Youth Hostel Rapperswil-Jona — Hotel in Rapperswil-Jona

The fact that we were on a road tour and had 4 nights under our belts spent in very nice 3 star pensions probably added to our sense of doom as we arrived at the YH! It looks gloomy and the atmosphere IS gloomy! The room was a basic YH type - 2 sets of bunk beds and a sink plus a desk and two wooden chairs . The balcony was unswept in years and had no furniture but did offer a good view across the fields to the lake….and the Church. The Church bell chimed throughout the night which one of our party found very annoying! The bathroom facilities were spotlessly clean and the showers were good – it has to be said that there were not many people staying at the YH which could explain the spotless facilities – also had it been busier, a room opposite the facilities could have been very annoying with constant traffic up and down the corridor. There was only WIFI downstairs in the public areas. When we tried to hang out in the lounge for WIFI the TV was on very loud, showing a soap opera, so we did not stay!||A Plug adaptor was available on request without a deposit which was a nice surprise. This was the only place we stayed at during our 8 night tour where we were expected to pay on arrival rather than departure. I was a little taken aback to have to pay for all 4 beds in our room rather than the 3 I required but paid up as we did not wish to be joined by a stranger! We had ordered the in house three course meal on both evenings of our stay. Had we realised that there was a MacDonalds in the town just a few minutes cycle away we might not have ordered supper….certainly not on the SECOND night! The food was akin to school meals and the portions were small with no seconds on offer. At CHF17.50 per head we felt supper was over- priced. The second evening we ate supper on the patio which was pleasant, although no-one bothered to tell us where to go and we waited outside the dining room for quarter of an hour before someone directed us to dinner! Breakfast buffet was very good, however and made up for some of the disappointment of supper.||We had to pay CHF7 per day to park at the hostel which seemed a little steep for a space in which the neighbouring youths were kicking footballs about in!||Secure cages were provided for cycles but we left ours triple chained to the car rack. Good location in that it was an easy cycle into town or to the bathing area. Tempting pick your own...

Myself and four friends stayed for a night during a motorbike trip round Europe. We spent most of our day in Zurich, thinking the hostel would have the bare minimum of facilities, how wrong we were! First impressions of Rapperswil-Jona were god, and we wished we'd spent some more time in this area. The hostel itself appears to be a sort of converted chalet/farm house. ||||The owner was very friendly, and gave us a good introduction to the hostel, explaining breakfast, common rooms, internet etc. The room consisted of two bunk style beds, and a sink, with a small locker style wardrobe for each person. Bike kit takes up quite a bit of space, but the room was more than ample. There was a balcony overlooking the garden below, and the windows had mosquito nets allowing them to remain open during the night.||||The shower and toilet were shared by another two or three rooms, however this didn't pose a problem at any point. There was a large common room with a television, etc leading to a covered outdoor patio and garden. ||||Breakfast was, again, fantastic. A buffet of cereals, breads, fruit, yoghurt etc, and included in the price! There was also the option to make a lunch, the owners simply asked that you let them know and they would levy a small charge. There was a queue when we went, so if you need to leave early, make sure you are there as soon as breakfast starts.||||The hostel itself is in an awesome location, surrounded by mountains and right by a lake. My only real complaint is that I only spent one...

The Hostel is a little hard to find (using the in-car navigation, as it lead us to the nearest cross street), but once there the setting is wonderful with breathtaking views across Lake Zurich and the hills beyond. We had a 4 bed room (2 sets of single bunks), for 2 adults and 2 teenage boys. The room also contained a small desk/table and chair along with a sink (hot & cold water). The bathroom was a shared area (separate M & F) across the corridor. The staff spoke basic English, with only the Manager having a good understanding, but he only work day-shifts, so communicating after hours was difficult. The hostel had a good on-site laundry (washer & dryer) and well set up for kids of all ages. They had a play room for the toddlers, sport equipment (footballs & badminton equip) to video & pin-ball games in a room off the laundry for older kids. There are walking trails along the lake if this is more your style. The hostel offered cold buffet breakfast, more inline with a very good continental breakfast (offering gluten-free and dairy-free choices). The restaurant didn't open for lunch or dinner and offered little in the way of make-your-own facilities (only a kettle, small microwave oven and limited plates and cutlery in a small ante-room). Unfortunately there were no nearby restaurants or food-outlets...