Design Hostel : Long Story Short

Sometimes, just sometimes, I really wish I was a travel blogger. I would go off to explore the world one design hotel at a time. If I was footloose and fancy free and didn’t have responsibilities like a family, children, a job and a mortgage, I would seriously consider packing up my laptop and heading off around the world to sample some of the amazing design-led hotels out there. But this is an impossible dream right now so I have resigned myself to simply documenting all the places I hope to one day stay here on the blog. So far we have the Nhow Hotel in Berlin, (I can tick that one off my list already as I did actually stay there), the Hôtel du Ministère Apartment in Paris and KIP, the affordable design hotel in London. Today, there is a new addition to my hotel bucketlist and it is actually a super stylish design hostel in the Czech Republic.

Long Story Short is situated in the historical centre of Olomouc, a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The name, Long Story Short, is mainly derived from the rich history of the place but it is also connected to the building’s layout which is one long continuous hall, along with the short-term accommodation it offers. The design hostel can be found on the first floor of a brick building that was formerly known as Locatelli’s bastion. It is an actual fortress from the 1600’s which protected the city and is today know as Podkova (Horseshoe).

Eva Dlabalová, the Managing Director, is the mastermind behind this contemporary design hostel. Inspired by her travels abroad she wanted to create friendly and cosmopolitan accommodation that could be enjoyed by travellers from all over the world. Together with interior designer Denisa Strmisková and the property owner, she rebuilt one whole floor of the extensive historical Podkova building. Denisa worked on the hostel’s design for two years to ensure a seamless merging of the historical genius loci with contemporary design.

There is a variety of accommodation options on offer, with a total capacity of 56 beds. There are large mixed sex dorm rooms that sleep 4, 6, 8 or 10 to a room. These rooms have a shared bathroom. There is also a female only room that sleeps 6 and benefits from some extra comfort and privacy. It has an en suite bathroom and separate toilet and comes kitted out with some girly essentials such as a makeup station, hair dryer, straightening irons, a full-length mirror and free toiletries.

There are also three private rooms (The Nook, The Arc and The Duo) two of which have private bathrooms so offer a superior level of comfort. There is also the wedding suite (The Big One) with its freestanding bath tub and bath bombs, heated floors, wet room and a separate toilet. It also features a deluxe king-sized bed with a choice of hard or soft mattresses and a 55 inch Smart TV. Not bad for a hostel!!

The reception is the heart of the hostel. It functions as both a common room and a cafe, offering breakfast and small snacks (home-made soups, sandwiches, and desserts). The organically arched hallway, which leads from the reception to all the rooms, looks different from every perspective and is enhanced by the use of light. The pure white plastering is in stark contrast with the black details and the pastel colours, which were used on the upholstery.

One thing that really stands out is the fact that the majority of the furnishings – beds, mirrors, lamps, shelves and bathroom equipment – are custom made-to-measure pieces produced in cooperation with local artisans.

There are also already plans afoot to expand the design hostel. Common areas will be extended with an outdoor terrace with an original kitchen island for summer bbqs and a pergola with an outside cocktail bar. Construction of a spacious cafe and a restaurant next to the reception will begin in the second half of the year. Exciting times ahead for Long Story Short. I’m going to leave you with a few more envy inducing images on this fine Friday. Remember to drop me a comment to tell me what you think about this place!