Reviews: JB23
Location USA, Gender Male, Age 36- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: good atmosphere Cons: boiling hot room (the window and fan don’t help), old building poorly renovated (there’s literally a log sticking out of the floor), thin walls, old stained mattresses with springs poking you in the back, lumpy pillows, freezing cold showers (there are signs saying to notify reception but reception is only open a few hours a day, the showers were ice cold in both buildings at night and the security guard couldn’t/wouldn’t do anything about it), poor Wi-Fi
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: very close to old town, walking distance to everywhere, quiet, clean. The 4 bed form is very nice (no bunks), good bathrooms Cons: they lock the thermostats and the temperature can't be lowered past 23C (~74F) which in my opinion is definitely not low enough. It was more difficult to get to sleep because it was a bit hot in the rooms, especially on a top bunk or far away from the A/C. they need to set the limit lower
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: Nice garden, friendly staff, social atmosphere Cons: Long walk to everywhere. Bad Wi-Fi (dropped multiple zoom calls, no Wi-Fi at all in some dorms), excessive smoking all around the property (worst offenders are staff)
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Tl;dr Probably the best hostel in Lisbon, but look past the slick marketing and lower your expectations, it’s still a hostel Pros: great location, friendly staff, coworking space Cons: expensive, no A/C (!), lots of things in disrepair (dorm door wouldn’t close and made a loud screeching sound while trying, electrical outlets not working, bathrooms out of order, furniture on the roof deck falling apart). Common areas get dirty quickly, particularly the bathroom and kitchen.
Hi there, Thank you for your review, we gladly appreciate the time you spent to leave these comments. We are pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us! We will take your comments to make sure that all rooms and common areas are maintained. We are working on adding another cleaning round to make sure the common kitchen and bathrooms are clean and fully equipped the whole time. We are glad you enjoyed Secret Garden and we hope to see you again soon. Regards, Selina Secret Garden Lisbon
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: Excellent location, A/C, great atmosphere, good tours, group chat helps to meet up and organize with others Cons: Some a/c units are really loud, WiFi unusable, no common area, kitchen is bare bones (eg. I couldn’t find a single fork), mattresses are hit or miss, metal bunk beds Recommendations: if you can’t use the roof as a common area for the foreseeable future, organize nightly events in addition to the daily tours, service A/C in dorms, upgrade mattresses, beds, WiFi
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Fantastic location and very friendly staff, BUT don’t expect a good night’s sleep, even with earplugs. The place is surrounded by roosters on all sides that started crowing every 30 seconds at 3am (this is not an exaggeration, I checked the clock). I read about them in other reviews but dismissed it. I shouldn’t have, I ended up leaving after the first night. Cleanliness also not what I expected.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Generally good. Facilities could use some TLC; No soap or paper towels in the bathroom throughout my stay, no hot water in showers, toilet paper ran out multiple times, mattresses were saggy. Bar and restaurant is very lively, but that makes it hard to chill out and impossible to sleep before the bar shuts down, as there is no barrier between the two spaces. Solid option; could be a 9-10, but the primary objective appears to be maintaining the status quo
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: phenomenal location (right on the beach), very clean, comfortable, great AC, great amenities (hammocks, pool table, workout area, volleyball net) Cons: right next to the main road, poor insulation (lots of noise from traffic and nearby clubs, making it difficult to sleep), there are only 8 dorm beds and they’re the most expensive in town so the hostel wasn’t full and there’s not much atmosphere as a result I ended up moving to find more opportunities to socialize and get better sleep
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: Good security (keycard needed to use elevator, individual locking storage compartment beneath each bed), great amenities (toiletries, pajamas, multiple towels), decent location (next to subway station, albeit, not a particularly "central" one), staff was prompt and courteous, facilities were great and generally clean. Cons: This is a capsule hotel, NOT a hostel, and therefore, has zero atmosphere. A bunch of business travelers silently pecking away at their devices
- JB23
- USA, Male, 31-40
- Globetrotter
Pros: nice staff, nice facilities, good layout, close to Kyoto station Cons: far from everything else, slightly disinterested staff (seemed more like they were hanging out than working a lot of the time), the atmosphere is lacking (not much effort by staff to get people together or run scheduled events), lights in the rooms never go off at night which is annoying, and there is a window in every pod that can’t be covered in any way so you will be woken up by the sunrise every morning.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Very clean, central, close to ferry terminal and restaurants. Be aware, however, that its primarily a place to crash while waiting for flights/ferries, so not a ton of atmosphere. My biggest gripe is that the bunk beds sway like tall grass in the wind. Every time my bunk mate or I shifted, turned, or even BREATHED, the entire bed would shake and wake the other up. I got basically no sleep because of it.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
The location is great, and the property is nice, but the owner manages it like a vacation rental. Pros: Clean, extremely close to beach, walking distance to shops and restaurants. Cons: No staff, no info/activities/tours, vibe is hit-or-miss, questionable security, limited bathrooms (2 private), overpowering cleaners (awful chemical smell) Lack of staff leads to security issues, someone figured out the door code and decided to move in uninvited, had strange people trying to enter several times.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Best hostel in Maui IMHO. Great tours, friendly staff, great vibe, close to a cool town (Paia) which is chilled out and not super touristy, but has a bunch of great amenities (food co-op, beaches, bars, restaurants). Would definitely stay again. Note to staff: find a place to put up some hammocks, and it might be nice to facilitate activities at/near the hostel for those that don't get a spot on daily tour, or in the evening (eg. game night, movie night, family dinner/bbq, trip to the beach etc
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Nice place. Pool=good. Daytime staff=good. Evening/nighttime staff=no English, rude, and, useless. 1st night, the AC didn’t work and it was unbearably hot. Staff unconcerned and offered no options for remediation. Morning staff were polite, helpful, offered multiple options and fixed the issue immediately. 2nd night, the staff couldn’t answer simple questions and seemed annoyed by basic requests. Teach your staff some customer service skills or fire them, they’re giving Billabong a bad name.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
All hostels in SF are crazy expensive, and nothing to write home about, but with that being said, I spent several weeks moving between them and I guarantee you this is the best option. Rooms are nicer, quieter, and more comfortable than either of the HI's. The kitchen is a bit of a disaster, but thats a given at large hostels like this. Its funky, not particularly charming, but does the trick. Just make sure to cram it all in and then head to the next city, or you'll go bankrupt!
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Stayed here a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. Not impressed 2nd time around. 1. NO AC during the day, in Queensland, in the middle of summer. They need this, at the VERY LEAST, in common areas. The entire hostel was sweltering and there was nowhere to hide. 2. The main receptionist/manager is rude and condescending. She's been there 5 yrs and it shows, doesn't care about guests at all. 3. Really far from everything, shuttles don't run often enough. Stay at halse lodge instead.
Great to see you enjoyed Noosa so much you came back, there is plenty to do and enjoy! But our A/C is only in Reception where the free guest computers are and the bed rooms. We are Earth aware and environmentally try to do the right thing, like recycling, rainwater use for toilets, solar power and yes A/C from 2pm through to 9am everyday. This is because we are a backpacker hostel where the majority of our guests are here to see and do as much as they can every day. From surfing our beautiful beaches with our free surfboards and boogie boards, trekking through the Noosa National park or checking out the river. Very few want to sit indoors in air conditioning, but obviously you did, so yep no A/C when you wanted it! J9 is fantastic and one of the most helpful managers I have ever come across travelling or working with, so I think you're just 'annoyed' (American slang for upset) about the A/C issue for you! Halse lodge is in a lovely setting but last time I checked no A/C in rooms or common areas......Hmmmm! Waz Owner
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Standard YHA. Clean and good security but strange clientele (huge age range, generally quiet, keep to themselves) and not great for socializing. Pretty far walk from main attractions. Recommend staying at Attic Backpackers if possible. Much more central location, slightly more social
Hi there, thanks for your feedback, sorry that we did not meet your expectations with regards to the atmosphere. This very much depends on the group of customers staying at any one time. Steve - Area Manager.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Decent location. Pretty quiet, very small kitchens, lots of jostling for space. Average experience.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
They pulled a bait & switch both times I stayed there, reserved Bamboo Backpackers (8.4 rating on HW) got put in sister hostel Bluewater Lodge (5.3 rating on HW). It felt like false advertisement. based on all of the reviews, I assume the other rooms are nicer Pros: good food, friendly staff, good place to meet people (bar, picnic tables,pool, hammocks) Cons: Basic. Wifi was useless, couldn't load a webpage most of the time I was there (stayed two times several days apart).
Bula, Thanks for the nice food/staff/bar comments and sorry to hear that expectation and reality mismatched. We appreciate the opportunity to improve our guest experience. In this case you booked the 8 bed dorm option. For dorm guests wishing to stay in the Travellers Garden block (closest to the cafe/bar area), we can recommend to choose the 16 bed dorm option. Vinaka, the bamboo team
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Decently clean, friendly staff, good location but the nature of the city means you'll be climbing steps to and from the hostel every day. Biggest complaint would be cramped quarters, everything from dorms to kitchen to bathrooms are absolutely tiny. Not something that can really be avoided as space within the city walls is at a premium, but worth noting to set proper expectations.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Not what I expected. Caves are predictably dank, no hot water in the shower (more like a concrete corral with a hose). Reception is open for relatively short periods of time (eg. closes for 3 hours for lunch, closes again at 10pm). Location is out of the way so you definitely need an ATV to get anywhere, not a huge problem but factor that into your budget ($20/day). I checked out and found a very nice, private queen room with balcony, hot shower, and tv for $15 more/night about 5 min away
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Friendly staff, good, clean facilities. Decent location. Circus theme is pretty silly, the props are a turn off (one room full of costumes is never used) and common spaces could be better arranged to encourage mingling. Overall a good experience but would be great for the staff to organize more events and utilize the bar/restaurant more heavily
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Great staff, good location, very secure. Great social atmosphere, would stay again
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Massive chain hostel. Getting to my room involved 5 flights of stairs and traversing 4 hallways of cookie-cutter dorm rooms. Social area seems like a great idea but the whole time I was there the place was packed to the gills with underage children on school trips which completely killed any social vibe. The facilities are decent but nothing to write home about. Felt like a holiday inn with bunk beds. Be ready for the school kids and don't expect to meet fellow travelers.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Good location and amenities, good AC, clean, pretty social. Management: You need more than one staff member! Many people were left waiting at the door to be buzzed in (happened multiple times per day during my stay) because the only person on duty was away from the front desk.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Fantastic location, good common area, but should have at least minimal breakfast. Front door is always locked with a code, which is great for security but incredibly stupid for accommodating new arrivals. Only one person mans the desk, and they give everyone an individual tour upon check in, leaving new arrivals knocking/ringing/calling in frustration trying to get in. Also, WARNING: NO HOT WATER in this place. Tried 4 showers/floors/days, no one else using bathrooms, ice cold every time
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Pros: Excellent location (center of town, short walk from all transport, shops, and beach), very friendly staff, large, good mattresses! Cons: I can't recommend the meals that the hostel offers, everyone complained about the tiny portion sizes (most had to go out to find a second dinner after "burger night") and I heard nothing but poor reviews about breakfast. No big deal since there are lots of options around, but worth mentioning. P.S. To staff: Get better/more chairs and hammocks!
Thanks for your review! We were just at the start of testing a new meal service and appreciate your feedback. It is currently under review as we always strive for excellence! We appreciate all your other useful comments and recommendations!
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Pros: friendly staff, nice/safe neighborhood, nice pool, access to private beach Cons: located in suburban neighborhood far from everything, you need to take a car or taxi to get anywhere (including the "private beach" which is 15+ min drive.. Even "downtown" is 20-30 min away. car trips by staff felt like an inconvenience rather than a service, and the "ill take you there but you have to find your way back" attitude reinforced that. Regardless, found nothing interesting in Montego Bay, skip it
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Good, but really quiet, lights are usually off by about 10. Included breakfast is nice, "free filtered water" is suspect (I got sick so I recommend sticking with bottled). The hotel is a little far from the main square but safe and secure. If you're looking to socialize, this isn't the place, stay at Jungle Party. If you're looking to get a good night's sleep, stay here and still go drink at Jungle Party, it was a lot of fun.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Very disappointed, this was the least comfortable hostel I stayed at in central America. The manager was friendly but totally obnoxious, the day I arrived she repeatedly hassled me to donate money to a stranger's birthday present and then proceeded to lead a bunch of locals in a raucous, drunken party, repeatedly screaming at the top of her lungs (every 5-10 minutes) all night long. 30%-50% of the guests clearly had no interest and went to bed. Also, as a destination, Roatan sucks, go to Utila.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
I stayed here 1 night before flying out. The staff is nice and the hostel is clean but it's very quiet. It's also in an upscale area with embassies and consulates making it safe, but everything nearby is insanely expensive, I paid more for dinner than I do in downtown Boston. Also it's really far from the airport, the shuttle ended up costing twice as much as the accommodation. Do your research first if you're on a budget, looking to socialize, or want to be closer to the airport.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Great location downtown, convenient to public transit (bus from airport is $1.50, weekly pass less than $10) attached bar is a great place to start the night.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Pretty typical hostel. Was expecting a party scene but never found one. A lot of people were hanging out but not a lot was happening if that makes sense. Kitchenettes in each room are kind of cool but never felt like I actually wanted to use them, especially since there are beds adjacent. Middle of the road hostel, good experience, but nothing stellar.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Stayed here first and moved to another hostel (Waikiki Backpackers). I wish I had stuck around, the smaller size is more inclusive, much better area to hang out, and although not as close to the beach as the other, its closer to everything else, and still only a couple blocks from the water. Good experience overall.
- JB23
- USA, Male, 25-30
- Globetrotter
Pros: Good hostel, excellent location, right next to bus station where you can get buses to the hotel zone, beaches, puerto Juarez (for isla mujeres) etc. definitely the most transit-friendly of any hostel I've ever stayed in. There's also a couple 24 hr mini marts and restaurants within a stones throw. Staff was friendly, cheap tours (trust me, I did my research), overall positive experience. Cons: cold shower, spotty wifi, other minor things, you've stayed in hostels, you know the drill.
Thanks for sharing man, safe travels! Julian (Management)
- JB23
- Thailand, ALONE,
- Globetrotter
- JB23
- Thailand, ALONE,
- Globetrotter
- JB23
- Thailand, ALONE,
- Globetrotter
- JB23
- Thailand, ALONE,
- Globetrotter
- JB23
- Australia, ALONE,
- Globetrotter
- JB23
- Australia, ALONE,
- Globetrotter
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