Stephen P.
Yelp
Although the word "hostel" is part of its name, this place is about as bare-bones as you can get.
Our room had a capacity of 4 people, and we had it all to ourselves, since we were a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children). However, it was very small and very tight. It had two bunk beds in it and only 1 chair and really no room for anything else, including opening one's suitcase. We would have appreciated another chair or 2 or something like a small table (even a bedside table) to set some belongings on. Fortunately, the room opened onto a terrace, so we had some additional space, although it was outdoor space and thus could not be used all the time.
With our room, we had to use a shared bathroom. These were generally adequate, with multiple sinks and showers (very private shower stalls with an extra space that includes a bench and hooks).
Nowhere in this building is carpeted, so sounds reverberate throughout the building on hard floors and walls, even into sleeping rooms. Outside each sleeping room is a set of lockers corresponding to the number of people the room can hold. This is where you are expected to store and access your suitcase. Again, a table next to each set of lockers would have been helpful so you can more easily have a place to set your stuff as you get out your clothes for the day from your suitcase. Anyway, when these lockers close, they slam, and that creates a loud noise every time it happens, including at night, when you're trying to sleep in your room (i.e., you can hear it in your room, and yes, it's disturbing and annoying). Some doors to the bathroom also close automatically and slam.
In addition, on one of the nights, visitors in another room on our floor used the terrace outside their room, gathering and talking at the very start of quiet hours (10:00 p.m.). This was also disturbing, and we had to report this to the front desk. Hostel staff need to tell guests when quiet hours are and enforce them.
Since we stayed there during the summer, the nights were a little warm, and so we would have appreciated a fan in our room. But as indicated earlier, there was no room for anything else and it's a bare-bones kind of place.
This place has a spacious breakfast room, and it's a very staid (i.e., very Swiss) offering every morning - bread/toast, muesli, coffee, etc. It would have been nice to have a croissant and/or pain chocolate on occasion. There are various other community spaces - seating areas around the lobby, a fully appointed kitchen guests are able to use, a library, etc.
Almost every time we passed through the lobby, the line at the front desk was long. We had to wait in a fairly long line ourselves a few times. More staff on duty at the front desk would be helpful.
We had to pay for use of towels - 2 francs each - plus a deposit (which was returned when the towels were returned). Also, there were absolutely no toiletries provided - no soap or shampoo in the bathroom. I guess this is why hostels are cheaper than a hotel, but they should be clearer about these costs up front - or tell guests before they arrive to provide all of these things themselves.
