Darya S.
Yelp
Positives:
- in terms of infrastructure, this hostel is fantastic - so open, social, large, and fun, with a pool table, ping pong table, a bar, and common space to hang out
- breakfast was £4.90, which includes yogurt, cereal, eggs, deli meats, vegetables, fruit, coffee, tea, bread, beans, and juice
- front desk was helpful, quick, and knowledgeable
- big fridge downstairs to store your stuff
- every bed gets a locker, outlet, USB port, and night-light, which I appreciated
- adaptors available for rent
- ten-minute walk to Tower Hill station
In terms of basic necessities that backpackers need, I felt a major lack in a few areas:
- no WiFi for half the time I stayed there (3 out of 6 days)
- when I asked about switching to another hostel because I needed WiFi, they said they needed more than 24 hours' notice, which doesn't make sense, because if you made the promise to provide WiFi and you aren't, shouldn't you allow people to cancel easily to move elsewhere to get something they need that you're not providing?
- squeakiest, oldest, thinnest, most uncomfortable mattresses of any hostel I've ever stayed at. They advertise free condoms at the front desk, but who's gonna have sex on these awful, loud AF beds?!?
- incredibly loud and inconsiderate roommates plus aforementioned mattresses means I didn't sleep at all. There was one guy who gave me the silent treatment when I asked him to stop talking on the phone at 2am. There was another couple who packed their suitcases every night at 4am until the morning, even though they never ended up going anywhere that day. There was another guy who was loudly on his computer every night til late, and when I asked him to keep it quiet, he gave me the ol' "no Ingles." When I spoke to him in Spanish and requested some silence, he just ignored me. I literally could not catch a break.
- kitchen staff refused to give me soy milk, because "it's expensive." Well, the hostel is expensive, so hadn't I paid for it and didn't I deserve a splash of soy for my coffee?
- bar staff was so unfriendly and standoffish
- really foul, moldy smell in the bathrooms and rooms
It's a fun, conveniently located hostel, but looking back, I do wish I'd stayed somewhere that provided stronger basic necessities.