SELF-CONFESSED seasoned traveller Curtis Mitchell Jones recently visited Kazakhstan where he managed to book a one-night stay for a mere £4.20.
While this is less than the cost of a UK pint, his bargain bed for the night was not without its…urm… quirks.
Upon arrival, the 27-year-old Newcastle native was upgraded to a double bed.
But this might be where the positives end thanks to the room’s more dilapidated features.
In a video, Curtis documents his room, noticing features like a ‘detachable toilet seat’ that he easily lifts with one hand.
The bathroom sink looked just as dismal with water unable to drain and Curtis having to bail out his sink with a tiny blue saucepan.
In the video, Curtis jokingly bailed out the water into a bathtub covered with brown muck on the bottom that looked like it had “dissolved a human body”.
His upgraded room was a far cry from glamorous with a broken TV and just a tiny radiator pumping out heat in the -11C weather.
The room was filled with appliances that harked back to a time gone by, like a ‘bulky’ TV and a ‘Soviet era microwave’.
Luckily, Curtis wasn’t alone on his stay, with a group of cockroaches there to keep him company in the sub-zero temperatures as he attempted to get some shut-eye.
Curtis told Jam Press: “It was the cheapest room I could find and given I was arriving at 5am, I didn’t really want to spend much on a place I’d only be spending a few hours in.”
Even though the seasoned traveller had limited expectations, he thought it would be more comfortable after viewing the hotel online.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”I had a really good job in a bank but quit to live in an Australian hostel and life is so much better ” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6360033124112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]He added: “I wasn’t expecting much, but based on the photos I had expected a little more – they’ve got a good photographer.
“I was meant to have a single bed, but they gave me a double, so there’s that.
“The WiFi didn’t work though, so I was disconnected from the world, I only had the roaches to keep me company.
“The hosts were very nice and helped me organise a cab to the train station – can’t complain about that side of things.
“The lock only worked on the room if the key was in it, though, which was fine when I was there but meant when I went out I had to carry my valuables on me or leave them in an unlocked room.”
Unbelievably, this wasn’t Curtis’s cheapest stay, with the budget traveller paying €3 for a dormitory bed in Mexico
He previously paid just €3 (£2.53) for a dormitory bed in Mexico.
Curtis added: “That was far worse – it was a dorm bed with some very questionable people staying in it.
“I’m pretty sure the staff stayed up with some of the guests smoking crack until about 3am.
“I had two nights booked there, but left after one – it was truly abhorrent.”
While the rock-bottom prices are impressive, unbelievably cheap stays aren’t without their faults or warm running water it seems.
[boxout headline=”The genius way to save on accommodation costs” intro=”HOLIDAYMAKERS can now visit some of Europe’s most popular destinations, without having to spend a fortune on accommodation.”]Hotel costs can either force people to book places miles away from the best sights, or put them off booking their holidays altogether.
However, there are ways that tourists can ensure they get a good night’s sleep that’s both affordable and in a great location.
Hybrid accommodation brand Generator has announced the launch of 50 cutting-edge “Sleeping Pods” at two of Europe‘s most-visited cities.
The pods can be booked in Amsterdam and Berlin, offering travellers an affordable and private way to stay right in the city centres.
A night in one of the pods starts from £21 a night, and Generator claim they are “an exciting new alternative to staying in dorms and private rooms”.
Each pod includes plenty of creature comforts for a relaxing stay, including a central control panel, light features, a mirror, and a charging station with a USB port.
They also have a smart card lock, a slow rebound memory foam mattress, a pillow, duvet and linen.
The pods are a great budget option for travellers who don’t want to spend a lot on accommodation, but also aren’t keen on sharing a dorm with others.
Here’s why Brits should book hostels in Europe over hotels.
And these travel experts revealed how they save money on hotels.
