|
 |
Friends
Hostel
Average Rating Out of 5 Thumbs Up:
|
Reviewed By:
Rajesh (September 3, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
I regret why I did not read these reviews before choosing this lousy
hostel. DIRTY, UNFRIENDLY, LOUSY LOCATION. The place is cramped, locker rooom
is always open(??). The hostel is run by cheats. We reached 7pm but were told
that our reservation is cancelled as we came late and loose our deposit. Though
our confirmation showed no arrival they insisted we had to arrive at 11am.
else.
|
Reviewed By:
Dave (May 7, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
I stayed in Friends hostel for four nights while passing through
Paris. Everyting you have read about the area is true, it is dirty, dangerous
and not by any means safe after dark.
I think that they may have lifted the 9am wake up as I slept it in two mornings
and there was no problem. There was a problem with food being taken from the
kitchen, and the social atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. The staff are
kinda friendly but can have short tempers if you speak poor French. Over all, I
would return myself, but I would have to re-consider recommending it to anyone
else.
|
Reviewed By:
Rose (May 7, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Private
Rating:
|
Review:
Do not go to this hostel! After arriving early in the morning I had
no choice but to sleep the night in this revolting hostel. The room was a
grotty shed out the back that you wouldnt even want your dog to sleep in. The
room stunk of the previous occupants and the beds were also disguisting. For an
extra 5 euros it is definantly worth it to walk up the road to a hotel.
|
Reviewed By:
Mirna (May 7, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
It was a headache since the beginning.
1.Although we had
reservations for a private room, they chucked us in a 4 bed room.
Professionality 0 points!
2. As soon as we entered the room, there was not any fresh air and smelled!!
Breathing 0 points!!
3. As I sat on a folding bed, my butt sunk to the floor! + sheets and blankets
seemed dirty! Comfortability 0 points!!
4. We hoped that things will improve after the shower (tiny but didn't looked
bad) but at our surprise?! there was no warm water.
5. We turned to FRIENDLY staff of a FRIENDS Hostel, but they seemed aggitated
and did not speak any english. Not even after translating our request to french
we got 0 points of help or any explanation.
6. We tried to find any positivity in all this mess, but other people who were
staying there shared ours and even worse experiences. Especially the guy
sleeping in a tv room (3 meters x 3 meters) with a cluster of tables around.
7. To make some breakfast we went to the kitchen, but it was already taken by
bunch of pigeons who flew out as we opened the door. 0 points for poop on the
counter!!
8. Although it is close to Gare du Nord which is cool, it is located in a nasty
part of a town. Nights are extremly loud, very hard to sleep!!
9. My boyfriend got some nasty rash from leaning on a pillow. Hygiene 0 points!!
Well good luck to everyone going there! Some hostels are better, some worse,
but this one is a joke!!
|
Reviewed By:
Hannah (May 7, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
I stayed here one year ago and it was awful. The neighborhood's
awesome and super convenient during the day, but super sketchy at night. I was
spit on when i didn't respond to a man's catcalling (!). Staff at the time
discussed which of the two of them would work on taking my friend and I to bed.
Cots are awful and (while i thankfully didn't experience the welts, rashes, etc
) that people talk about, I did deal with angry people at the front desk, angry
people CLEANING THE ROOMS (seriously.), angry people basically everywhere.
Also, despite the no-curfew policy, they do lock the door for security, but
while my friend was standing outside the glass door waiting to be keyed in, a
man stole her purse off her arm and the staff did nothing except for some
chatter between themselves, and some idle giggling. They wouldn't help file a
police report or even let us use their phone. Find the time/money to stay somewhere else.
|
Reviewed By:
Vicki (May 6, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Private
Rating:
|
Review:
I'd read some terrible reviews of this place AFTER my friend had
booked a night there for the two of us, so I was expecting the worst. But it
was fine. Yeah, it's sort of in the red light district, but it's also 5 minutes
from Sacre-Coeur, and the Metro station is within spitting distance. It didn't
feel that unsafe to me, but I suppose it depends on what you're used to. It
didn't feel much worse than most of suburban London. And although it's
definitely not central, the Paris metro is pretty good.
Our room was small and for some reason painted dark purple, and it was
literally a room with just about enough space for two beds. But if all you're
planning to do is sleep there, what else do you really need? Our room had a
shower, which worked fine (hot water, shower was clean, but not that powerful)
and the toilets were down the hall. It all seemed perfectly clean.
Security-wise maybe it wasn't great - the room where they let you store your
luggage etc was meant to be locked but often didn't seem to be.
On the whole, it's a perfectly ok place to sleep and shower. I wouldn't tell
someone "go here, it's fantastic" but nor would I say "oh my god don't go
there, it's awful". it's ok.
|
Reviewed By:
Andrew (February 13, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
Unclean, vile, unsafe, mean staff, located in the GHETTO (not a
charming neighborhood, especially at night, when all the drug dealers & junkies
come out). Half the beds are portable folding beds that the janitor takes out
of the rooms at 9am EVERY DAY. One of the staff tried to start a fight with me
for no apparent reason (except he hates Americans, etc. I know this because he
underestimated my French understanding), and he also tried to rip me off. I was
often awakened by the creepy manager screaming at her employees. The facilities
are in ruins. All the bad things said about this place are true. Oh, and the
bathroom always has urine on the floor.
|
Reviewed By:
Stephanie (February 13, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
The foulest place I have ever seen. Probably the cheapest hostel in
Paris, but over the course of 4 months everyone studying in Southern France w/
me who stayed there over weekends ended up with bug bites and hives. The staff
was nice, gotta feel sorry for them working there, the janitor who physically
shakes you awake in the morning is not. For a fairly small amount of money the
hostel could be made acceptable, or at least clean, but the owner is negligent.
it's worth the extra 2 euros a night to go somewhere (anywhere) else.
|
Reviewed By:
Liz (February 13, 2005)
Type of Room Stayed In: Private
Rating:
|
Review:
Maybe I picked a good time of year to stay here, because it was
relatively quiet, aside from the constant blaring of sirens through the night.
The neighborhood is quite intimidating, but there's a metro station right
across the street. The bathrooms were cleaned every morning but the kitchen
was rather dirty (more the fault of the hostel's patrons) and there was a
problem with food being stolen. I'd only use it as a place to sleep, and I'd
bring a sleeping bag.
|
Reviewed By:
Kailea (November 11, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
Okay well some of the staff was very friendly....the ppl that wake
you up at 9am werent. Within 10mins of sitting on the bed I had these awful
huge welts ALL OVER MY BODY that itched like hell AND THAT DID NOT GO AWAY FOR
THREE OR FOUR DAYS. Around the hostel has a lot of stuff to look at but it is
NOT safe, esp for a girl walking alone. The place looked clean but the bed
freaked me out so i tried not to touch anything after..no shower no nothing. No
lockers and no locks on the doors... bottom line I didnt feel safe and I got
bed bugs. I remember telling myself I should have saved my 20euro and slept in
the airport. I'd never go back.
|
Reviewed By:
OJ (November 11, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
ha, i read these reviews before i booked, but thought it couldnt be
that bad ... it kinda was (not clean, shower crap and shook awake some mornings
at 8.20am!- they chuck you out at 9 - but their is no curfew at nite
thank god)... although didnt really bother me i had my own sleeping bag (they
dont seem to wash sheets or sleeping bags!!! - be warned!) i was in the 13 bed
dorm - no space - but to tell you the truth i was in paris and pretty drunk
every nite so i didnt care and met some real cool people -equally as disgusted
... but sure when do you ever tell stories about the really clean 5star hotel
you stayed in to your friends??
|
Reviewed By:
Anthony (October 4, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
Cleanliness-none.
Facilities-none.
Rooms-awful, in the dorm it was one continous bed from one wall to the next
they were packed in that tight, we also got chucked out of our converted garden
shed at 9:15am.
Lockers-none!
Showers-was flooded the whole time and looked like you'd get some pretty bad
fungus if used!
Location-the only good thing here because the dining room was a tent in the
courtyard!
|
Reviewed By:
Clare (September 26, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
The beds in the hostel were absolutely disgusting. I got bed bugs
from them which meant I was getting bitten about 8 times a night at home for
the next three months following my stay. It's in a handy location but I'd
rather sleep rough than stay there again.
|
Reviewed By:
Richard (August 1, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
This was quite simply the worst hostel EVER. The rooms were dirty - AVOID like the plague....
|
Reviewed By:
Erika (June 27, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
WORST HOSTEL EVER! We stayed in the crap shack at the back (ie no
lock on the door, wait a minute, the door didn't even close!) NOT THE PLACE
TO STAY!!!! Don't even go here as a last resort, shell out and extra 20 euro to
stay at a Best Western than here. Trust me.
|
Reviewed By:
Graham (April 5, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Private
Rating:
|
Review:
Location good because 30 secs walk from Barbés Rochechouart Metro
station although the neighbourhood did make me feel uneasy. Rooms were clean
although the cleaner himself could have had a shower once or twice. Showers
were nice with plenty of hot water. Staff seemed quite sleazy. One cockroach in
the room. No lockout or curfew which is good. Definitely worth the cheap price
if all you're going to use it for is a roof over your head. Lets face it, who
is going to spend much time in any hostel in Paris when there's so much to see
and do in the city.
|
Reviewed By:
Ron (February 22, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
I read many of the comments and I don't really agree with them.
Friends Hostel was simply OK. The staff was not rude, but polite. While the
Bathrooms were a bit dank and kind of dirty, I think the benefits outwieght the
bad. It is a quick walk to the Garde Nord train station, with a metro stop
right in front. The neighborhood is gentle, full of restaraunts, internet
cafes, and shops. The Moulin Rouge is 10 min walk down the street. Who is
looking for rest in a hostel anyway? My stuff was safe, and it was convenient.
|
Reviewed By:
Karen (January 17, 2004)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
The only good thing about this hostel was the location, right across
from the metro.
The staff are rude, even the owner, especially the owner. If you are staying
in the dorm you don't get a pillow and must be out by 9 a.m. The showers are
consistently cold, the dorm bathroom floor was always wet and dirty, there were
mice. Again, the staff is extremely rude.
|
Reviewed By:
Tracie (July 1, 2003)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
The neighborhood
seemed really rough at first, but it is only a five
minute walk from Sacree Coeur. The staff were very
friendly, but the building seemed very old (a bug here
and there and one mouse). Nice courtyard for eating and
right across the road from a metro station. Rooms facing
the street get a lot of noise at night and light from
the blue neon sign. Not the best place but could have
definitely been much worse. |
Reviewed By:
Jason (April 22, 2003)
Type of Room Stayed In: Dormitory
Rating:
|
Review:
Don't stay in the dorm rooms, unless you want to be in a
room with 10 strange men...definitely the worst night of
my life. Also, the hostel is located in a pretty rough
neighborhood. I would not recommend this hostel to
anyone. |
Reviewed By:
Type of Room Stayed In:
Rating:
|
Review
|
