I really enjoyed my stay at Numa Sketch as a solo autistic female traveller, though it was not perfect. I will share my personal pros and cons, so you can make up your own mind if it fits you. While some aspects were absolutely wonderful, others might deter me from staying here again.
Pros:
- The no contact, no keys thing, was one of the main things that attracted me to this place. Being autistic, extra social contact with personnel is very draining and unnecessary for me. I was delighted arriving after six hours of train journey and getting in easily with the provided codes, without the forced small talk.
- The contact that I did have through WhatsApp was very fast and friendly. The fact that I didn't have to call a phone number with questions, helped me to actually ask questions when I needed to. For instance, about the cooking plates, which was answered quickly, friendly and effectively. Offering service through WhatsApp is truly outstanding and very friendly for neurodivergent folks.
- The room itself was exactly as expected. Amazing large bed, with high-quality mattress, blanket and pillows. It was super comfortable and the room looked very stylish as well with the high ceilings and dark colour scheme.
- The location in Friedrichshain is absolutely fantastic, close to public transport, lovely neighbourhood.
- The place itself is located in the middle of a housing block, so you are never close to the street noise, very quiet.
- I was happy that my room wasn't cleaned in between like a regular hotel. The idea of someone randomly entering my room and rummaging through my stuff gives me a lot of anxiety. Also, cleaning would be unneeded for a stay of a couple of days.
- Having cooking plates, fridge and free snacks and drinks was super convenient.
- Wi-Fi was pretty good, it cut out only on very few occasions.
- Being able to order breakfast was a wonderful addition that save me from having to worry about it. The breakfast was also delicious and up to standards.
Having said all that, there were also a few drawbacks:
- The walls are VERY thin. My hearing is one of my main sensory sensitivities, and this issue would probably be the reason I can't return if I wanted to. The first night I had a neighbour with a strong voice, and it almost felt as if he was standing right next to me. Also, people walking and talking in the hallway can be heard very loudly. The fridge 'jumped' on every so often, which startled me at night. Also, the bathroom ventilation was on constantly (this one didn't bother me, but it might someone else). I brought my own professional earplugs that I usually sleep at home with (they also provide ones), but I was still triggered a lot by sounds during the night and had a few restless nights at first until I got a quiet neighbour.
- I was probably in luck with my room location because I can't imagine how noisy it must be right next to an elevator or next to a hall door.
- The temperature in the room was too hot for me, and there was no real way to regulate it other than open a giant window when it's zero degrees outside. Not really a good option. The blanket was also far too hot for me, but this is personal preference.
- There was a sewer-like smell from the bathroom that was pretty strong and travelled over into the room.
- The shower was cramped, small.
- There were two shower heads, one is a rain shower which I would have loved to use. But when turned on it would spout water from the side of the head over the shower wall into the bathroom, so sadly I couldn't use that one.
- There was a sharp crack in the toilet seat that would scratch my skin every time I sat down.
- I felt unsafe one time, arriving in the evening when there was a group of men waiting at the front door. They were probably guests that didn't have their code handy, so they let me go first and followed me in. I felt insecure about it.
- There was a mix-up about breakfast. They had said through Whatsapp that I had booked breakfast, but apparently this still needed more confirmation, and paid upfront, except they forgot to inform me of that. Luckily, I could still get breakfast, but it caused a bit of confusion with the breakfast people. I simply paid them directly, but only found out later that this wasn't the supposed process to do it. It was solved later on WhatsApp by a helpful and friendly person.
- This is a bit of a luxury one, so it doesn't really count: there are some lovely free drinks in the fridge, but no bottle opener to open the cap, sadly. Pro-tip: bring your own.
All in all, my experience was very positive. One thing that surprised me was how big this place was, with many long corridors and different floors. The signage wasn't super helpful when I came in to find my room, but eventually, it was easy to find once I knew the route. Especially because of the sound issues, I, personally, would probably try a different place next time, but maybe one of the other Numa places because I do love their process and service. So, it depends a bit on how sensitive to sound you are whether you should book this one not. Otherwise, it was well worth it to me!