Alexis Guardiola
Google
If you're looking to have a grimy and cramped hostel experience, that is close to a busy tourist area, this is probably a good hostel for you.
My friend and I wanted a more relaxing experience, like the other hostels we stayed in during our trip around Japan. Out of the six Japanese hostels we stayed in during our trip around Japan, this was our least favorite. Especially, given it was the same price as the more spacious and clean hostels we stayed in previously. We booked for four nights, but only stayed for one, which they refused to refund.
If we had known how cramped the hostel was, we would have never booked it. The pictures posted online are taken specifically to avoid showing you how cramped the entire facility is. In the halls, there isn't enough room for everyone to hang their clothes/towels and to keep their luggage close. They provide a designated luggage area, which, if a few people don't use, makes the halls so cramped that it becomes difficult to leave your bed without stepping on someone's stuff.
The elevator didn't fit us (two people) and our luggage. It also doesn't go up to the 6th floor, where the showers are located. You have to go to the 5th floor, then climb the stairs to the 6th floor showers.
The common area didn't feel comfortable to lounge in since all they had was a bar and a table. It did seem easy for people to socialize and meet others since the common area was also cramped. I think it would have made more sense if one of the five dorm floors had been made into a common area where people could relax on comfortable furniture, like other hostels.
The top bunks we spent our single night in didn't have any guardrails to stop our belongings from falling. My friend, who is on the tall side, found the bed extremely uncomfortable and difficult to relax in because of the bed's small size, which also lacked a basic nightstand that seemed standard in other Japanese hostels.
We both found the ladder difficult to climb. My friend actually slipped on the ladder. Most hostels put anti-slip tape and have the ladders out at about 45 degrees so that it's easier to get up and down the ladder, avoiding falling. These ladders had neither of those features. I can only imagine how difficult it is to climb the ladder after a long day of walking around the city.
The train runs by the hostel, so if you need silence to sleep I would think deeply about that.
Disgustingly, the curtains shielding my bed also had a chunky stain on them.
I'm also under the impression they don't do regular maintenance or keep up with the facility, considering the AC in our hall leaked way more than I've ever seen an AC leak before.
The laundry services were expensive compared to what we paid at other hostels, and appeared to be open for non-hostel guests during regular work hours.
I hope they update their picture to better reflect the space.
