Reviews of Where I've Stayed

Since I've stayed in three places since I've gotten to Europe, I wanted to take the time to review them all and compare them. Possible ratings: Appalling, Poor, Tolerable, Good, Excellent, Exceeds Expectations. Categories: security, cleanliness, comfort of beds, location, friendliness of staff, friendliness of fellow travelers, breakfast, showers, price.

HOSTEL IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

"The Hostel"

Security: Excellent. We had to use our room card in order to get into the building, and we had our own room so there was no danger of getting our things stolen. Other guests may rate security as "good," considering they have to watch out for other travelers. 

Cleanliness: Good. Whenever I went to the bathroom it looked like it had just been cleaned. A few suspicious hairs in the shower, but overall mostly clean. Our room appeared clean.

Comfort of beds: Good. It was a bunk bed with a large bed and a smaller bed, so two people had to share a bed. Each person got a pillow, and there was a comforter with a cover on each of them. I hadn't heard of this before, but apparently they are used so that the comforter doesn't need to be washed after each use.

Location: Good. It was right across from the bus station, which was excellent, but it was blocks away from the center of the town. We walked many miles each day.

Friendliness of Staff: Excellent. Although they weren't exactly approachable (one staff member reminded me of Trinity from the Matrix), they readily answered questions and provided assistance when needed.

Friendliness of Fellow Travelers: Tolerable. We didn't chat a lot with the other travelers. Interestingly, there was a wide range in age: some people our age, few middle aged men, a family, etc. Some people appeared quite snobby, but I guess that can't be confirmed.

Breakfast: Good. It cost one pound (many hostels have free breakfast) and included: coffee, tea, milk, two kinds of tasteless cereal, toast with jam. Boring but not too bad. 

Showers: Good. The shower I used had two options for strength of the water. When I had it going full blast, it couldn't do one temperature- it went from bitingly cold to scorchingly hot every few seconds. I had to reduce it to a trickle to get a temperature I could tolerate. Showers did include dispenser with a liquid that claimed to be a body wash and conditioner.

Price: Excellent.

Perks: hairdryers, wi-fi, pool table in lounge, were able to put suitcases aside before we could check in,  entire hostel looked pretty modern and attractive

Downsides: No outlets in the rooms, tiny window with chain on it, strange crazy-looking person lurking about the entrance

Would stay here again? Yes.

HOSTEL IN LONDON, ENGLAND

"The London Eye"

Security: Good. We had a code to get into our room, which was fine because we had booked our own three person room, again. There was also a code to get into the rooms part of the building, which was comforting.

Cleanliness: Appalling. Literally half the walls in the shower rooms were covered with BLACK MOLD. The toilet got horrendously clogged every single day that we were there, and we couldn't use it until someone came to "fix" it. Sometimes it was clogged and messy around the toilet probably due to someone throwing up from drinking too much beer. We found a cockroach crawling in our room, which didn't bother me too much since cockroaches don't bite. Danielle figured it came from the kitchen. More on that under breakfast.

Comfort of Beds: Appalling. It was like sleeping on a rock. I woke up feeling more sore than when I went to bed. Technically it was "tolerable" since I had no other choice, but I've never slept on something so uncomfortable. Small pillows and an old comforter, again with a cover over it.

Location: Good. Contrary to the title, you cannot see the London Eye from the hostel. If you walk down two blocks, you can. We liked the walk, since it led us to the bakery where we started buying our breakfast every morning, and the Chinese restaurant where we bought a full English breakfast a few times.

Friendliness of Staff: Excellent. They were all very approachable and friendly. Mostly professional, except when Hannah went to buy water late on Friday evening and couldn't get the attention of the guy working the desk who was actually playing alcohol-related games with travelers (not physically at the desk, obviously).

Friendliness of Fellow Travelers: Excellent. If someone was looking for social life, this hostel had it. All travelers were in their late teens or twenties. All were excited about the beer available in the hostel. Other guests chatted with us in the common area.

Breakfast: Appalling. We were excited about the free breakfast, and so went down to the gross-smelling kitchen to get some toast. After I buttered four pieces for us, Danielle said, "Oh, oh--" and pointed out the mold on every piece. We ditched the toast and bought delicious bakery items each morning instead (for around a pound each).

Showers: Poor. As mentioned, there was the black mold taking over the walls. And the showers were like those sinks where you have to keep pushing a button. The person showering had to push a button every twenty seconds to start it again. I'm not rating it as "appalling" because the temperature and water pressure were actually both good.

Price: Good (cheapest place we stayed at).

Perks: Free wi-fi (the password was "beerisgreat". Desk Guy's comment? "...which is available for purchase behind the desk. For those over eighteen," with a look in Hannah's direction), snacks you could purchase, (very expensive) internet, one refrigerator available for residents, outlets and small lamps in the room for each guest, unpleasantness of our room encouraged us to stay out longer and experience the city or socialize with other guests.

Downsides: The free wi-fi only worked if I plugged my computer into the outlets where the computers were plugged in, scary health issues, couldn't sit up in my bed because it was a triple bunk bed.

Would stay here again? Only if there are no other options.

BED & BREAKFAST IN CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND

"The Battledown"

Security: Excellent. I was given keys that work on the front door as well as on my room. 

Cleanliness: Exceeds expecations. My room is cleaned for me every day when I'm out doing things in Cheltenham. My bed is made, and the free snacks are replaced each day (biscuits, crackers, tea, hot chocolate, etc).

Comfort of Beds: Exceeds expectations. I have six pillows (two are decorative) and what I think may be a queen bed to myself. Incredibly comfortable. Warm, although I found an extra blanket in the closet. I'm such a sucker for a comfy bed. And I love, love pillows!

Location: Good.. It takes me a while to walk into the town, but it's near a Tesco (grocery store) so I can get things when I need them.

Friendliness of Staff: Exceeds expectations. The couple that owns it, Sue and Colin Jones, invited me to eat dinner with their daughter and her two friends visiting from Manchester University. Then their daughter invited me to go to the "cinema" with her friends. Sue asks me how I'm spending my days and offers suggestions on how to get to places and what places to go.

Friendliness of Fellow Travelers: Tolerable. They're all old people. They haven't talked to me yet and I'm okay with that. 

Breakfast: Exceeds Expecations. It's all included in the price I paid. They offer yogurt, cereal, fruit, homemade jam for the toast. But then Colin comes to each table and gives a menu with various choices on it (included is a full English breakfast, a vegetarian breakfast, or the "lighter options" like one that includes smoked salmon, pancakes, and more!). This morning I got a full English breakfast, but asked for a smaller portion because I was still full from the dinner Sue served last night. Traditional English breakfast consisted of, if you're curious: baked beans, tomatoes, egg, mushrooms, sausage, bacon (Canadian-style), and toast. I was also served a pot of tea. 

Showers: Excellent. I have my own bathroom, and it's all lovely. They provide me with lots of soaps and lotions and even cotton balls and Q-tips. The towels are changed every day.

Price: Excellent for the kind of care I'm receiving. Obviously more than the cheap hostels I've been staying with.

Perks: TV with cable "Sky" TV, free snacks provided in my room, pot to heat water with, closet, hosts that go above and beyond, free wi-fi that works perfectly, all very aesthetically pleasing, garden and seating outside in the back.

Downsides: The guests are NOT partying at all hours of the night (or at all, really) and I'm quite fond of the hosts so I try to be quiet. I'm not sure when I need to be quiet, but I start at around 9:30 to be sure. I'd rather not have to worry about that, but it's extremely minor.

Would stay here again? Absolutely!