Hostel Giraffe

When I stayed at Hostel Giraffe in summer 2009, I was very impressed! I always thought of hostels as being kind of sketchy in a «you get what you paid for» sort of way. Hostel Giraffe totally changed my mind. I went with 4 friends and we stayed in one of the rooms that held 12 (6 bunk beds).
Pros:
–not far from the train station
–there is free WiFi, free washer/​dryer, and free toast in the morning
–there is a bar IN the hostel. One of the nights we spent in Krakow was very rainy and it was great not to have to go out in the rain, but still be able to hang out and have fun at a bar.
–rooms were very cleanly, as were the bathrooms and showers
–they have a cabinet/​cupboard (that locks) for each person staying in the multi-​person rooms
–staff was very friendly and helpful. The front desk had maps of Krakow for free — along with maps for other major European cities. I wound up taking a couple and used them later when I went to Berlin with friends.
Cons:
–a 10 – 15 minute walk to the main square and 20 – 25 minute walk to Wawel Castle. I am sure there are hostels closer to these two points of interest (or in between them), but if you dont mind a bit of walking, Hostel Giraffe is wonderful. It is also probably cheaper than some of the closer options.

This is the best youth hostel I’ve ever stayed at. I can’t begin to describe what an awesome time we had here. Suffice to say, that after getting welcomed like family, working behind the bar, changing our flights to attend the staff Christmas party we came back very very soon! They have live music, a bar, loads of computers, some extremely attractive staff you won’t get bored.
If you’re ever in Krakow — or even Poland, make a beeline for The Giraffe. It’s dead central, dead cheap, and er, dead good.