Nora M.
Yelp
Were it not for what I'm about to describe, it would be a 3-star hostel. It's very stylish, and the bar in the basement is the best thing about the place, everything else is just okay at best. The hangout area isn't really set up for socializing, it's more like a café. I don't know how it got rated as such a great party hostel, since the only social activity they actually facilitate is the morning walking tour.
What makes this place a 1-star is the basement dorm, the weird insistence that it be 90°F, and the rude treatment by the staff about it.
With 34 beds, it would be stuffy without the heat on. But the heated floors make it unbearable. There are windows, but they are street level with people walking by with their dogs and children, with no screens, so it doesn't feel safe opening them. I'm afraid someone will look inside while everyone is in their underwear; or get the idea to slide in and steal people's stuff; or that a dog/drunk will pee into it. Besides, as soon as you close the window, it heats right back up.
I complained about it to the front desk twice, and was brushed off and gaslit both times. The first time, the guy patronized me, saying 1. that I needed it because I was sick [if you can't sleep, you can't get over your cold, buddy] and 2. "Some people like it that way." Some people like heroin, doesn't make it right. The second time, the guy said he had gone in and "checked on it," and that it was fine??? And that I should open the window. As stated, that's not a solution. As soon as I sat down 5 feet away, I heard him tell another staff member what I had said, and she very snidely remarked "Well, no one else is complaining."
Which is a flat out L I E. The guy in the bed next to me said he had complained 4 days earlier, when he first arrived.
Everyone in there is on top of their sheets in their underwear, and if you look at someone and fan your face, they all go "god, I know, it's ridiculous in here."
I would think it would be extremely simple to turn the heat down, so I don't know why they chose this hill to die on.
Despite a no refunds policy, I'm cutting my stay short and switching hostels. The ~$80 I'll lose is worth finally getting a comfortable night of sleep.