Raise a Smile Hostel Berlin

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Raise a Smile is a non-profit hostel bringing a little bit of Africa to the heart of East Berlin.

***IMPORTANT* Please read all of the information on this page BEFORE booking***
***Please note that we are closed until the 6th March***

Our small homely hostel is in an apartment block in Friedrichshain, an alternative area full of bars, restaurants and history in the heart of East Berlin.

The Raise a Smile hostel is run as part of the Zambian children's charity Raise a Smile, so all profits from your stay at the hostel will be donated to the charity. It's been designed with a Zambian/African theme to raise awareness of the country, its inhabitants and its beautiful landscapes and animals.

Our hostel is aimed at solo travelers and groups of up to three friends. We try our best to give backpackers and travelers the chance to meet other guests in a fun, friendly, social atmosphere and to experience the real Berlin, not just to see the famous historical sights. If this is the kind of place you would like to stay then great! If your ONLY purpose of visiting Berlin is to sight-see or to get drunk every night then you might not enjoy our hostel as much as the reviews suggest.

There is a tram stop only one minute's walk from our door and a U-Bahn station less than 5 minutes walk away so you can easily explore the huge city of Berlin. Alexanderplatz is only 6 minutes away by U-Bahn and the Brandenburg Gate is about 25 minutes by tram. The East Side Gallery is in Friedrichshain too, and is an absolute must-see section of the Berlin wall. The tram runs 24 hours a day so is great for exploring the amazing bars and restaurants nearby.

We offer a self-service breakfast for a suggested donation of around €3 - you decide how much you want to pay. We have a fully-equipped communal kitchen, free bed sheets, free Wi-Fi, free city maps, free luggage storage and, of course, free smiles!
You can have lots of fun here and we DO allow alcohol in the hostel (in comparison to many other hostels in Berlin). However, it is NOT a party hostel so please don't book with us if you are only here to get drunk every night!

We don't have 24hr reception so please let us know if you're going to arrive at a different time than indicated when you booked so we can make sure to be there. Don't worry, there's no curfew once you've checked in!

****************IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE BOOKING!****************

We do NOT accept groups bigger than 3 or stag or hen parties - We are NOT a party hostel! We require a minimum of 2 consecutive nights in the same room. If you would like to make a booking where one night would be in one room and another night in a different room please contact us BEFORE booking!

****************You must indicate what time you will be arriving on the booking page. Please inform us if you are going to miss the time you indicated when you booked your bed so we can arrange for a new time. After check in you will have 24 hours access. ****************

We reserve the right to cancel any booking of people who do not stick to our booking conditions.
A key deposit of €20 is required, which will be returned when you give the keys back when leaving.
You have to walk through a dorm to get to the elephant room (basic double room). The giraffe room (standard double room) has a door from the main corridor so you do not have to walk through another room.