HOSTEL ART & JOY
The mother-and-daughter family hostel: garden, terraces, and the cleanest dorms in Pula
Family-run boutique hostel on a quiet side street, 18 minutes walk to the Roman Arena and 20 to Valsaline beach. A garden, sun terrace, and balconies on every floor; the kind of place where the owners learn your name on day one. The Pula pick if you want quiet, design-y, and motherly.
HOSTEL ART & JOY is a small independent place on Ulica Marka Marulića, a quiet residential street about 18 minutes walk south of the Roman Arena and 20 minutes from Valsaline beach. It's run by a mother-and-daughter team and the personality of the place is theirs: hand-painted murals on the staircase walls, mismatched vintage furniture in the lounge, plants on every windowsill, and a small front garden where guests linger over morning coffee.
The building has been thoughtfully renovated. Dorms are large by European standards with parquet floors, AC, and ensuite bathrooms inside the dorm room itself, which is rarer than it should be in this price bracket. Privates have private balconies on the upper floors. The kitchen is fully equipped — stovetop, microwave, oven, full kitchenware — and the sun terrace upstairs is the social anchor of the place in good weather.
The move with this hostel is to use it as a calm base for a 3-5 night Pula stay, especially if you're traveling solo or as a couple in shoulder season (May, late September). It's not a party hostel and it's not central — but the housekeeping is hotel-level, the family vibe is real, and the residential location means you actually get to know one neighborhood properly. Bus 2 from a stop two minutes away gets you to the Arena in 8 minutes.
- 01Mother-and-daughter run, with the warmth that implies
- 02Ensuite bathrooms inside the dorms — rare at this price
- 03Garden + sun terrace + balconies for chill afternoons
- 04Spotless cleanliness, hand-painted decor, real plants
- 05Quiet residential block, away from the Old Town tourist crush
- Garden + sun terrace + balconies
- 18 min to Roman Arena
- Mother-and-daughter family run
- Ensuite dorm bathrooms
“Atmosphere is amazing. Beautiful surroundings inside the hostel. Large rooms, nice bed and there was a bathroom with shower inside the dorm which is really nice. Staff is very friendly and helpful.”
“Beautiful building, I kept spotting new things the whole time. Beds were comfy, staff were really helpful and welcoming. Kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms were always spotless. Decent little shop across the street.”
“The hostel is run by a very kind mother and daughter duo. They really keep the place clean and fresh. The beds are comfy and there are plenty of spaces to hang out — balcony, terrace, or garden.”
- Pula Roman Arena18 min walk
- Valsaline Beach22 min walk
- Archaeological Museum of Istria15 min walk
- Pula bus station15 min walk
- Bus 2 stop (to Verudela)2 min walk
- Konzum supermarket4 min walk
