City House Hostel Washington DC

It was okay I guess. It was relatively clean and the staff was okay. 2 of them talked bad about us to each other, thinking they were too quiet to hear. They weren't. Our room was a private room and there was a ground prong to a plug stuck in one socket, which is dangerous. There was a leak coming from the heater in our room. There were 5 bathrooms of varying appliances. Some had a working shower. Some had a working sink. Some had a working toilet. I think only one in the whole hostel had all 3. I know at least one sink and one toilet were out of order. And we were there for days. There was NO parking. We had to park in a parking deck with cost us about $90 to park for 3 nights. Other than the 2 dudes, the other staff members were so nice. The location was great. The walk to the train station and the national mall were not bad at all. There were some lovely grocery stores and an amazing pizza place very close. The price I think was a little steep for the low level of accommodations the hostel offers. There were events every night but if you don't drink, there's nothing for you there. Overall, it was an okay place to stay, but I won't be coming to them again when I come back to DC.

Well... it's a hostel. So you have to adjust your expectations from the jump. It's always going to be communal living and communal living with people from all over the world, so you can't necessarily judge this place on the same scale you might even judge a Motel 6. For starters, the staff is friendly, so that's nice. They don't seem overly pushy, a bit familial among each other, and overall pretty accommodating. The facilities are decent. Not bad enough to notice anything off-putting and neat enough to feel comfortable in a homey kind of way. Now, the guests obviously are where most of the frustration lies. Since they come from all over, they don't necessarily share the same American social norms as everyone else. I frequently was stared at the entire time, many of the men seemed almost desperate to make an American guy friend, which in turn made me feel a bit uncomfortable because I tend to prefer to opt-out of my privacy as opposed to having to ask people for it. Other than that, its not bad. Good location (H Street is an up-and-coming spot in DC right by Union Station and ideal for a pub crawl). Good price, decent accommodations and friendly staff. As long as you can deal with the cultural differences in terms of socializing and personal space, you should be fine.

Given all of the places I’ve stayed throughout the years, it speaks volume that I put this hostel at the top of the list. I would not have changed a thing. The staff, the location, the guests, everything was amazing. One specific thing that made my stay was the sense of community between guests and staff. The common room was always filled with positivity, laughter, and good conversation. The nightly event was also something that was amazing. I will forever hold the memories of my stay here close to my heart. I most certainly recommend this to anyone! Especially fellow solo travelers. That makes it (in my opinion). Also- for solo travelers, there was such comfort here. Some places make you feel rather isolated/weird and that was not the case with City House.

Stayed here for 5 Days in Nov 2017. Seemingly a typical hostel experience, not the cleanest or most updated maintenance, but the experience of meeting the staff and other guests makes for a great time. Nice kitchen and loving room. There are nightly events by the hostel, and there's often free beer!

Conveniently located between Union Station and a Whole Foods Market. The staff were all friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Beds were a bit squeaky but I slept fine during my stay. I feel sorry for those with roommates who toss and turn constantly at night. Other than that, this is a nice place to stay.

The staff there are really cool and willing to strike up a conversation. The rooms are small but clean, compared to hostels around the world, this one compared very positively to those. There are much nicer hostels in the DC area, but this one is one of the closest to the national mall. If you're an international traveler who likes to stay in hostels, this is a good place. If you're used to hotel traveling, I would look elsewhere or prepare yourself for a new fun kind of travel option.

This was my first hostel experience and it City House did not disappoint in the slightest!! Staff members were extremely friendly and often kicked it with the guests. It felt like being a part of a close-knit family, really. Toilets were clean, fridge space was sufficient and the lounge was the place to be. I met a lot of other travelers and learned a lot during my stay here. If you're in DC, skip the hotel and find some shade here. It will be memorable.

I had a great experience here! The rooms were clean, tidy, and well-lit, and every member of the staff I met was incredibly friendly and happy to help and answer questions. The hosted outings/activities each night were fun and unlike a lot of group activities, none of the ones in which I participated seemed rushed or felt like we were being herded. The security cameras were a welcome sight! They're everywhere in this hostel, which really put me at ease as someone who travels with expensive electronics containing nearly irreplaceable files and data. For anyone who has stayed in enough hostels to recognize the good from the bad, this is one you'll like. I thoroughly enjoyed my week in DC on vacation from North Idaho, and if I ever have the chance to come back, I'll stay at the Downtown DC Hostel again.

This place has been permanently closed, and their phone has been disconnected. It should be removed from yelp.

I came here over the summer sometime in June/July. I've never been to a hostel and my friend convinced me to go for the experience. This one had good reviews on hostel sites so we decided we'd stay here for 2 days. I'm a clean freak and if you are too please don't stay here. Every time I went to the bathroom I questioned everything because it looked disgusting and in need of a lot of repairs. The beds are worn down and not comfy. I stayed in a 2 bedroom so we had privacy and weren't stuck with sharing a space. They have a no shoes policy and I didn't feel comfortable with that cause it just looked dirty. I wouldn't stay here again. The one staff member we dealt with wasn't all that nice so that def didn't help.

Only stayed one night and my friend and I split a two-bed private room, which was quite small. Just barely enough room for the two bunk beds and a chair, but we managed. The air conditioning unit in the room seemed to only have one level of coldness, despite attempting to turn the knob to turn down how cold it was and even to have the fan only - it was still blasting really cold air. Good thing the beds come with a pretty warm blanket to keep warm during the night. (The beds also come with a fitted sheet, pillowcase, and towel - all already set up upon arrival, which was nice.) We stayed on the second floor, which only has one bathroom, but there were a couple more on the third floor, and I think another one on the first level. I needed to wait a short while for a bathroom with a toilet (one of the ones on the third floor has a sink and shower, but no toilet). But at least the bathrooms have hand soap and hand towels, which other hostels I have stayed at don't provide. For the most part, it was quiet and it being a shoe-free facility (there is a large rack at the top of the stairs on the second floor for everyone's shoes), you don't hear a lot of footsteps and people were good about keeping their voices down. However, I was woken up a few times during the night and morning by doors slamming very loudly. The wifi didn't really seem to work great either. I was able to connect but it was really, really slow. It seemed pretty safe and secure. There are small lockers in the hall that you can use to lock up valuables while you are out. All of the rooms have electronic keypads where you enter a code to open the room, so no keys are needed. There are also electronic keypad locks for the front doors. So, overall, not bad, but could have been better. It was very clean and had most of the basics you would need. They also seem to have a lot of social activities if you're into that sort of thing when traveling.

Conveniently located 10 minuet walk from Union Station, open 24/7 and cheap. Plenty of bathrooms and common space to hang out. Free wifi, clean bathrooms. On the negative side the building was a little old and stuffy, but for ~ $25 a night, can you really complain. Had a very attractive young lady working at the front desk.

Had a very unpleasant experience here. The beds are really close together and the room I stayed in was dusty. The staff was rude. Definitely won't be staying here.

I stayed here for 2 nights during Memorial Day weekend and I am happy I booked a bed at this hostel. Firstly, if you visit D.C. by bus and want a hostel this is the best deal you can get. They are located 10 minutes walking distance from Union station and big supermarkets. Staff was friendly. I had no problem at all. They provided me with a towel as well. When a visit D.C. again I definitely will stay here.

Not really my favorite hostel I prefer the one in Philly but the staff is awesome so nice and friendly and helpful. Unfortunately I went here in August and it was just too hot. I was in a very small room with seven other people and the air conditioning unit did little to cool down the room. I could not sleep because it was so unbelievably hot. Had to spend time in the common room which was the only room where the temperature was comfortable. Otherwise staff was super nice.

I have never stayed at a hostel before. I have spent the last 6 nights here and let me tell you this was the worst place I've ever stayed at. I stayed in a 6 person room upstairs. The WiFi doesn't work unless you're immediately in the living space. So if you want WiFi you have to sit in the living area with a ton of strangers and they're loud af and you're literally just trying to read the news. Also, the AC didn't work most of the nights and the last 2 nights it didn't work at ALL. It was the most miserable place to sleep. If they weren't going to have functional AC units they could atleast have fans. The rooms felt like swamps. You share a bathroom with literally 20+ people and you can't wear shoes in the place so it smells like feet all the time. Normally I don't leave bad reviews but this place was literally the worst place I've ever had to stay at.

Free coffee & you can stay for a while after you check out if you've got a later plane, bus or train ride scheduled. The very friendly and fun staff were accommodating. The hostel itself had a comfy homey vibe. Would 10/10 stay here again and hang out with all of the staff.

I'm not all that particular when traveling on the road. I just need a safe, clean bed and bathroom free of bugs and b*tch*ssness. Sadly, this hostel did not meet those expectations. It's a hostel, not a Best Western. I get that. I actual enjoy it. I love talking to people from all over. I enjoy learning about different people & their perspectives. What I don't enjoy is rude and judgmental staff members who are dismissive and spread ignorant, bigoted beliefs to foreign travelers. During my 4-day stay, I heard racist and derogatory comments about American Indians and African Americans from 2 of the hostel staff on 3 different occasions. Although the overweight gentleman working the check-in desk wasn't much better, Levi -- the self-absorbed pancake chef -- felt not only were his comments perfectly acceptable, but he also tried to chat with me later as if 1) we were friends, or 2) I was too stupid to know I should be offended. Well, I wasn't the only one offended. Levi left a bad impression on several of the hostel guests, several of whom sought me out to share how they didn't agree with him and his statements. Thankfully, some of them were Americans (like Levi) and well traveled (like Levi), so I have some hope that his kind are in the minority. Overall, I met some interesting people and enjoyed my time in D.C. The owner of the hostel was friendly, but he was in and out most of the day so his presence didn't improve the situation much. I liked the neighborhood, although I abhor gentrification. The hostel is convenient to transportation and food. The Sidamo Coffee and Tea cafe across the street is a nice workspace & it's locally owned by an Ethiopian family. All in all, I can't recommend this hostel due to the poor service and ignorance I was subjected to, but I know it's a slow economy. So if you can't afford anywhere else that's relatively safe and semi-clean, go ahead and crash here. Just hold your nose and don't engage the staff unless necessary, especially if you're brown.

This is a nice smaller hostel, in an interesting neighborhood of DC. My traveling partner and I stayed here because we decided to extend our DC trip an extra night, and no other hostels were available in the area with private rooms. I would stay there again because of the price, cleanliness, and safety. Location: 3/5. It's about a 20-30 minute walk from the mall. The immediate vicinity has restaurants and bars that are pretty good and unique. The neighborhood surrounding H Street NE is residential, but if you stray too far in the wrong direction, you're not in a good area at all. Make sure you have a map of some sort with you for walking around. Parking is hard to find. Accomodations: 4/5. Pretty clean, well maintained, and comfortable. They have a no shoes policy which probably helps to keep the place clean. The kitchen was clean and did not smell. Everything was very neat and organized. I wish they had privates, but that's not a huge deal. The wait for the bathrooms can be a bit annoying...but if you don't want to wait or share a bathroom with anyone, you probably shouldn't be staying at a hostel. Safety: 5/5. Felt very secure--they have a lock code to get in, and the place is staffed 24/7. It's small enough that they recognize everyone who comes in and out, and they have a staff member waiting at the door at all times to greet you. There are a lot of rules at this hostel--quiet hours, shoes, where things were allowed to be placed-- which were pointed out to us immediately when we got there. However, the rules were not judgmental at all, rather meant to promote safety and a pleasant stay for everyone. This gave the impression that they meant business about how their hostel was run. I appreciate things like this when staying in hostels. Cleanliness: 5/5. Staff: 5/5. The staff was very nice and polite, and friendly to talk to. Price: 4/5. Not the cheapest hostel I've stayed at, and not the most expensive either. Bottom line: I would stay here again.

I stayed here in December for 6 days. During my time here I had so much fun! There was only three staff members because the rest had to be let go. They worked their butts off to make sure everyone was enjoying their stay and making the hostel clean. The dorms are spacious and clean, as well as the bathrooms! They had events like movie night that brought all the guests together for a fun time. This was also my first time staying at a hostel so I was very impressed. I now work here and would like to mention a few things I've seen on previous reviews. We now have a brand new set of staff members, and things have changed. We are sorry about anything the old staff members may have said or done to compromise your view on our hostel and would recommend to try us again! Thank you!

"Iconic" and "Trendsetting"... HA! First gripe, they booked me on the wrong date. I show up and the only room they have for me is an upgraded room for more than double the price. I would have been tempted, if not for the deplorable conditions. Seriously, this place is sketch - it's in a skeezy neighborhood with a pretty ominous, tiny entry. Since I was only in DC for that one day, I couldn't stay there for when they did have me booked, and they wouldn't cancel or refund me either. The gentleman at the desk was the best part of the experience - incredibly helpful and concerned with my well-being - I definitely commend him and he's the only thing that deserves a star, but the actual owner was terrible, so there's that. Wouldn't try to stay here again because of that.

I am an experienced traveler who has stayed at hostels around the world and in many different countries. China, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Phillipines, Vietnam, Cambodia, US.... I have never had as bad an experience as at this hostel. 1) The staff is incredibly rude. the idea of customer service is totally lost on them. They act as though you are staying at their home rather than as a guest in a hostel. Particularly infuriating when you are bleeding vacation. 2) The free laundry service advertised on Hostelworld and elsewhere is a lie. Maybe if you want to stay up until 2am. If you actually rely on the ad and pack light, then you have to choose between staying up ridiculously late to try to get a load in or taking part of your day to go and sit at a laundry. 3) There are bedbugs. 4) There are 3 bathrooms for a hostel that holds about 30 ppl. Be ready to stand in line and do the pp dance. Check the reviews on Hostelworld but do not put too much trust in them. They take down some negative reviews. Their concern is more for the hostel's business than for a traveler's protection and comfort. However, you will see many complaints about bedbugs and rudeness. The same for TripAdvisor. Enjoy your travel time and avoid having it clouded. Choose another hostel that understands hospitality.

Stayed for just one night but had a pleasant experience and would recommend it to others. Pros: Great location (a 30 min walk to the mall), decent price, friendly staff, and clean. Cons: only one toilet and shower per floor and heat was blaring

Sorry I didnt get to say Bye, but this place is great! Walking distance to everything. Everyone is super friendly. The place is clean and organized, staff is fun and very helpful - Id definitely come back again! :)

I planned/stayed at Downtown DC Hostel. First, I will describe the best part of the hostel. The people that work there had their quirks and some had cool vibes. Second, people leave you alone and the hispanic cleaning lady is hilarious. My mother and I planned/stayed at this hostel for four days and I highly regret it. Mostly my fault for planning it all. Moving along. I will start by saying that the first night we stayed on third floor and the amount of people staying up there, 16 beds. You would think they'd have the a/c running at night but that wasn't the case. A/C blew "fan" air. Imagine staying in a room full of running around bodies. The following day we asked to be moved to a room with less beds. That came with a fee. We gave it a chance and all I can say is that the walls were thin as paper. That meant you could hear the horns, people talking loudly for the rest of the nights we stayed there. A/C worked and cleanliness was visible. Shoe area is a bit funky. They could at least allow people to bring in their own slippers as they walk into a room full of fungus ridden beings. You can't complain too much to above and below. You basically have to understand that you're staying at a hostel and that's that. To say the least my mother and I will never stay at this place.

I stayed here a short while ago and was somewhat disappointed with the results. There are some really positive aspects, so I'm throwing in an extra star. The Good: The staff was attentive, friendly, and would hang out alongside people in the common room. Relatively clean, though bathroom hand towels would go missing sometimes, and comfortable beds. Fantastic location - you can walk to Union Station in 10 minutes, and H Street is a gentrified area with historic homes, bustling restaurants and bars, and even a couple live music venues. It does get significantly more sketchy as you walk east, though. I would say the location is a big asset. The Bad: I showed up on my first night, spoke to the front desk and was shown around the facility. So far so good. But when I returned the next evening, someone's stuff was in my bed. They hadn't checked me in on the computer, resulting in them recording me as a no-show and overbooking the hostel. I'm pretty easy-going, and this wasn't the biggest deal, but I had to change rooms for the night. And then another night. And then again - I found out this happened to several people while I was there. The upsetting part was showing up to my bed, thinking I was in the right room, and finding my stuff missing - it turns out it was moved to another room without anyone telling me. And no one provided a list of the rooms or beds I'd be staying in, which existed but was never given to me until later in the trip. Other things...there was one night when someone was playing music at the front desk loudly enough that I could hear it down the hall. Yes, it was only about 11. Yes, I usually go to bed at 2 anyways. But when I'm on a trip and I've been walking around all day, I want to sleep early - so did a number of other people in my room and the rooms next to us. I wouldn't write this hostel off - the common area is nice, you meet some great travelers, and the staff is pretty cool. They were quick to try to resolve each problem. But they need to get their reservations in order.

I stayed here one night. Its a really good place to stay. The staff here are friendly and helpful. I give 5 stars to this place.

Touring the east coast and this place is near everything I needed to see in DC The place is clean and the area has great food and stores right outside. Although it could be cheeper I was satisfied. Stayed one night and got my knob polished from Grindr down the block and was back to get a decent night sleep and 5 min walk to the bus to NYC the next morning

The staff are incredible, all very young and cool, the rooms are clean and the whole hostel feels very safe. I met a lot of really interesting people from all over and would recommend this place to anybody. also, there is free beer (and sometimes shots) between 8 and 9 and the bar across the street didn't card me.

I called the hostel to cancel the reservation for personal reason and the person who picked up the phone did not seem to have any idea about the hostel policy and kept telling me that I had to contact through email, which for me did not make any sense. Also, when the person did not have any answer to my questions, he just hung up on me. This gave me the impression that the staff here is very unprofessional and rude and also that they have serious communication problem. I have not stayed at this place so maybe people who actually have stayed here might have a different idea but just by judging from what I experienced I think this place is overrated.