Hostel Ruthensteiner

Starting as an apartment building in 1840s, and later a student residence, Ruthensteiner's legacy as one of the first independent hostels in Vienna began in the late 1960s, initially attracting people fleeing the Soviet Union. Worldly travelers have been coming together around its bar, a solid slab of cherrywood, ever since, and today it attracts a steady stream of young travelers on strict budgets. The general atmosphere is caring and communal, and guests are treated to free hot apple tea and mulled wine in the winter, or elderberry flower lemonade with fresh mint from the on-site garden in summer. 

The hotel is located in a quiet residential side street, just around the corner from public transportation providing quick access into the heart of Vienna. It's just one block to Mariahilfer Strasse, the city's longest shopping street, and there are lots of bars and restaurants within a few minutes' walk. The historic Schonbrunn Palace is less than a 10-minute drive. The Gumpendorfer Street U-Bahn and Westbahnhof train stations are both in close walking distance and the Vienna International Airport is a half-hour drive away.

The rooms at the hostel range from shared dorms with up to 10 bunk beds to private rooms in several sizes, some of which have their own bathrooms. Most of the rooms are remarkably clean, with hardwood floors and bright white walls, some of which have colorful accents in hues of peach and yellow. All dorm rooms have simple bunk beds with individual reading lights, but there's not much space between bottom and top bunks and taller guests might find it hard to sit upright without bumping their heads on the lower bunks. Beds lack ladders, but there are plenty of footstools for those who want to clamber to top bunks. Private rooms are available in several different layouts, and triple and quad rooms have bunk beds. Singles and Doubles get more conventional twin beds, but only some have private bathrooms. Both the shared and the private en-suite bathrooms are tiled and have small walk-in showers.

One of the hostel's best features is its pleasant outdoor green space, which features a herb garden and a patio with tables and a barbecue. However, the main social hub is the hostel's bar, which has a popular happy hour and a bunch of instruments for impromptu jam sessions. The communal kitchen has two ovens, two refrigerators, a microwave, cookware, dishes, and cutlery that guests are free to use. There's also free spices and cooking oil, as well as a free food pantry where guests leave leftover goods for others. The Internet corner has several PCs for those without their own computers and guests can borrow iPads from the front desk free of charge. Wi-Fi is free throughout.