Hostel Old Town Kotor — Hotel in Kotor

Unfortunately the worst (and most bizarre) hostel experience I had in Europe. Could have been good but encountered quite possibly the most unhelpful receptionist of all time.

Had been backpacking Europe for some weeks and was almost out of clean clothes, so I booked two nights here in Kotor quite specifically for the purpose of doing some laundry (in case it would need a full day to dry after).

After checking in I went back down to reception and asked about doing some laundry here. The guy just stared at me blankly and said 'no you can't do laundry here'. So I asked if there was a laundromat or something nearby and he said 'no, there's none in the old city'. So I kept asking if there was anywhere in Kotor I could access a washing machine and he kept saying no. I eventually asked him how the people in Kotor wash their clothes and he just blinked at me and said 'I live 10km away and have a washing machine at home'.

So defeated, I enjoyed my first night here (the drinking games in the common room downstairs were sweet). The next day, wandering around I discovered that of course the hostel did have a laundry next door. There was a lady there washing the sheets. I asked her if I could do clothes there (or anywhere else) and she said yes, just ask at reception.

So I went to reception again with my bag of dirty clothes and asked again if I could do laundry and he again kept saying no. I understand if the machines are just for sheets and not customers (though no one explained if this was the policy and nearly everywhere else I've been this is not an issue) but when he couldn't even tell me somewhere else to wash clothes I started to lose patience with him. I didn't swear or shout but just said that I thought he was being very unhelpful and that I would have to find somewhere in town to wash clothes that day one way or another.

I went back to the laundry lady and told her the reception had said no. She rolled her eyes a bit (does this happen often?) and said she'd just do it for 5 euros and give it back to me tomorow. I said 'thank you, that's fine' and gave her the bag.

About an hour later I'm back in my room when the reception guy and one other come upstairs, throw my bag of dirty laundry at the foot of my bed and tell me I need go leave 'because of my behaviour'. I figure there's no arguing so I pack my things and leave, only asking 'is every hostel in Montenegro this ridiculous or just this place?' He just tells me to stop talking. Also I apparently can't get my money back for the second night.

But wait, the story's not over. After leaving I sit down on the corner for a while as I need to use the wifi to book another place (Hostel Pupa). I got there and was nearly done checking in when the manager came downstairs, asked me my name, and then said I couldn't stay there either (apparently the other guy had just rung him). I at least got my money back there and went looking for another place. (Apparently I am now blacklisted from every hostel in Kotor because of my passionate desire not to wear dirty clothes all through Europe).

I eventually found an apartment hotel across town,1km away. First question I asked of course - can I do laundry here? and he said 'sure' and showed me the washing machine + dryer downstairs no problem. So we had our happy ending! Left Kotor the next day.

I can only say this is the most baffling encounter I had in months of travelling. Normally it doesn't matter if you're in Japan, Philippines, Turkey, etc you have no problem using the laundry or at least getting directions to the nearest one. This was a shame as otherwise the hostel was quite nice if not for the very unhelpful and incompetent staff. I would not recommend unless you have plenty of...

I’m writing this review primarily for anyone considering volunteering at Old Town Hostel, rather than for potential guests. I spent just over a week volunteering there and unfortunately had an extremely negative experience.||The manager, Milan, was one of the most disrespectful and unprofessional people I’ve ever encountered. He was rude, sexist, and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and unsafe. Despite completing all my tasks, he unfairly targeted me—spreading false accusations and creating a hostile environment, especially after I voiced concerns about sudden changes to our schedule. He also singled me out during a staff meeting which was absolutely crazy to me and all my friends asked me if I was ok afterwards. ||Volunteers typically worked about 3 hours each morning, cleaning beds and bathrooms, but it never seemed to meet Milan’s standards. We then would work another 2 hour shift in the evening. After he forced my friends and me to cancel plans due to a minor cleaning issue, things escalated. I ultimately had to leave early because I no longer felt safe staying there. I was more or less fired, but left on my own terms due to the situation. The following day, my two other friends who I had met at the hostel and were also volunteering packed their stuff up and left with me. ||If you're thinking of volunteering here, I urge you to reconsider. The job is simply not worth it and Milan is incredibly unpredictable. After all, it is a volunteer position and I’ve never had to do this amount of work at the other hostels I volunteered with. I’ve also attached some photos of texts with Milan showing some of the things he has messaged me both during my time and then...

Many thanks to the volunteers that work at the hostel, they really are what makes the hostel!

Special shout out to Greta, who has been very attentive and approachable throughout my stay and made me feel comfortable from day 1 (it felt like we had been friends for ages), to Fatih for bringing the energy to every hostel activity, he really was the life of the party! Diego, for being the loveliest human being and of course, Sami, for bringing his own vibe and character to every interaction, questionable taste in music for me to slag off and offering a free lift to the airport on my way back home❤️

As the service from staff/volunteers working there were top notch, the only areas of improvement I would say is the available facilities. I was assigned the attic room which had a bathroom that I believe could be refurbished - everything in that bathroom was inconveniently located. There was no separation between the shower and the toilet which meant the water would cover the entire bathroom floor (which explains why there are signs of water damage on the bathroom door), shower drain was located below the toilet seat and the shower curtain would touch you as you sit on the toilet seat. The bathroom could also do with some silicone work and re-grouting as there is visible yellowing throughout. Maybe an extension of the bathroom into the room is what is need to solve these issues and provide optimal guest experience as it was really off-putting to shower in that bathroom. As well, my bed was very squeaky to the point that every turn I made would...