Oldtown Hostel Otter — Hotel in Zurich

There's lots of mixed reviews here primarily because this hostel is a mixed bag. It best be described as a party hostel in the loudest part of town. The place was "cleaned" daily at nearly exactly 10AM (whether or not you were awake) and overall service was ok, they are maintaining what they have but it's not great.

For reference, I will describe what is offered. When reception is closed you may self check-in with a machine at the door using a code that was emailed to you, when entering you're met with a dark dingy concrete stairwell circling up that for some reason always smelled like cigarettes. Going higher you'll hear an echo and shouting from various rooms with their doors open reverberating in the concrete stairwell. The entire place is dimly lit with dark walls and limited lighting. Once you get to your floor you'll smell the bathroom (both sewage and shower smells), and find the room well marked.

The rooms was fine. Wooden luggage lockers, outlets galore, vanity sink, mini-fridge, big windows that let in all the light from the neighboring building, and wall mounted fans. You'll immediately hear the incredible amount of street noise from not only the bars and clubs, but the residence across the street that was throwing a wild party till about 4AM. The beds have a pad that isn't cleaned or washed, but you are given a zip up sheet that incases the mattress. No one used it as intended, preferring it as a blanket. This was probably the loudest hostel I've ever stayed in, all coming from outside.

The showers aren't cleaned, there's all sorts of fluids on the walls that was there the entire stay. The baskets and shelves are full of other people's stuff leaving no room for any of your personal items.

The "cleaners" for the room simply come in to take out the trash and remove the old sheets and place folded clean sheets on the new bed. Maybe sweep as well if needed. Nothing else is wiped down or cleaned up.

I stayed for several days and it was far from my worst hostel experience, it was acceptable. No bed bugs, fans, mini-fridge, good people in the room, big storage lockers. Too bad they're the only hostel near the center as I'd prefer a different place if...

PROS: Location is good. Staff is friendly. Lots of tea varieties and coffee in the kitchen. They let a slightly earlier check in, that was thoughtful considering the rain outside. Very very clean showers & toilets. There are hairdryers, shampoo, soap, papers etc. These are good. They give you one towel. Room & locker is big enough. Good room key system. Smooth check in & out. Lift (it has multiple floors). Kitchen has everything you may need. Quiet street in the night. CONS: Making your own bed. Bed sheets are old, they should be renewed and ironed no matter what. Bed itself is dead. The mid was collapsed and caused back pain. Pillows are so thin, beyond acceptance threshold. Quilt is probably not cotton, makes you sweat like hell. Air system in the room is terrible. You either get too cold or too hot. Building is very old maybe thats why maybe because of the way walls are painted. I got terribly sick and had multiple allergy attacks due to a big ventilator hanging on the wall covered completely with dust. It made me stop breathing and it was not removable. Imagine no one is able to think about cleaning it! That was easily vacuumable and yet dust had been accumulated there maybe for months! Same problem is with hairdryers: the back of them is also covered with dust. The walls must be painted. There was only plaster on some! Furniture must be renewed with the first chance. You get its an old place but in this modern Instagram world, hostel really needs a touch to be chosen again. Especially the common area next to the kitchen looks really bad. Needs modern lockers with proper keys. Not worth...

We booked a 4-night stay at Oldtown Hostel Otter from June 21 to 25, 2025, through Booking.com. However, upon check-in, we were extremely disappointed to find that the room provided was significantly different from what was shown in the listing at the time of booking. There was neither an air conditioner nor enough fans in the room.

The room lacked proper ventilation, which made it very uncomfortable, especially due to the hot weather. It was quite suffocating and clearly not suitable to accommodate 6 people, as advertised. Additionally, the washroom door was placed right next to my bed, causing discomfort as every guest had to pass by frequently to use it. Most importantly, the room lacked basic cleanliness and had a noticeable odor, making our stay unpleasant.

I approached the reception immediately and requested a room change or an upgrade, but my request was denied without any consideration. With no other accommodation options available at the time, I was left with no choice but to cancel the booking based on their suggestion. I was also told I would need to contact Booking.com for a refund.

I understand the booking was under a no-cancellation policy, but I believe comfort, hygiene, and honesty in listing should be a minimum standard, regardless of cost. If a room does not meet the basic expectations of cleanliness or is inaccurately represented, guests should be offered an alternative or at least partial...