Hamburg Accommodations

• Instant Sleep, Max-Brauer-Allee 27 (www.instantsleep.de), Bright, spotless dorms, colorful murals, and personal lockers in every room for safety ensure what the name promises. The real highlight, which causes more staying up than the opposite, is the common room complete with foosball table, hammocks, benches, and a comfortable loft for lounging. A young backpacking crowd gathers here every morning and evening for socializing. U3, S11, S21, or S31: Sternschanze. Sheets included. Free Wi-Fi and Internet at guest terminals. Dorms €16.50; singles €31; doubles €45; triples €62. Reception W-Sa 8am-2am, Su-Tu 8am-11pm. Check-in 3-8pm; call ahead if you're arriving outside these hours. Check-out 11am. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
• Schanzenstern Übernachtungs-und Gasthaus, Bartelsstr. 12 (www.schanzenstern.de), In the middle of the upbeat Schanzenviertel, this guesthouse has bright, hotel-like rooms on the upper floors of a converted pen factory. Big windows look out over the red-tiled rooftops of Hamburg, and the hostel shares a block with an independent film theater. The hostel owns a laid-back adjoining cafe with a shady courtyard and porch swings. All showers ensuite. U3, S11, S21, or S31: Sternschanze. Breakfast €4.50-6.50. Laundry €5. Sheets included. Free Internet terminals for guests, Wi-Fi €2 per hr. Dorms €19; singles €38.50; doubles €54; triples €64; quads €78; quints €95. Reception 6:30am-2am. Check-out 11am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
• Schanzenstern Altona, Kleiner Rainstr. 24-26 (www.schanzenstern-altona.dess), On a quiet residential street, this bright hostel is filled with light from the common area's full wall of windows looking over the adjacent courtyard. Spacious rooms with pine beds and ensuite baths. S1, S2, S3, S11 or S31: Altona. Wi-Fi €2 per hr., Internet on guest terminals free. Sheets included. Breakfast €6.50. Dorms €19; singles €44; doubles €59-69; triples €74; quads €84; apartments €79-100. Reception 7am-11pm. Check-out 11am. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet.
• Jugendherbergen Hamburg (HI), Alfred-Wegener-Weg 5 (www.jugendherberge.de/jh/hamburg-stiftang), So close to the harbor, you could (almost) jump out your window and go for a swim. The panorama dorm can't be beat for views, though it's closely seconded by the lounge area, which looks out on the water from a wall of floor to ceiling windows. Request a view; not all rooms have a good one. Rooms are small but comfortably furnished, with checked sheets and yellow walls. S1, S3 or U3 tp: Landungsbrücken. Internet terminals €1 per 10 min. Breakfast and linens included. Panorama dorm €19.90; dorm with ensuite bath €22.90; doubles €59.90; triples €74.70; quads €99.60; quint €123.50; 6-bed room €148.20. Reception 24hr. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet.
• A and O Hostel Hauptbahnhof, Amsinckstr. 2-10 (www.aohostels.com), A far better choice than its sister hostel on Reeperbahn, this A and O is light and bright, with spacious rooms and big windows. Large televisions and a pool table in the common area make it a gathering place for backpackers and traveling groups alike. Even more popular is the lobby bar with drinks (from €2), open 24 hours. A free English walking tour leaves daily from the hostel entrance. From the Hauptbahnhof, go south on Klosterwall, cross Deichtorpl., and then follow Deichtorpl. west as it turns into Amsinckstr. Wi-Fi €1 per hr. Breakfast €4. Sheets €3. Prices vary. 8-10 bed-dorms from €12; 4-6 bed dorms from €15; doubles from €25; singles from €39. Reception 24hr. Check-out 10am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
• Backpackers St. Pauli, Bernstorffstr. 98 (www.backpackers-stpauli.de), A creative maroon and pink mural of Hamburg's canal scene dresses up a funky lounge area, complete with bar and television, but the fun decor doesn't extend to the rooms. Light cream walls and black furnishings, including personal lockers in all rooms, make up the clean but bare dorms. An outdoor courtyard has a firepit and barbeque for guest use. This hostel is about an eight minute walk from the nearest S-Bahn station. S1, S2 or S3: Reeperbahn. Free Internet on guest terminals. Breakfast €4. Bedsheets €2. 8-bed dorms from €19.50; 6-bed dorms from €23; 4-bed dorms from €24; triples from €25; doubles from €30. Reception 8am-midnight. Check-in from 3pm-1am; call ahead for other arrivals. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet. Serves alcohol.
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• Campingplatz Buchholtz, Kieler Str. 374 (www.camping-buchholz.de), Less of a campground and more of a glorified parking lot, Campingplatz Buchholtz—though mostly filled with RVs—can offer you some room to pitch a tent, but not much in the way of nature or scenery. About 30 plots in a gravel and cement paved area lined with trees and surrounded by residential houses, just off a busy road. The campground also runs a bed and breakfast. S1, S2, or S3: Altona, then bus #183: Basselweg (20min., 2-3 per hr., 5am-midnight). Follow the bus 100m; the campground is just off the busy street on your right. Quiet hours 10pm-7am. No tent rental. €5.50 per tent. Bed and breakfast singles with bath €60; doubles €70. Reception M-Th 8am-12:30pm and 3-7pm, F-Sa 8am-noon and 2-7pm, Su 8am-12:30pm and 3-7pm. Does not take credit cards. Wheelchair access.
• Arcade Hostel, Kieler Str. 385 (www.arcade-hostel-hamburg.de), This hostel is all chic hotel-elegance. About 20 min. outside Altona, Arcade compensates with sleek dark wood, cool gray granite, red walls, and warm lighting. Bedrooms have newly painted beige walls, black furniture and televisions. You might think of Arcade as more of a low-end hotel than a hostel S1, S2, or S3: Altona, then bus #183: Basselweg (20min., 2-3 per hr., 5am-midnight). Follow the bus 200m, the hostel is across the street, on your left. Sheets and Wi-Fi included. Breakfast €6. Singles with shower €35-45, with ensuite bath €46-58; doubles with shower €46-58, with ensuite bath €65-85. Reception M-F 6am-10pm, Sa-Su 7:30am-10pm. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.
• A and O Hostel Reeperbahn, Reeperbahn 154 (www.aohostels.com), This hostel's interior design choice in the middle of Reeperbahn's erotic shops and strip clubs,is just as seedy. Exposed piping, bare walls, flourescent lighting and linoleum floors don't do much in the way of charm or warmth. With A and O's often low prices, expect to get what you're paying for. S1, S2 or S3: Reeperbahn. Sheets €3, breakfast €4. Dynamic prices, call ahead to check. 8-10 bed-dorms from €12; 4-6 bed dorms from €15; doubles from €25; singles from €39. Reception 24hr. Check-out 10am. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
• Hotel Königshof Novum, Pulverteich 18 (www.hotel-koenigshof-novum.de), Large rooms on a quiet street in Hamburg's gay-friendly neighborhood. The atmosphere is relaxed and professional, with big windows and bright decor. In-room amenities include a television, radio, and phone. For perfect peace and privacy, and a place to stay in a welcoming area of town, this could be worth the extra euros. Take Adenauerallee, which runs past the southern end of the Hauptbahnhof, and turn left onto Kreuzweg. Turn right onto Pulterteich. Free Wi-Fi. Sheets included. Prices vary. Singles from €50; doubles from €60; triples from €80. Reception 24hr. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has internet.
• Hotel Annenhof, Lange Reihe 23 (www.hotelannenhof.de), There's nothing understated about the bright teal and coral walls, or the feet of intricate white molding running around the ceiling of every room, but Hotel Annenhof still manages elegance and excellence. To experience old Hamburg's old money years with a twist, there's no better place than this pension. Rooms are large and well-lit with large windows and hanging chandeliers. From the Hauptbanhof, take Ernst-Mecke-Str. (on the north side of the station), and follow it as the street turns into Lange Reihe. Sheets included. Singles €40; doubles €70; triples €100. Reception open M-F 8am-8pm, Sa-Su 9am-6pm. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access.

• Hostels And Camping

Schanzenstern Übernachtungs- und Gasthaus, Bartelsstr. 12 (☎ 040 439 84 41; www.schanzenstern.de). U3, S21, or S31 to “Sternschanze.” In the middle of the electrifying Schanzenviertel, this guesthouse ...more

• Hotels And Pensions

Hotel Annenhof, Lange Reihe 23 (☎ 040 24 34 26; www.hotelannenhof.de). Brightly colored walls offset striking moldings, making these well-priced rooms feel like a rainbow during the Gilded Age. The ...more