Had to back out of a hostel booking in Prague because the check-in time was midnight

Booked a cheap place for $18 a night through a random site, showed up at 8pm and nobody was there. Called the number and they said check-in doesn't start until midnight since they turned the lobby into a nightclub. Spent 3 hours wandering with my bag trying to find another spot before finally getting a room at a grocery store's bulletin board listing. Has anyone else run into weird check-in rules like this in Europe?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_nguyen1mo ago

Ever notice how the "cheapest option" almost always ends up costing you more in the long run, whether it's a hotel room or a used car or a toaster from the dollar store? It's like we all have to learn that lesson over and over again before it finally sticks.

jennifersmith1mo ago

Oh man this is totally giving me flashbacks (not in a good way). I had a similar thing happen in Budapest last year - booked a "budget hostel" near the train station and showed up around 9pm to find the whole ground floor was a karaoke bar, no front desk in sight. The guy at the bar just waved at the stairs and said check-in was "whenever the party ends" which was apparently never. I ended up sleeping in a 24-hour McDonald's until like 4am when they finally let me grab my key. The worst part was they still charged me full price for that night even though I barely used the bed. Learned my lesson about reading the fine print on those super cheap listings because they're usually hiding something weird like a nightclub lobby or a check-in window that's like 2am to 6am.