The 4 best cheap ho(s)tels in Berlin

The Circus Hostel is not only cheap but also nicely designed and it offers good and professional service. There are a few private single rooms for guests who don’t like sleeping in a dormitory. They also have an in-house bar, a cafe and even their own brewery. If you’re looking for a bit more luxury book a room at The Circus Hotel (without the ‘s’) on the other side of the Rosenthaler Platz.

The Oranienburgerstrasse used to be the heart of the alternative Mitte district but these days it’s rather difficult to find a bar or restaurant with a heart here. Fortunately there are still some exceptions like the shabby X-terrain bar or the little Thai restaurant called Kamala. The Generator itself is a very well designed hostel that offers all modern facilities.

Marzahn is traditionally a poor district in former East Berlin and has a lot of Plattenbau: the German term for the concrete prefab apartments that were built under the communist regime. It’s still an absolutely non-hip but therefore also authentic part of Berlin. The pension has a lot in common with the Ostel (see secret 433) but it’s more genuine and a lot smaller. The owners claim to give you the ‘total Plattenbau experience’ during your stay.

This hostel in itself isn’t very special but it has a very nice atrium and a perfect location if you like to go out dancing in clubs like Yaam, Kater Blau or others near the river Spree in Friedrichshain: it’s so close by you can crawl back to your dorm if the night was a little bit too heavy.