William L.
Yelp
What can I say? I haven't stayed in too many hostels in my life, but I'm sure that few are as pleasant as Hostel Buffalo Niagara. The first thing you notice is the welcoming reception area, with cool posters from floor to ceiling, collected over years of Buffalo art and cultural events, intermixed with handy suggestions for things to do and goings on about town. My friend and I didn't need any of that since I used to live in Buffalo, I already know my way around and had a long list of things I wanted to do, but it was nice to see that a guest could find out about a lot of cool, alternative events right there.
The hostel walls are decorated with images taken from Buffalo's past and colorful wall art and the entire place is absolutely spotless. Our room on the third floor, in the back, was very comfortable, had really high ceilings and two huge windows, giving us great light and air circulation. The bunk beds were comfortable as far as bunk beds go and the bathrooms were also clean and spacious.
There is a nice & comfy and funky lounge on the second floor, right next to an equally great and well equipped kitchen, though we didn't do any cooking. The lounge is chock-a-block with well-selected literature, comfy sofas and friendly travelers. Just last week a ping-pong table was installed in the basement and the hostel also offers bike-rentals for getting around what is an extremely bike-able city.
The hostel is located in the heart of Buffalo's theater district and within easy walking distance of downtown Buffalo attractions as well as Allentown, a historic neighborhood and foodie/bar scene destination. With the notable exception of SpOt coffee, a Buffalo institution, avoid the nearby Chippewa St nightlife strip at all costs. If you need to go further afield, the hostel is well situated for access to both the NFTA Metro train that goes up main street and a host of busses going all over. The Greyhound bus station is also about a ten minute walk away, and the Exchange St. Amtrak station is about the same.
Buffalo is a truly special town, with tons of history, art, culture and blue-collar personality. For budget travelers or those that just like hostel culture, the Hostel Buffalo-Niagara is a fantastic home base for exploring everything this underrated city, and region have to offer.