Eastern Comfort Hostel Boat

A blue-and-white vessel docked near the Oberbaum Bridge, the Eastern Comfort Hostel Boat is not your ordinary hostel. The simple and oh-so-friendly botel offers cheap sleeps plus nautical kitsch with a hip twist. Dorms and private cabins are spread across three decks of the Eastern Comfort, with additional cabins on a “sister boat,” the Western Comfort, which is docked next to the Eastern and shares its common spaces.

There is an upstairs-downstairs dynamic on board the Eastern Comfort (which houses the reception for both boats)—its 25 rooms are three different classes, one for each of the three decks.

On the main deck, carpeted “first-class” single and double cabins are the “poshest” option, which translates to two large windows, a wardrobe and a bit of extra space. A TV and minibar can be provided upon request. Private “second-class” cabins are located on the lower deck. They sleep one to four guests and are compact, with cute porthole windows.

The cheapest sleeps are on the upper deck, where two plain “third-class” dorms fit up to six skippers each, sardine-style. These have large windows, lockers and little else. Come summer, there’s an even cheaper option: You can set up a tent on the upper deck.

The Western Comfort offers more of the same: 18 second-class doubles and triples on two decks. All rooms (on both boats) are spare but tidy. Images of Berlin add charm, but the flimsy mattresses may be a minus for those in search of plush comfort and the boat can get a bit chilly on winter nights.

First- and second-class cabins on the Eastern Comfort have small private bathrooms. Third-class cabins on the Eastern Comfort share facilities and all cabins on the Western Comfort have shared bathrooms as well.

All of the main facilities are located on the Eastern Comfort. Head to the boat’s stern to find a tiny seating area. Smokers usually occupy the table and chairs on the small outside deck (smoking is not allowed in the interior areas). A laidback café on the top deck offers more elbow room and expansive views of the river and the East Side Gallery.

Wi-Fi is free in the public areas, and there is an Internet station available for a fee. The botel doesn't offer breakfast, but there is free coffee and tea available.

The seasick-prone should breathe easily. The friendly staff assured us that, since the Eastern Comfort’s debut in 2007, there have only been a handful of green-in-the-gills guests. The boat does sway a bit, but the Spree is so gentle that most landlubbers shouldn't even notice.