Sofia · Bulgaria
Hostel Mostel
Bed bug reports
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Possible Google Maps
Wij hadden 1 nacht geboekt in Hostel Mostel om daarna voor 1 nacht richting de bergen te gaan, omdat we een goede ervaring hadden, boekten we nog een extra nacht bij achteraf. We sliepen telkens in een privékamer. Jammer genoeg bij de tweede nacht werden we wakker met (heel veel) beten van bedwantsen op ons lichaam. We hebben het hostel hiervan op de hoogte gebracht, ze zijn gaan kijken en hebben ons gezegd dat er niks te vinden was, dus ze hebben het probleem niet aangepakt of geen firma laten komen om de bedwantsen te bestrijden. Let dus goed op!
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Confirmed Google Maps
2 words. Bed bugs. Avoid it
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Confirmed Google Maps
Horribly unclean…dirtiest Hostel dorm I’ve ever stayed in and I’ve stayed in many! I was paranoid about bed bugs and was itching the entire night plus I don’t think they change the sheets before and after each guest… I had blonde hairs all over my pillow when I have dark hair…made my second night here horrible. Trust me when I say these dorms are something only a very seasoned budget backpacker can stomach and I would rather not travel than stay in a room like this ever again :(
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Confirmed Google Maps
The facilities where good. there where plenty of showers and toilets and the common area was really cool. The staff where very helpful as well and told us about the city. I stayed in two different beds over the week I was there and the first bed was fine but the second one I go had bed bugs. This was the only big con. They could of improved there pub crawl a bit but Other then that if you get a clean bed it is a good place to stay for a cheap price and a good place to meet like minded travellers.
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Confirmed Google Maps
I don't understand the positive ratings: people we met stayed in the dorm and reported bed bug issues. The private rooms which we booked were outside located (10 min away), very noisy at night due to loud tenants, dirty and cold. There was only a small electric heater which smelled terrible when turned on and was definitely not safe to use at all. Avoid this place. Maybe it was once good in the past, but now it's simply terrible.
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Confirmed Google Maps
Bedbugs and refusal to provide medical care! I was bitten by bedbugs and I had to call an ambulance in the middle of the night. The hostel said that cases like this were common and refused to provide medical care. After 2 days of severe allergic reactions (even using Claritine), I managed to get an appointment at a public hospital on my own and the hostel refused to buy the 4 medicines prescribed by the doctor. Terrible!!!! I don't recommend it to anyone!
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Confirmed Google Maps
This place is terrible. The bed sheet is not replaced. Themy bed already and the bed also has the poorest condition, so old that it makes almost broken sound. Gum is stuck on the frame. Moreover, I have been just waken up due to bed bugs or mosquitoes having bitten me. I hope not bed bugs... I can't find them yet
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Confirmed Booking.com
There are bed bugs on every bed
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Confirmed Booking.com
Awful, don’t know why people rate this highly. Terrible layout where had to stay upstairs in an apartment a walk down the street. Far too many people for the facilities / bathroom. Worst was a tiny sheet that barely covers over the mattress, another one to lay over, and a skanky quilt on top (with no cover) that has clearly never been washed. So when you turn over at all in the night you end up lying on the actual mattress. Got bed bug bites. Mattress terrible quality and really old. Honestly, for the price this is terrible value and horrible
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Confirmed Booking.com
The common area definitely needs some renovation For third night we had one really smelly person in the room. What was 🤢 And he was wandering around in his stinky underwear, I checked out as early in the morning as I could So the price is good, but if you can pay a little extra, you’d better book different hostel Vibes here can really be off
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Confirmed Booking.com
The toilets are very dirty; the beds are not clean; a guest found bed bugs; there is no isolation
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Confirmed Booking.com
nice People there, real social and good Location
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Confirmed Booking.com
bedbug
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Confirmed Booking.com
The cleanliness is to be expected for the price - aside from the sheets everything was very dirty, dusty and damp. What I think shouldn't be tolerated is bed bugs... I have multiple bites and now have to disinfect all of my clothes. They're no joke
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Confirmed Booking.com
Bedbugs and refusal to provide medical care! I was bitten by bedbugs and had to call an ambulance in the middle of the night. The hostel said that cases like this were common, changed my room, but refused to provide medical care. After 2 days of severe allergic reactions (even using Claritine), I managed to get an appointment at a public hospital on my own and the hostel refused to buy the 4 medications prescribed by the doctor. My health condition worsened because the new room was also full of bedbugs on the floor and bed (Arm, mouth, chin, neck and hand - Some photos attached)!!!! Other guests had been bitten too. It was terrible!!!! I would not recommend it to anyone!
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Confirmed Hostelworld
I would not reccomend staying here. The blankets had no covers akd were probably not washed in between guest. Everything else wad very dirty and smelly as well. Window in the dormatory did not open. SOME OF THE ROOMS HAVE BEDBUGS! and staff did not seem to care. Also most guest are older men so not good for femaoe travelers. We did meet some nice people and there is a cool common area but not worth the struggle.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
This is not a good hostel. The personal was kind but the place is old, not very clean and over packed. The bed wasn’t clean and I got bites, probably from bed bugs. I checked out to change place. You can find way better for the same price.
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Possible Booking.com
Las instalaciones se veían descuidadas, la llave de mi baño con el agua caliente estaba averiada 🥹 Llegue a considerar que había chinches 😵💫
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Confirmed Booking.com
Very bad hostel. They have other apartments in the same street where it’s disgusting and we had bed bugs in our room. I would not recommend, it was a nightmare. I couldn’t sleep the first night because of how broken was my bed, no ac, disgusting room, you should avoid it at all costs.
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Confirmed Booking.com
Run away. BED BUGS AND THEY KNOW ABOUT IT!!! They kicked us at 1am using the argument they refunded us after we found bed bugs. They also said its normal there is bedbugs because its an hostel…. The management is not really nice and helpful. The dirtiest hostel I’ve ever been. I came 5 years ago and it was such a cool place, big and clean dorms with curtains. Such a good experience. Today its a very different situation. Be very careful if you book here, they are lying. The have what they call « the apartment ». A a floor inside the building next door, with 2 rooms. Those rooms doesnt exist on booking or hostelworld so you pay the same amount of money for a shitty room you did not choose. Its very dirty (check the pictures). The blankets and pillows smells very badly, they do not clean the common area and rooms at all but at least the wifi is working well. They just want to make money on your back. Lets talk about the reception staff. From the minute we’ve met the guy at the reception, he was so rude and arrogant to us and some others guests. Making rude comments to his volunteers about some questions guests are asking and he probably find stupid. Apparently his ego is stronger than to make people feel confortable inside his workplace. Clearly you dont like your job anymore man so change it. Better for everyone.
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Possible Booking.com
Everything was pretty untidy and not very clean, as clean as people before would leave it, so you might be lucky you might be not, 1 small bathroom for ten people is not enough (which was dirty and shower filter stuck), bedroom extremely small, the linens of my bed were full of hair and I found two bugs in the bedding.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Bed bugs…Unfortunately I have to say this to warn people who can’t stomach something like this at all (like me :() I woke up at 4 am because of itching and had weird bites all over. I found signs of squished bed bugs. The beds are really dirty with hairs from strangers and the towel they gave me was also extremely dirty with brown spots. I am glad that they answered me at 4 am on what’s app and put me in another room that was freezing. It was a terrible experience but they gave me an 81% refund.
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Confirmed Booking.com
Except for the bed bugs (I know there is an epidemic of this in Europe,) that bit me in the middle of the night, everything went well. I was also worried about how they reacted after I told them about the situation. They washed my clothes, but nothing more than that. I'm not sure if they vacated the entire room in which the bed with the bedbug was located, as it could have gone to other beds and this would have been a good safety procedure and shows real concern for the guests. I also didn't like the stove in the kitchen of the apartment I was staying in (it took ages to make a simple pasta and I had to go to another part of the hostel. The attendants could also be a little more friendly; one of them was very impatient and sarcastic with me for simply The fact that I don't speak English well and I didn't understand how I could print a piece of paper on my own.
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Confirmed Booking.com
Me tocó una cama en otro edificio, con cama llena de bedbugs. Las instalaciones son viejas
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Confirmed Booking.com
Im traveling a lot and always in a hostel share rooms. This is the worst experience. It was very very dirty. Toilet always smelly, furniture is very old and used. But that is not the worst part. They do not change covers for sleeping after guests.. I was in room when cleaning team do the job and they just change pillow case and bed sheet but not the covers.. and this guests was here for 3-4 nights.. Even one cover was on the ground, they just pic it up and put it again on the bed.. after i ask cleaning lady why?? she was unpolite and angrily say to me that she did it..i saw on my ayes that she didnt.. After i ask on reception about situation, they was also not so much interested and say to me "we change it after ONE WEEK, bcs not all of you use it" WTF??? how do you know who use it.. And also, after second night i had a lot of bites on my neck. What i should think?? DIRTY AND probably bed bugs.
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Confirmed Booking.com
My bed had bed bugs. I think this says enough
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Confirmed Hostelworld
I just stayed one night, bedbugs bite me all night, very bad dirty sheets and airless roof making better with vantilators but can’t . The location is good. Facility bathroom are not enough, queues in the morning. Beds on the ground. Be careful not to hit your head to the roof.
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Confirmed Booking.com
They pushed 2 small beds together to try to trick me it was a big bed. I tried to sleep on it but of course the beds separated and I woke up on the ground. I just slept on 1 small bed moving forward after that. They never once contacted me to ask if I was enjoying my stay, or asked if I needed cleaning or toilet paper or anything. Bug bites, I have no idea what was biting me in that room. Maybe spiders, maybe bed bugs, I still have the bites many days after leaving.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Hostel was in a good location and had a friendly enough reception. However we slept on two foam mattresses on a dirty floor. We would not have had a problem with this as you get what you paid for however, we got eaten alive by bed bugs both nights we stayed there. It has been a week since leaving and we are still scratching away.
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Vibe Analysis
Hostel Mostel is a cheap, central Sofia base with a social side, but it is rough around the edges. The main draw is price and location, with easy access to central sights, Serdica, public transport, and nearby food spots. Some rooms may be in separate apartment-style buildings 5 to 10 minutes from reception, which changes the whole rhythm of the place. That can mean a walk back for the kitchen, breakfast, dinner, or common area, and the offsite rooms can feel much more basic than the main building. The common area can be lively, with a kitchen, billiards, pub crawls, and a chance to meet other backpackers. Staff can be friendly and helpful, though service is inconsistent. Breakfast is often a plus when available, but meal access, pricing, and seating can be confusing or crowded. This is best treated as a budget crash pad for low-expectation backpackers who value location and social energy over comfort. Cleanliness, bathrooms, mattresses, noise, heat, and room accuracy are serious weak spots, so it is not a good fit for anyone needing a reliably clean, quiet, or comfortable night.
Signals to check
- Some rooms may be in another building 5 to 10 minutes from reception.
- Bathrooms and kitchens can be dirty or poorly maintained.
- Beds and mattresses can be uncomfortable, noisy, old, or lacking privacy in larger dorms.
- Noise can be a problem from tram traffic, wooden floors, nearby rooms, and late-night partying.
- Card payment, free parking, free meals, towels, heating, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi may not match expectations.
- Lockers can be too small for full backpacks or suitcases.