanted to stay there as backpacker from July 18 to July 19, 2010. The location of the hostel is really central – just around the corner from the Arbat Street. This was one of the facts, why I’ve booked the “Hostel Home from Home” in Moscow.

When I arrived, unfortunately they told me, that they don’t have any  free bed in a 4 person dorms as booked. They didn’t even have any free dorm beds! But they offered me a dorm-bed in another hostel. So I had to change to the “Monroe Hostel“, where I stayed after all one night.

They wanted, that I walk to the Hostel – they told me, it’s about 20 minute’s walk (I think, as I have seen the distance on the map, that it’s 45 minutes minimum). I told them staunch, that I am not interested to go one more meter with my backpack in the really hot Moscow city to search for the other hostel. After that, they organized a taxi and paid for it.

Unfortunately I cannot tell you too much about the hostel and the offered services, because I didn’t stay there. I met other travelers this day, which also had to change to the Monroe Hostel. All had a reservation for the not existing 4 bed dorm in the Home from Home Hostel. Be careful, if you book there!

The girls at the reception spoke English very well.

Location of the Hostel Home from Home:

• The hostel is close to the Metro station Smolenskaja. From there it’s about 5 minutes walk to the Hostel Home from Home.
• Directions and maps shown on Hostelbookers are right, but it’s is a little bit hard to find first time. Follow the plotted map on Hostelbookers. You will see a sign in a window in the higher floors of the yellow building. The hostel is in this house, but you have to go around the corner to an inconspicuous entry and go up to the 1st floor.
• The location of the hostel is really great – just around the corner of Arbat Street!
• In the pedestrian zone you find shops, cafés, restaurants and bars.

Summary

One of the best things of the “Hostel Home from Home” in Moscow is the location close to Arbat Street and the sights. But I have to tag this review with “warning”, because they don’t have 4 bed dorms as offered in the internet. I had to shift to another hostel, because all the beds were sold out. And that problem also other backpacker had there.

Unfortunately they don’t show all the warnings in the hostel booking homepages.

You can book in the Hostel Home from Home here or, if you don’t like it, choose another hostel.

And what experiences did you have in the Hostel Home from Home in Moscow? Tell us and write a review here!