Bergen is a very difficult place to find affordable accomodations, but avoid Crowded House if at all possible. The location is pretty good, but the rooms are dingy, furnished with Salvation Army style cots and little else. The lighting is one 20 watt bulb per room, which doesn't matter too much in the Summer because the light streams in through the very thin curtains that barely cover the windows. Bathrooms are down the hall, and several of them had broken fixtures. I think visitors would be better off at a youth hostel if on a tight budget.

When my partner and I walked into our room, he said it felt like he was walking into his dorm room for the first time in college. All furniture and no personality. The room was definitely simple with two single beds, a bureau, and a few side tables. It was quite large by European standards with wood flooring and large windows. However, there was nothing on the walls and the room look a little beat up. It wasn't dirty, just extremely plain and a little quirky. We had one of the few rooms with a full bathroom (room 304). The shower was tiny (though the bathroom itself was huge) and the mirror was to the side of the sink rather than directly over it. There is no maid service or shampoo/soap provided. The bed was ok but a little springy. We slept just fine.

Still, we knew all of this going in and we were not disappointed. The elevator was fast, the kitchen was hidden but functional, and the staff were pleasant and helpful. The location was close to all the popular areas--don't pay extra for location in Bergen, everything is walkable. There is a noisy football (soccer) bar just down the street that sang loud Karaoke Friday night until 2:00 am and we could hear it even through closed windows. It was tolerable but the bar was loud both nights we were there and I wouldn't want to keep the windows open all night. Still, we found that of our 12 nights in Scandinavia it’s noisy everywhere at night!

Stay at the Crowded House if you want something basic and don’t plan to spend a lot of time in your room. It was clean, comfortable, and has a great location. The rooms without a bath are probably the better deals because you can really start to save some money.

Crowded House in Bergen is a relatively new hostel, and it feels that way. The rooms are clean, spacious and very functional. There is little in the way of decoration (it feels a little like a converted asylum – but in the best possible way!). The room had a huge double bed and a good sink in a separate area by the door. There were wardrobes and drawers to easily hold a week’s worth of clothes. The room was double glazed and, although in a vibrant neighbourhood with one of the few lively bars I found in Norway; the noise was easy enough to sleep through.

Reception were helpful, with a good map of Bergen and brochures galore. The reception (when we were there) was located in a café on the bottom floor of the hostel, with internet connection, drinks and light snacks; all at extortionate Norwegian prices. When the café and hence reception closes, access is via a secure swipe card, and there is night-porter.

The location is excellent, right in between the center (Fish Market and Harbour) and the museum district. It takes 5 mins to walk to either. The hostel is 5 mins walk with luggage from the airport bus stop and 10 mins from the train station. There are two big supermarkets open 7-11 at the end of the road, which sell all kinds of food. The kitchen in the hostel is well-stocked with utensils, and has ground coffee and sugar with a coffee-maker. The dining room has a large table and television, and off of this is a storage room for bags.

All in all the experience in this hostel was something of great functionality; I will not have great or fond memories of it, the rooms were sparse and the decor intimidating. However everything worked well, and I shall finish with the one truly excellent feature, the bathrooms. The shower was one of the best I have ever experienced and there were plenty on each floor!