Polish hostels are world-class

Plenty of hotels are popping up around Poland, but travelers often complain that hotels are too standardized and impersonal. Now, hostels in Poland are capitalizing on Poles' famous hospitality and individuality, while at the same time making a name for themselves worldwide and giving a boost to Poland's tourism industry. "Mama's Hostel" in Kraków and Warsaw's "Oki Doki" took fourth and 10th place, respectively, in the "Hoscar" awards for the 10 best hostels in the word.

The Hoscar awards are voted on by backpackers on the hostelword.com website. In 2006, some 50,000 voters judged 12,000 hostels. The high ratings for Mama's Hostel and Oki Doki were based on their location, cleanliness, customer service, security and fun atmosphere.

Oki Doki guests can choose rooms according to their taste in fairy-tale themes. For instance, one room carries the moniker "The Realm of Narnia." Mama's Hostel offers a special breakfast on Tuesdays, a Wednesday "Fruit Garden" and teatime on Thursdays when guests can hear about the sights in Kraków and get help organizing trips or even finding long-lost relatives.

Many hostel representatives say the charm of a hostel's unique atmosphere persuades people to choose them over hotels.  "Hotel stays are rather impersonal. Visitors stay in separate rooms and hardly get to know the other guests. The contact between guest and staff is more tangible in a hostel, as well as relations between the guests themselves. It makes guests feel more at home," says Anna Koœciółek from Mama's Hostel. Łucja Mikołajczyk from Oki Doki says, "Hotels are anonymous places while hostels open up communication between people."