one of the top 2 hostels we stayed at in terms of facilities, extra effort had obviously been put in. Kitchen, bathrooms, dorms, common room, all really nice and spacious. the staff were really friendly and helpful and there were nice little touches like breakfast, coffee, free internet. Nice social vibe among the travellers too.

Kismet Dao is a nice and quiet hostel. I stayed in a twin room with a friend for one night. Bathroom to be shared with other twin /private bedrooms.
++ internet, breakfast, organized tours, security, modern rooms, clean, drinks on demand for cheap (even incl for your first night, maybe more?), only 15-20min walk to the center and sometimes shorter distance for other places like restaurant, supermarket, markets, residential area so quiet
- squeaky bed, ... and some minor stuffs, ... uuuh that's all

Kismet Dao Hostel is quaint. The rooms are simple, as are the bathrooms, but it is a place where you feel safe and secure. They have a really nice common room in the basement where it is really
Easy to meet others, as well as a large kitchen. Breakfast is provided and is very decent! They can organize tours to 'dracula's castle' and others which I would definitely recommend going on! We did and it was great! It would be pretty hard to see it all yourself. Within walking distance you can find pretty much everything, as it is only a short walk into the town!

Overall, Kismet Dao is much better than average. I stayed here for two nights in May 2011.

PROS:

- Modern clean rooms, with great views of the mountains and the residential. The room I was in had a huge window. This is not a run-down place at all. It is very well-maintained. It was quiet and serene--great for a daytime nap. Lockers were huge, free, and locks provided. They will easily take your backpack and then some. The Chinese symbols and an explanation of their meaning with the wall posters added to that serenity.

- For each night there, they give you a free beer. Beers are cheap anyway, but yeah, I'll take free! Upon check-in, the staff member gives you a chit of paper to claim your drink.

- They have towels you can use for free. Internet is free too.

- My fellow hostellers were very outgoing, and nearly all spoke English. They slowly rolled in as the night approached. Most stayed at the hostel to drink. Nightlife (well, what little there is in Brasov on Monday and Tuesday) was less than a 10 minute walk away. It was surprising to see so many hanging around the hostel in such a residential area.

Neutral comment:

- The hostel location is not near the train station, and is hidden away in a residential area. It took about 20 to 30 minutes to make the walk, which I did not mind because it was such a nice day and I wanted to see the town on foot. Tip: If walking, study a map ahead of time. There is a map of Brasov in front of the train station. The hostel is on a big hill. Definitely not located where you would expect it to be! But the fact that is away from the central area makes it quaint and quiet.

CONS, all minor stuff:

- The showers are great, but the spray from them splashes around and pools on the floor, close to the sink. It pools up quite a bit, more than shower shoes will protect you from. Don't drop anything. It will be soaked!

- The TV room is tucked away in the basement, and its door is shut much of the time, so I did not see it used by anyone while I was there. That would improve the social aspect of the hostel.

- There is no advertised "lockout", but during the day with some comings-and-goings, I had to knock a few times get back in.