Mini Hostel Lviv 

I stayed for three nights at the Mini Hostel Lviv (also known as the Mini-hotel Four Rooms) and very much enjoyed the experience. The 'hotel' (actually a large apartment in an old building) is located on the fourth floor of a large block only a couple of minutes' walk from Svobody, the main avenue in Lviv for strolling and people-watching. It is serviced by a lift. As the name suggests, the apartment consists of four guest rooms, in addition to a sitting room, a kitchen, a small toilet and a bathroom with a second toilet. These facilities are shared. I found the apartment perfect for a short stay and furnished to a reasonably high standard. I loved the fact that my room had such a high-ceiling and also liked the parquet flooring. It was quiet because it didn't overlook the main road. The bed was comfortable enough and there was adequate space for hanging my clothes. It would have been good to have had a bedside lamp of some description, however - a minor point. The kitchen facilities were fine and everything in the bathroom worked as it should have. Wi-fi was free of charge and connectivity was very good. Although there was no air conditioning in the room, I believe that a small fan would have been made available to me had I requested it. It wasn't necessary, however. I found Igor, the owner of the apartment, very helpful and pleasant. He does not actually live there, but visits every day, especially at times when guests are arriving or leaving. He kindly arranged for a taxi to take me to the main railway station. The short ride cost only 50 hryvnia (about 1.50 GBP). I liked Lviv a lot. In terms of sightseeing, there is easily enough to see and do to occupy two full days. With its Viennese-style coffee houses, it has more of a central European feeling than an eastern European one (it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for some time). It also has some very good and reasonably-priced restaurants. On the ground floor of the building next door, incidentally, is a cheap and cheerful self-service restaurant called Puzata Khata; the food it serves is quite tasty and varied. I would recommend going to see a production at the magnificent opera house (I saw Verdi's 'Rigoletto'). My seat at the back of the grand circle cost only 5 GBP - and I had an unobstructed view of the stage. The outstanding sights of Lviv, in my view, are the tiny and exquisite early 17th century Boyim Chapel; the stunning gilded Baroque interior of the Bernardine Church of St Andrew; and the lively Rynok (Market Square). Considering I paid only just over 30 GBP for my three night stay, I consider that this represented excellent value for money. I would most certainly stay at this property again and would also recommend it warmly to travellers who are on a tight budget. I wish Igor every success with his venture.