Picture this! You’re traveling around Europe and ask yourself – where should I stay the night? Here in Berlin! When you come to Berlin, the choice is huge. There are hundreds of hostels. Today, we are going to be show you three unusual Berlin hostels. These hostels are affordable, and yet very special. On the water, in a factory building and in a small capsule. But could I even sleep in a capsule? That’s for us to find out later.
The Eastern Comfort
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, to the Spree. Here you’ll find the East Side Gallery. The longest remaining piece of the Berlin Wall is one of the most popular sights in Berlin. On the other side of the East Side Gallery is my first hostel, the Eastern Comfort. A place in a multi-bed cabin is available for as little as 19 euros, while a double room in first class costs 82 euros. Here you see our first class cabin. Nice little double bed. All first and second class cabins have a small bathroom. And some have a great view, too. This is really cool, that view is just fantastic. The hostel ship also has an events space. Â 
And here you have our lounge. It’s a normal bar, basically. But we also have special events, like sometimes we have live musicians. We have regular English comedy hows on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. And as one might expect on a ship, there’s also a terrace on the upper deck. Here directly on the river, sunny side, you see the Oberbaum bridge, have a nice view. And you can sit here on the side, drink a coffee, a cocktail. It’s pretty nice, especially in summer. This is really a nice setting. But do you have any trained lifeguards on board? Have any guests fallen over or anything? No. it doesn’t happen really that somebody fallsover. In the summer sometimes people just jump in the river and they are asking for towels. Does it ever get rocky in here like when there’s storm and stuff?
When it’s really stormy and the wind comes from east or from west then it can happen that it’s a little bit wonky but you don’t feel it. So no seasickness? No seasickness. In my 11 years I’ver never seen somebody seasick here on the boat. Now this location is definitely unique. Especially with this view of the Oberbaumbricke, and I mean we’re on a boat! What do you think? But I will not be satisfied that easily.
The Hüttenpalast
The next candidate for a cheap and unusual accommodation alternative can be found in the equally hip district of Neuklln. The Hüttenpalast is somewhat hidden, in a typical Berlin courtyard. Welcome to Hüttenpalast. This is what we call indoor camping in Berlin. You can choose from vintage caravans and wooden cabins which have been lovingly restored to become simple sleeping accommodations. One night here costs 70 to 100 euros. Basically there’s nothing more than a bed inside, but you always have your little terrace infront of the caravan, it is like real camping style.
But of course, it’s not only caravans, it’s also little cabins. Which is also probably a very German little thing, these little wooden cabins in the forest or in the mountains. So how did you come up with this idea with the caravans in the middle of the city? 10 Years ago there were many little start ups coming here and we tried to find something that was still needed. We started to think about a place where people could stay overnight. Not a big hotel, not a hostel, something in between, something nice and private. And we wanted to keep the architecture of the big hall. If you put in walls the architecture would vanish, so that’s why we came into this room in a room concept. So what kind of unique experience can guests expect to get here?
I think it is all about – of course – the camping feeling, sleeping in a small room, but sharing a big room. You actually get in contact with your neighbors, because they are not soundproof, you would hear your neighbor snore, but on the other side, people are very respectful with each other. And also, you get in contact with the other neighbors, because you would be curious to have a look inside their space, “this is mine, do you want to have a look,” then you get in contact. And it’s not as anonymous as in other hotels where you just receive a room key and then vanish.
The Space Night Capsule Hostel
The Hüttenpalast is quite an original but what I’m going to show you next is even more extreme! Here we have, since recently, the first capsule hostel in Berlin. I just have to check this place out! Last stop, Berlin Mitte, very central, next to a main road: The Space Night Capsule Hostel. Hey, I’d like to stay in a capsule here tonight! Perfect! The Capsule Hostel in Berlin opened in early 2022. The space-saving hotel concept is a trend from Japan. This is the capsule, you just need to scan the card here. A capsule like this costs 55 euros a night. This plastic box with glowing lights has something of a spaceship vibe. Washing facilities and lockers are also available, but the sleeping capsules are definitely the main attraction.
Okay, now we are going to try to catch some Z’s here tonight. I’m very curious how this is going to go. Good night! So my first impressions so far, I feel like I’m on a space ship, it’s pretty cool. So, it looks like I can charge my devices in here, set the air flow. There’s two fans in here, which is good because there are no windows in here, so there is no other opportunity for air flow, so I guess I’m gonna keep this up on high.
Okay, don’t judge me, ignore this horrible mess. I’m just trying to figure how I’m gonna be comfortable in here with all my stuff. I mean, I guess there’s enough room, I just have to be less messy. I’m one of those people that can sleep through any situation, but this is a new one. Good night! Good Morning. I think I slept okay. I woke up a few times. But maybe that’s just because it’s a new environment for me. But yeah, it’s quite comfortable in here. My night in the space capsule, a success. Wow, that was supercool. Not the best sleep I ever had, but still really interesting. What do you think, would you dare stay at capsule hostel like this?
