The main proponent of the creation of a mountain hostel in this part of the Tatra Mountains was Stanisław Osiecki – president of the Warsaw Branch of the Polish Tatra Society and Deputy Marshal of the Sejm. Polish Army soldiers built the shelter; it was a logistical challenge. It was opened in 1925 in the presence of the President of the Republic of Poland, Stanisław Wojciechowski, and the legendary creator of TOPR, skier and mountaineer, Gen. Mariusz Zaruski, tourism activists, skiers and mountaineers (over 1,000 people came to Hala Gąsienicowa). The proximity of Mt Kasprowy Wierch has always attracted many skiers here, and Hala Gąsienicowa itself has attracted artists – poets, writers, painters and composers. The area is regarded as the cradle of Polish mountaineering.

The hostel offers 110 beds in renovated rooms with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 beds (no sleeping on the floor). Here, you can store your luggage or ski equipment, dry your clothes, repair your tourist equipment, and use the excellent catering facilities of the buffet and restaurant (free boiling-hot water is available 24 hours a day). There is a mountain library, board games, a guitar and an ATM (only cash is accepted). There is also a TOPR duty station here, and the Murowaniec Climbing School offers courses in ski mountaineering and avalanche training, and teaches the dos and don'ts of moving in high mountain terrain.

The picturesque Hala Gąsienicowa is famous for its beautiful, high-mountain hiking trails for advanced hikers (Orla Perć, Kościelec, Kozi Wierch, Świnica) as well as recreational trails (Kasprowy Wierch, Liliowe Pass, Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy) and climbing routes; in winter, it is a popular ski base (slopes of Mt Kasprowy Wierch, chairlift in Kocioł Gąsienicowy), including for high-mountain skiing. On the way to Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy, there is a boulder with a plaque dedicated to Mieczysław Karłowicz – the place where he died in an avalanche during a solo ski trip.