Bern Backpackers Hotel Glocke

Bern Backpackers Glocke occupies a historic sandstone arcade building at Rathausgasse 75, on the inside curve of the medieval Old Town that earned Bern its UNESCO listing. From the front door it is exactly 100 metres to the Zytglogge clock tower (you can hear it strike every quarter), 200 metres to the Bundesplatz fountain show in summer, 350 metres to the Münster cathedral viewing platform, and 800 metres to the Bern train station. Couples rate the location 9.8 — the highest score of any Bern hostel — and reviewers across 3,071 Booking entries call it the best location in the city.

The hostel sleeps roughly 60 across single beds in dormitories, twin rooms with attached or shared bathrooms, and a small number of private singles. The entire building is non-smoking. Two internet stations are provided in the lobby (free for guests), free Wi-Fi covers the whole house and every room, and a fully equipped guest kitchen — fridge, oven, microwave, full cookware set — is open 24 hours. The shared living room sits at the heart of the social scene: a big communal sofa, a table-football machine, free tea, and a TV where films in English are shown every evening (programme posted in the lobby).

The arcade location means you walk under the famous sandstone Lauben (vaulted shopping arcades) directly from the front door — useful in rain or snow. Reception is open 7 am to 11 pm; later arrivals get a code in advance. The Bern Ticket transit pass is handed out at check-in and covers all city trams, buses, the Gurten funicular and S-Bahn for the entire stay. Self-catering is the budget play here — the Migros at the train station is open until 10 pm and a basic dinner cooked in the guest kitchen costs CHF 6-8 versus CHF 25-35 for an Old Town restaurant meal.

Reviewer consensus across 3,071 Booking reviews (8.5 average): the location wins on every count, the staff are flagged as helpful and cheerful, and the kitchen-and-living-room combo is the recurring praise — multiple reviewers mention 'free rice and pasta' kept on a basic-staples shelf for guests, plus 'some affordable food at low price'. Common notes: the arcaded street has no traffic noise but the historic building is not soundproofed between rooms, and the cobblestone pedestrian zone outside echoes evening voices until ~midnight on weekends. Couples and solo backpackers slightly preferred over Hostel 77 because of the doorstep-to-Old-Town location.