The Circus Hostel

The Circus Hostel is a laid-back, budget property that encourages camaraderie and environmentally friendly practices. It opened in 2001 and underwent a huge renovation in 2010. But new additions and tweaks continue to roll out and in 2013, the lobby was renovated and a cafe and bar, Kat & Maus, was opened. In 2015, a microbrewery was added to the bar to provide seasonal beers. Eco-friendly touches include recycling bins and solar panels for electricity. Common areas are bright and colorful, with chic hanging lamps and quirky art throughout, plus rocking chairs in the lobby. The bar provides a more comfortable lounge area with black booths and barstool seating, plus a small library of books. Hallways are clean, with colorful walls and even a mural of David Hasselhof. Unsurprisingly, clientele tend to be young, international backpackers looking for a cheap, fun place to stay. 

The Circus Hostel sits in a lively neighborhood filled with restaurants and bars just a one-minute walk from Volkspark am Weinbergsweg. Other attractions within walking distance include the Berlin Wall Memorial and the Foundation New Synagogue Berlin, both 15-minute walks away. A U-Bahn station across the street and a tram stop around the corner lets guests reach sights that are a bit too far to walk, such as Brandenburg Gate (21 minutes), the Holocaust Memorial (20 minutes), and Checkpoint Charlie (18 minutes). It’s a 22-minute drive to the Berlin Tegel Airport. 

With a range of units from shared dorms clear up to spacious Studios with balconies, this hostel offers a mix of spaces. But decor is fairly consistent: It's clean, contemporary, and simple. Colorful walls and boldly printed wallpaper add cheer to wooden floors and basic, IKEA-like furniture. All rooms have lockers or safes, but they lack air-conditioning. Dorms can accommodate three to 10 people and have separate metal beds (in smaller dorms) or bunk beds (in the larger rooms), plus tables with chairs, reading lights, and shared bathrooms. Private rooms have en-suite or shared bathrooms, while Studios and the Double Deluxe Rooms are equipped with full kitchens, complete with microwaves, stoves, ovens, kettles, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges, plus furnished balconies. En-suite bathrooms have small walk-in showers and hairdryers, but no toiletries. Showers in the shared bathrooms are a bit more spacious. Linens are included in the price, but towels cost extra to rent.

The on-site cafe and bar, Katz & Maus, is hands down the best feature of the hostel. Beyond the trendy design, it offers a breakfast buffet (for a fee) that is served into the afternoon. During the day, the cafe offers light meals and drinks upstairs, while at night, the bar comes alive and serves a variety of drinks, including seasonal craft beer from the hostel’s on-site microbrewery. There's also a library right in the bar. Each week, the hostel organizes on-site and off-site events including trivia nights and walking tours. Other amenities include bike rentals, a public computer, luggage storage and lockers (both for a fee), and free Wi-Fi. There’s no communal kitchen, laundry room, or on-site parking, but the hostel can provide permits for street parking in the neighborhood for a fee.