80%

there aren\'t many choices in Irkustk, this one we stayed in was reasonable, just like the others, nothing special. (ps its is a shared aparment rather than a proper hostel.)

Hiu Man, from Hong Kong ~ Jun 23 2008

64%

To be honest I would like to write about a few anoying Problems: 1.VERY hard to find 2. No staff employed, the owner pops into the Hostel(a 3 Room flat) infrequently. 3. The owner is pretty greedy, made us pay for a night we did not sleep there, just because we had reserved. 4. Made 5 guys sleep in a 2 Bed room, but charged everyone full price, 500 ru for sleeping on the floor... 5. Owner speaks very good english, has good knowledge of the area, is mostly friendly (if its not about money) 6. Forget free Coffee, or Bred and Biscuits as described. 7. Kitchen and Bathroom are very new and clean, nice atmosphere created by the travelers themselves. Thanks for reading..

Read Owner Comments

Alexander, from Germany ~ Jun 18 2008

70%

There aren't many hostels to choose from in Irkutsk (4?), and I think most of them are like this one - more like an apartment than a traditional hostel. This place has 2 private rooms and a dorm, with a shared bathroom (incl a washing machine) and a kitchen that doubles as the common room. It's cheap by Russian standards but expensive if you've just come from Asia. Note that the manager is NOT generally onsite so don't expect to just arrive here and get a room - they only take Internet bookings. The only contact you're likely to have with him is when you arrive and if you need to register your visa (which he will do for the usual fee), though you can phone him if there are any problems. He was extremely helpful when I spoke with him. The hostel is walkable from the station (maybe 25 minutes?) - in fact the whole town is small enough to negotiate on foot. Despite having booked a private room, I turned up to find it had been taken by another guest - the manager gave me the dorm to myself at a slightly reduced rate. (I didn't feel like complaining too much as I'd messed them around by giving them the wrong time to pick me up from the station - a common newbie confusion due to train times generally being in Moscow time rather than local time). The other private room was taken by 2 friendly local students on a long-term rental (until June 2008, I think). I didn't find it easy talking to Russians when I was out and about, so it was refreshing to have some local people to chat to - I think they were also glad to be able to practice their English. Generally I've not been a fan of staying in hostels with long-term residents, as people tend to i) resent you for coming into "their" turf, and ii) treat the place like a pigsty, but fortunately that was not the case with these two. Like many buildings in Russia (in my limited experience), it was T-shirt/shorts weather inside even though it was well below zero outside. The bathroom in particular was stifling, with the kitchen not far behind (though at least you could open the windows in the kitchen and the bedrooms). I didn't make use of the kitchen facilities but they looked comprehensive and in good nick. I would stay here again. If you're in the Irkutsk simply to see Lake Baikal, it's best to come in June according to the manager (who runs high-end trips of the area, as well as a couple for budget travellers).

John, from England ~ Mar 16 2008

80%

Wasn't Leonid fault that the place was quiet, we were only people in the place, and he was very helpful. also organised a fantastic trip for us to lake baikal. Would recommend it if you had a crowd

Seamus, from Ireland ~ Oct 9 2007

20%

The hostel was closed when i got there waited for over two hours and then gave up DO NOT STAY HERE. Downtown backpackers was by contrast very friendly and is highly recommended

Peter, from Wales ~ Sep 29 2007