Hektor Design Hostel

A minimalist hostel in what looks like a former industrial building: just a clean room – long and narrow but high, so one didn't feel claustrophobic – with a bed, a proper table for working, a fridge and some utensils for eating your own food (there's also a kitchen for cooking, but I didn't use it), a bathroom (toilet and shower) and even a balcony (to a parking lot, and not very inviting at this time of year). No personnel in sight: checkin and checkout via internet, instead of keys just a PIN code. No breakfast but a nice café in the neighbouring building (unfortunately, only open from 9 o'clock on). A small gym in the basement. Very peaceful: if you need just a nice clean room for sleeping and working, this is great value for your money. Also: on one evening there was a friendly black cat greeting the guests in the lobby.

The WiFi signal could have been better.

We really liked the fact that everything is done automatically and online: payment, check-in, check-out, getting the room and parking access codes. People can even arrive at different times and they are provided with their own access code. However, this might not be the perfect solution for people that are not very tech-savvy. Our room was fairly spacious and very clean, it had a balcony (like all the others on the ground floor), and a fridge to store food with plates, cups, and cutlery. In the bathroom there was even the hair-dryer and some storage space above the sink. The hostel is in a good location, it is possible to walk to the centre of Tartu.

We understand it's a hostel, but given the fact that the price is on the higher side, it would have been nice if they included also the shower gel and the shower mat.

The easy use of online check-in and check-out saved us a lot of time. Johannes Gutenberg (a cat) met us at the doors, which was so sweet! Overall, great experience, no additional contact with staff was needed. The location is great for as, as we were going to the festival across the road. Rooms are clean, bed are comfy.

Windows leaked cold air in pretty harshly. We didn't want to open the curtains as the room would become too cold really fast. And you can clearly hear when people are opening their doors across the hallway.

Very easily accessible first floor room, very convenient. We loved the hanger rod in the room that you could adjust for yourself. Very functional furniture in the 3 persons room.

Shower silicone corners had some debri and faucet overflow area was showing not too thorough cleaning. Otherwise all was good and clean. Filling the water kettle in our room was a bit tricky - it did not fit under the faucet and the shower head was a tiny bit too big to pour the water in, but we managed.

I booked a double room for one person. The room was spacious and clean. Even though there was no reception when I arrived, as I had some problems entering my room, I called at the indicated number and the problem was sorted out. There is also a very big parking available for customers. I did not meet any of the staff as I only stayed for one night. Good value for money.

The decoration of my room was very basic and gives you a bit the vibe of a hospital room. As I had a short stay and I arrived by car, I cannot really comment on anything else

The hostel was clean and in a good location (even though not central, the walk to the Old Town is only about 15-20 minutes). It's opposite to Aparaaditehas complex which has some shops and restaurants. It wasn't cheap but still good value for money.

Not having any humans around to ask questions etc. And the volume of emails / messages on booking.com they send is ridiculous. Pushing the qr code etc was just non-stop. I personally don't use qr codes so that made it even more annoying. One message with the access code is enough.

The communal kitchen is great! There are so many kitchen appliances that you can cook anything from oven pizza to soup and stir fry. And the kitchenette in the room is quite decent and sufficient: microwave, basic dishes, refrigerator and kettle, sink and dishwashing detergents.

Communication with staff is too virtual. I couldn't find a fast communication channel. They didn't answer my message. There was a problem with the bathroom.

We checked in smoothly and were able to access the room straight away. The room was pretty decent. A tiny kitchen corner is really nice to have when it's freezing outside and you want to make a cuppa. Also, bonus points for sauna and gym.

The room was a bit dusty, and the shower curtain had black stains. We decided to check out the facilities and got locked in the basement. The password didn't work, so we had to use emergency exit.

Room was very minimalistic. The sink might be a bit larger (I stayed at 1-person room). The room was very clean and warm (I stayed during the very cold period but the room was still warm). Overall image was very good, the entire hotel has a good atmosphere. The owner of Hektor was always on site (a cute black cat) who welcomed his guests on the warm radiator in the lobby.

The sink in the bathroom might be a bit larger.

I have stayed in Hektor every summer since they opened (except the Covid years) and I have enjoyed it every single time. This time I was with my toddler and it was as comfortable as ever. The room is clean and spacious. The building is quiet. The laundry room services are free of charge and available 24/7. Check-in and check-out is contact free, very convenient, no waiting in queues. Aparaat cultural village is just across the street with plenty of cafes and restaurants, and sandboxes, water puddles for kids. I highly recommend Hektor hostel to other visitors.