The common area at this hostel is not tiny, but it's quite cosy, so you can interact with other…read moreguests if you want. They have free pasta & rice, as well as free cereal in the mornings (for a light breakfast). My room had a big table & an extension cord with many power points. The power outlets by the bed came with 2 power plugs - both European and Swiss style, which was considerate!

I can't say enough good things about this hostel. I stayed here on two separate occasions due to…read morehow nice it was. The staff was helpful and kept everything very clean. There is a large common area with kitchen and laundry facilities (1 washer and 1 dryer). Free tea is always available and there is a vending machine with snacks, drinks, and supplies such as laundry detergent. I stayed in different 6 bed mixed rooms during my stays. Rooms were clean and the storage lockers for guests were large and secure. The hostel occupies 5 floors of the building, note that there is a night club on the first floor. The desk has earlplugs for those who want them, however I never noticed any noise from the nightclub in either room I stayed in (3rd floor and 5th floor). The floor with the common area is directly above the club and the floors with rooms are above that. So if you're worried about potential noise, I would recommend requesting a higher floor and you should be fine. The front desk sells Swiss Army knives at a discount, hats, magnets, and some children's souvenirs. They also sell fondue kits that you can use to prep your own fondue for two in the kitchen, saving you from paying 25 francs or more at a restaurant. Note that during Covid times (November/December 2021) the front desk has shorter hours. Let them know if my you're checking in late and they can leave your key in a lockbox by the front door.

We didn't stay here, but we had pizza and beer here twice. There are not many options for food in…read moreGimmelwald, so competition is not a factor. Needless to say, I wasn't excited about the "famous" pizza when I first heard about it. But, the kids were hungry and we weren't about to head back up the hill to Mürren. I am glad we tried it: I think their pizza is good by at-home, large city standards and fantastic given the location! As far as food goes, I think the menu at the hostel is limited to pizza, but it is executed well and definitely worthwhile. In addition to the pizza, they have a small bar with two beers on tap: light and dark. While we were there, they were out of the dark, but their light was very drinkable and the local craft brews available in bottles are good as well. I had a hoppy amber that really hit the spot on our last evening in town. I think it was called "Two Jocks" As of this writing, you can get a cheese and tomato pizza for 16 CHF and can add up to 4 toppings for an additional 3 or so CHF. Even better, the pies are ready really quickly! I recommend using some of the chili oil on the tables if you want to spice things up a bit. Pizza and beer makes a great, no-brainer end of day meal after a long day of hiking around the area. They also have soft drinks and other harder stuff at the bar (Jack Daniel's, for instance). If you don't want to stay, you can order the pizza to go and eat it in your room. Just remember that pizzas are not typically served pre-cut in Europe, so you may need a knife if you're sharing :)

Amazing views!! Right on the edge of a mountain. Clean hostel. Everyone does their own dishes here…read more Family style, homey feel. Free breakfast is offered. Only down side is there is one bathroom for everyone with 3 toilets and 3 showers. You also have to pay 1 frank to shower for 8 minutes of hot water because the hot water is limited up in the mountain! Lol. The views and location make up for everything! They have a free laundry room here as well and free billiards room. Also really good beer! 1/2 liter for $5 at the hostel bar. Cheaper than the brewery next door and it's the same beer.

I think this is the first HI hostel I've been to where it's not compulsory to be a HI member…read more Certainly this is the first where there were mixed sex rooms. The crowd kept to themselves, probably because this hostel is so big, the common area does not facilitate interaction (which is a flip side of a large, spacious common area). It welcomes guests of all ages, unlike some which (try to) enforce (relative) youth in guests. A good breakfast with a good spread is included in the price (there're even some local products), and it starts at 6am! Lunch & dinner are also available at reasonable prices (for Switzerland). The room was quite roomy. The power socket was really near bed - just above it, though it was recessed as is common in Switzerland so not all power adaptors will be able to use it. The lockers were both in the room and large.

This is a hostel located at prime location! You'll be close…read moreto everything in Zurich, perfect for tourism. I loved the rooms, the hangout areas, breakfast - all impressive! However, one thing that concerned us were, surprise parking fee which was not mentioned before. Overall it's pricey but maybe worth it!

We were pleasantly impressed with our 4-person private room. Besides having to share 2 bathrooms…read moreamong 5 rooms on the floor (which we rarely had to wait for), we were very happy with the balcony view from the 2nd floor, the availability of amenities like a hairdryer, as well as a fully stocked kitchen and dining area. Everything was clean, and the reception staff were friendly. Excellent value for what we paid! We would 100% stay again.

Surprised that there aren't more reviews of this place on Yelp. I've just enjoyed a weekend stay at…read morethis hostel after a previous 1 night visit 10 years ago. This was the perfect and affordable location to enjoy Lauterbrunnen. The (dorm) price at 30 CHF is reasonable, but the dorm experience reminded me that it's also dependent on the guests, with etiquette and sleeping habits proving to be highly variable among the other guests. While that was a source of slight irritation to me, it also made me appreciate choosing the "upper" (loft-style) bunk in my room and focus on other aspects of the hostel's experience, including a wide-ranging worldly group of guests and the amusing reality of the longer you stay, the more senior you become, which was particularly apparent over the course of a weekend.

If you're planning a stay in Interlaken on a budget but still want comfort and friendly vibes,…read moreBackpackers Villa Sonnenhof is a good hostel to use as a base. The rooms and facilities are well-maintained overall. The staff are super friendly. My sister became good friends with the guy who cleans up the kitchen area at night. It's an excellent value for money. Breakfast and bus passes are included, although we didn't use the bus passes much since we have the Swiss travel pass. The bus stops right in front of the hostel, and very convenient. They mark any food in the fridge & pantry left over by guests who already checked out with a free sticker so that current and new arrivals can have them if they wish. A pretty good deal, minimizing waste, and helping out current guests. Having fully equipped kitchen was great. The only downside is if you have roommates who are not neat and/or respectful. Our shower was flooded the first day we arrived by one roommate who was checking out that day. But you can't really choose roommates if you're staying in a fully booked hostel.

I've done capsule hotels before, but this was my first time staying in a hostel (although we did…read morehave enough people to get our own room). I think this is a great choice if you're looking for a budget accommodation and don't mind the hostel environment. Having 4 people so you can book out a whole room though was definitely helpful for us since you never know who you'll get, and we didn't want to deal with that coin toss. PROS - Extremely friendly and helpful staff. We had a very large group checking in, split across multiple rooms, and with people checking out at different times. But the staff was more than happy to assist us! - Plenty of lockers to store your belongings. We were able to do so while waiting for our check-in since we arrived a few hours earlier than our check-in time. - Lockers available inside each room too for you to lock your things up if you're sharing a room with strangers - Lots of common area space including ping pong tables, kitchen and dining area, laundry, breakfast area (with complimentary breakfast), patios, and a kids room. - Comfortable beds with an outlet and shelf even for the top bunk - Close to a bus stop and within walking distance of the train station CONS - Only 4 washers and dryers so you may have to wait like we did when trying to do laundry late at night. Quite a few people weren't the best about taking their clothes out on time either. - Shower situation wasn't the best. There was a flimsy shower curtain, but as soon as you turned the shower on, it would blow inwards and stick to you the entire time. Because of this it didn't do a great job keeping water in either so the floor would get pretty wet. - We came in July and the room was very warm even at night. We did try keeping our window open but since there was no screen, we were worried about bugs and only kept it open a crack. Overall, could use some minor improvements but I think that's the hostel experience. Great for travelers on a budget!

AMAZING HOSTEL. I…read morestayed at this hotel for two nights, then one night at Geneva Hostel, then back here for my last night. It was great because they were both very close to each other, making the move quick and easy. The location is relatively close to many of the big shopping districts and tourist sites, and is very close to the Gare Cornavin station, which made it very easy to get to and from the airport. My first two nights, I stayed in a double bed private room, and my last night, I stayed in a three people dorm. All rooms come with lockers and a sink, and I loved that the outlet was right above your bed, and with USB charger ports. The receptionist, Vivian (Vivienne? Vivien?) was so so sweet and made my check in and check out process both times very easy. He remembered me when I checked in for my second time, which was very sweet. You're provided with sheets and a towel, and locks for lockers are provided for a deposit that you get back after returning it. There's also individual refrigerator lockers that you can borrow for another deposit, if you don't want to use the communal fridge. Everything about the hostel was great - I would highly recommend it to anyone staying in Geneva!

I stayed two nights at City Hostel on two separate occasions in the last two weeks. Both times I…read morestayed in a three-bed, female-only dorm with a shared bathroom for half of the floor (32 CHF per night). The rooms are small, but the facilities are quite nice other than that. There are sinks and mirrors in the rooms and two showers per half-floor, but I never had a wait and the water temperature is good (which is a rarity in hostels). For a 10 Euro deposit, they provide refrigerator lockers, which is quite a lifesaver in Geneva where food will cost you your arm. Seriously, use the fridge and get all your food at Manor or Lidl! Check out is at 10am, but they provide lockers downstairs so that you can store your stuff and still make use of the day. They will even let you hang out in the common room after you've checked out! Things to beware: The key cards snap in half at the slightest touch. It happened to me TWICE. The first time the guy at the front desk charged me 5 CHF, but the second time the big guy in charge was at the desk and seemed a big angry that I had been charged the first time. So if they charge you, wait and talk to someone else! Only other downside: No complementary breakfast :-( But, again, the fridge lockers makes this AOK.

This was by far the biggest hostel with the most to do than any hostel I have ever stayed in the…read moreworld. I love how everything is set up for numerous places to chill comfortably. Two different buildings with pianos and one has a guitar. Pool table, dart boards grill, bar, nightclub below ground and activities every day. Don't let me forget to mention the huge kitchen. The biggest kitchen in any hostel I have ever stayed in. Maybe because this hostel is huge. They've been doing this since 1907 and these folks know what they are doing and do it well. I definitely recommend that you check this place out!

I stayed at this hostel for 4 nights and I loved my entire stay. I stayed in a 10 bed mixed shared…read moredorm; the room was spacious and very clean. I loved the huge window in the room, the view was beautiful and it always smelled fresh and crisp. Furthermore, the bathrooms are nice and kept very clean. I loved the showers, I spent 3 months in over 12 hostels in Europe and the showers at Balmer's were my favorite! Very modern and well thought out. Now for the most important part, the vibe here is amazing! Since it's Interlaken, you'll meet a lot of adventurous people who'll be down to go on day trips and excursions, which was amazing for me as a solo traveler. There's not much to do in the area at night so a lot of people from the hostel gather to play board games and chill - these were some of my favorite nights of my entire trip. It's not the most social hostel because the staff doesn't plan events so your fun will depend on the guests staying while you're there, but lucky for me it was a great night every night. There's also a foosball table and a hot tub, need I say more? As for location, it's walking distance to the Interlaken Ost train station, a bus stop (that can take you to and from the Interlaken West train station), and numerous markets/shops. Note: The hostel gives you a free bus pass upon checking in, you can use the bus pass to ride the city busses for free! The only negative is that laundry is very expensive, I paid the equivalent of $25 to wash and dry one small load of laundry. I was shocked. Plan your trip so that you do laundry right before you arrive here, or wait until you leave. Overall, this hostel is a gem. I already have my second stay booked this summer!!!

Love the honey beer its amazing! One of the best places to enjoy a drink in Biel :)…read moreI heard food is great too but I havent tried it.

Cheap and confortable place where spend few nights. Clean and gentle people. I definitely recommendread more