Marvin Weavers
Google
I stayed at a hostel that, at first, was really great. I met some amazing people, and Jerry, one of the staff members, was super friendly and helped me with quite a few things. From the very beginning, I honestly felt I was having a great experience.
Unfortunately, when it came time to check out, things completely turned around. Earlier in the morning, I had told guy at reception that I’d be running a quick errand and would check out by 11. I came back and since I had met some amazing roommates, I sat in the room with one of them while they were getting ready, as we were planning to go out together once I checked out. My bags were already packed.
When I went to check out just after 1, I was suddenly told I needed to pay a €15 late fee. I explained that I wasn’t late, that I had already packed up and was only waiting for my friend. It wasn’t a case of me still sleeping in the room or occupying the bed. Despite this, the receptionist insisted I pay.
What made the situation worse was the way he spoke: blunt, rude, and with no sense of customer service or basic manners. He kept pointing to a notice board behind the desk as justification for the fine, but honestly, that board isn’t even visible to guests—how is anyone supposed to know?
The whole interaction left a really bad taste in my mouth. It went from being one of the best hostel experiences I’ve had to one of the worst simply because of how poorly the situation was handled. And to top it off, in the end, he simply told me to “just leave,” which left me completely shocked.