City Hostel Geneva

In an expensive city, this budget choice was a relief to find. It is good value for money and well located about a 7 minute walk from the train station with lots of restaurants in easy walking distance. It is about 20/25 minutes walking from the prettier spots of Geneva centre. We booked two single rooms, both were fine, not too small and had a nice big sink each. The staff member in reception was happy to check us in a couple of hours early which was much appreciated. The place seemed pretty clean, and felt safe. Less positively, there are heavy metal grills on the windows instead of curtains or glass which is a bit odd & makes it feel like a cell, and I'm not sure if it makes it very cold in winter (the temperature was fine in May). Also, the shared amenities were old fashioned, not enough toilets or showers on each floor (especially compared to more modern hostels I've stayed in), and there were no soap dispensers/provisions in the toilets or paper towels etc. The kitchen facilities were minimal & unappealing, closed in the evening/overnight and no glasses or crockery were allowed to leave the kitchen. Overall though, it was a decent budget stay, especially if you have a private room

Visiting geneva for a short meeting found a hostel with reasonable rate and basic but practical set up. Booked a private single room without tv but with sink. T/B and shower stalls are shared and clean all the time. Wifi easy to connect and strong enough for vvoip. Bed was comfy,no a/c but table fan kept the room cool at night. Elevator for 4 floors but got a 1st floor room which was easy w/o using elevator. Ground floor dining indoor and small open air patio linked to a common kitchen. Basement washer/dryer for 9 chf per load were useful amenities. Location is about 3- 4 blocks from gare cornavin and a line 15 metro stop a few meters away. Coop,denner, migros and Lidl are 1-2 blocks away. All in all a great value for money in hotel- expensive Geneva!

Cheap for Geneva but still very expensive for an hostel and a bad nights sleep. No air con which left the room very warm. Curtains are transparent see through so don't actually keep any light out and the shutters on the windows don't extend all the way up to let more air in resulting in all the traffic noise outside keeping you awake as well as the room sun pouring in at 5am. Bed was comfy but the pillows aren't great, left me with a very sore neck. Was shown as the last cheapest bed in the hostel when I booked but it turns out there was another spare bed in the room with no one in it. Showers and toilets are kept fairly clean and the water is warm and powerful. Kitchen was great for cooking food. Checking in and out very easy and the lockers are very large for my big suitcase which was great. Would only recommend if you are doing 1 night stay on a super tight budget and don't mind a terrible sleep.

Absolutely amazing stay there. Clean rooms, friendly staff and roommates, plus it's in a really nice district near the lake, grocery stores and the train station. Will definitely come again!

I paid for a 3-night stay but was only able to stay for one night. The next morning, I left the hostel and spent the day out. When I returned, I found my bed completely messed up and a soaking wet towel on it. I went to reception to report the situation, as I found it extremely disrespectful that someone had tampered with my belongings. It was disgusting to see a wet towel, which clearly wasn’t mine, left on my bed. Who knows what had been done with it or how dirty it was. The receptionist simply told me to put the used towel in a basket and said there was nothing they could do. They didn’t offer to change the sheets, or to provide an alternative room or bed. Naturally, I was not feeling safe or clean enough to stay in that room anymore, I had to leave and find other accommodation. They refused to address the situation with the other guest and also denied any refund for the nights I paid for but couldn’t use. Terrible service, terrible hostel, and terrible hygiene! I absolutely do not recommend it!

The manager of this business was dishonest and abusive to a colleague on our delegation. He caused her and our whole delegation to lose hours of her work on the most important day of our mission. We would not recommend this hostel to anyone with business in Geneva and we will not book our team to stay there in the future.

Geneva Hostel Accused of Ageism: Is Discrimination the Future of Travel? This isn't just about a bad booking; it's about a disturbing trend. My friend, Erik, recently became the victim of what appears to be blatant age discrimination at City Hostel Geneva. A former PC game developer turned passionate Informatik teacher, Erik is a testament to the fact that "cool" has no age limit. Yet, his vibrant spirit and zest for travel were met with a shocking dose of ageism. Erik arrived at City Hostel Geneva with a confirmed Booking.com reservation, eager to explore this historic city. What he didn't know was that his booking was a ticking time bomb. After making the reservation, he received a confirmation email containing a bizarre clause: if you're over 49, you have a mere hour to cancel. Is turning 50 a superpower that suddenly grants one the ability to decipher every line of fine print in a confirmation email? Apparently, City Hostel Geneva thinks so. Adding insult to injury, after being turned away at the door, Erik discovered that City Hostel Geneva marked him as a "no-show" on Booking.com. This effectively silences him, preventing him from leaving an honest review about his experience and warning other potential victims. The shocking details, uncovered during my investigation, suggest this wasn't a mere oversight. City Hostel Geneva deliberately hides its age restriction (18-49 ONLY) behind an innocuous-looking ellipsis in the "Important Information" section on Booking.com. It's a deceptive tactic, designed to lure unsuspecting travelers into booking and paying for accommodation they will never be allowed to use. But the real sting came after Erik was refused entry and could not leave a review. City Hostel Geneva allegedly refused to refund his money, effectively stealing from him because of his age and denying him his voice. It raises a troubling question: What's next? As a friend of Erik, I couldn't let this go. This incident is symptomatic of a larger problem – a growing willingness to discriminate against certain groups in the name of profit. If City Hostel Geneva can get away with ageism and silencing their victims, what's to stop them from implementing even more egregious policies? Could future guests be subjected to other forms of discrimination? Will passport holders from certain countries be forced to clean toilets in the hostel in order to secure their stay? It sounds outlandish, but the fact that City Hostel Geneva is already engaging in age discrimination and suppressing negative feedback makes such scenarios chillingly plausible. This isn't just about one hostel; it's about the future of travel. Do we want a world where businesses are free to discriminate based on age, nationality, or any other arbitrary characteristic? Or do we demand a more inclusive and equitable travel experience for everyone? Booking.com needs to be held accountable for allowing City Hostel Geneva to list its property on their platform with such deliberately deceptive practices. Consumer protection agencies must investigate this alleged scam and ensure that Erik receives a full refund. And we, as travelers, must stand up against all forms of discrimination and demand better from the businesses that seek our patronage. The next time you're booking a trip, think about Erik – a former game developer, a teacher, a traveler, and a victim of ageism who was also denied his voice. Think about the potential for discrimination. And choose to support businesses that value inclusivity and respect for all.

Was feeling sick and wanted to make sure not to put other guest at risk so called them to cancel as I had booked a shared dorm. They refused and are charging me full. Seems like they have a pretty bad policy and don’t seem to care about other guests’ well being.

AMAZING HOSTEL. I stayed at this hotel for two nights, then one night at Geneva Hostel, then back here for my last night. It was great because they were both very close to each other, making the move quick and easy. The location is relatively close to many of the big shopping districts and tourist sites, and is very close to the Gare Cornavin station, which made it very easy to get to and from the airport. My first two nights, I stayed in a double bed private room, and my last night, I stayed in a three people dorm. All rooms come with lockers and a sink, and I loved that the outlet was right above your bed, and with USB charger ports. The receptionist, Vivian (Vivienne? Vivien?) was so so sweet and made my check in and check out process both times very easy. He remembered me when I checked in for my second time, which was very sweet. You're provided with sheets and a towel, and locks for lockers are provided for a deposit that you get back after returning it. There's also individual refrigerator lockers that you can borrow for another deposit, if you don't want to use the communal fridge. Everything about the hostel was great - I would highly recommend it to anyone staying in Geneva!

I stayed two nights at City Hostel on two separate occasions in the last two weeks. Both times I stayed in a three-bed, female-only dorm with a shared bathroom for half of the floor (32 CHF per night). The rooms are small, but the facilities are quite nice other than that. There are sinks and mirrors in the rooms and two showers per half-floor, but I never had a wait and the water temperature is good (which is a rarity in hostels). For a 10 Euro deposit, they provide refrigerator lockers, which is quite a lifesaver in Geneva where food will cost you your arm. Seriously, use the fridge and get all your food at Manor or Lidl! Check out is at 10am, but they provide lockers downstairs so that you can store your stuff and still make use of the day. They will even let you hang out in the common room after you've checked out! Things to beware: The key cards snap in half at the slightest touch. It happened to me TWICE. The first time the guy at the front desk charged me 5 CHF, but the second time the big guy in charge was at the desk and seemed a big angry that I had been charged the first time. So if they charge you, wait and talk to someone else! Only other downside: No complementary breakfast :-( But, again, the fridge lockers makes this AOK.