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Kyoto Globetrotters Hostel Details
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Kyoto Globetrotters Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
TERRIBLE Honestly, I am shocked this place is still in business. I stayed here in 2009 and I had such a terrible time that I am looking it up again, over two years later, aghast that it has not been shut down. We had rented a private room for two days but on the first night my girlfriend at the time woke up with bites all over her arms. I mentioned this to the manager (Oliver) asking him to change the mattress and he kicked us out VERY aggressively, honestly scared us both with his shouting. Added to that I left a hard drive in his safety deposit box and he joked that he couldn't watch the videos on it (they were encrypted). Seriously, you will have a better, more comfortable time renting a booth at a manga cafe, or even on the street. — Adam , British (2012-02-05) I recommend Kyoto Globetrotters Hostel I have stayed at Kyoto Globetrotters Hostel several times on my trips to Japan. I have always found it to be welcoming and good value. The owner is always friendly and helpful when it comes to recommending sights and facilities in and around Kyoto. I liked staying there and meeting other travelers from all over the world. And I will stay there again on my next trip to Kyoto. — Bau , The Netherlands (2009-12-13) I would choose zero stars if it were an option This hostel goes by a number of different names, so please pay attention to the address of other places that look strangely similar. This hostel is by no means centrally located. It is half a dozen stops on the metro out of the center, and then a 20 minute walk from the station. The bus to the city is a horrible experience, with no English directions + an absolute multitude of people cram on like sardines.. on a Sunday afternoon the trip to Gion took us over an hour when we decided that we'd rather walk the rest of the way & besides, we had no idea when to get off because there is no English anywhere displayed on the bus routes -- highly recommend avoiding all buses and sticking to the metro line. When we finally arrived to the hostel to check in, we met the infamous Oliver (owner) who quite unnecessarily jumped down our throats about confirming the price he was charging our group for accommodation. this guy really doesnt care about the experience of his guests -- he's in it to make money and thats it. The room we booked was ridiculously small + had 9 SELF ASSEMBLED bunks (3x3) squished in each tiny room. Seeing as we could not sleep, we were talking to other guests who mentioned that the night before one of the middle bunks collapsed during the middle of the night, but luckily there was nobody underneath it, because it would have resulted in a trip to the hospital. Oliver (owner) managed to fix it up himself the next morning and my bed happened to be underneath the make-shift replacement. The rooms let in a draft from the door outside and the bottom bunk is literally a foam mattress directly on the floor = guarantee you will wake up with a sore back. There were no sheets for us or towels, and it simply was a horrible cold night's sleep. Half of my group ended up going somewhere else and had the best night's sleep in comparison. On our first day staying there another guest hired a bicycle, which had faulty brakes and the poor guy ended up having an accident and scraping his face up. We were leaving to get a bite to eat when the argument over who would cover the medical bills was taking place. the toilets are a joke -- one or two unclean toilets for over 30 guests + the staff. there are no bath sinks -- just one cold tap in a laundry sink downstairs + two or three cold taps in laundry sinks on the second level in one of the dorm rooms (again no hot water). No mirrors and two showers that you have to walk through the common room where everyone is congregated. most of our group of guys (who arent usually that pedantic) decided that showering would probably do more bad than good. You may at first be deceived by the nice entrance and living room at the front of the hostel, but this is used by Oliver to run his second business teaching English. the hostel itself is way below par in amenities, location and friendliness. The owner acted rude and clearly was trying to squeeze as many guests in his place without providing the adequate services. If this hostel was in the middle of the city, you may be able to put up with all of the above. But just traveling from downtown Kyoto (which itself is a small city) back to the hostel via bus or via Imadegawa metro station takes close to an hour. There are a multitude of better options, and quite frankly our stay at this hostel spoiled the city of Kyoto for us. I have never written a hostel review before, but feel so strongly about our experience here that I wish no other traveler has to endure what we went through. — Simon , Australia (2009-11-27) Exactly as described! The Hostel is a "Hostel" as described not a five-star Hotel. Oliver was more than friendly, more than helpful and more than accommodating to us through our stay. Yes it is rather cosy but this is Japan and it gives you that authentic Japanese homestay experience. The facilities were more than adequate. The Hostel was very clean and tidy, beds were comfortable, and Oliver made sure we felt at home. Just one example. As we (My partner, two other travelers, and myself) were just off to sleep Oliver politely asked us if we were warm to which we replied "Thanks you were are fine." the next morning we awoke to more blankets in the room and a heater had been placed in our room and turned for our comfort. In summery Olivers Hostel is exactly as listed! If you want a double room on your own with room service and a rooftop spa go home and check into the Hilton do not put down this place nor Oliver. We will be back again. — Jesse , Australia (2009-11-23) Horrible place This is a horrible place. They couldn't check us in on time and promised to place our bags in our room. Eight hours later they were still sitting in the public lobby with no protection. My private room didn't even lock. It didn't even have a normal door it had a screen door. One wall wasn't even a wall it was a screen with rice paper on top. I could hear every word from the surrounding rooms and even when the neighbors moved around at night. Light filtered in from the other rooms too. The bathrooms were gross and unsanitary. Plus it was just two toilets for the whole house. Plus our room was not attached to the main house and we had to walk through a yard and garage to use the bathroom. The owner was mean to us. We complained about the room because of the above and woke up to find out we had to leave. Please note that I was not rude, did not even raise my voice, just had asked to be transferred to a more private room in the main house. He said "If you are unhappy here then go." I reminded him we were happy to stay but had merely requested a new room. That did not fly and he made it clear that we were being kicked out within the half hour. In conclusion, do not stay here. I have no idea how this place is still open considering the way the owner keeps it and treats his customers. — Not happy , USA (2009-03-24) Stay away! Not worth it! This is not a hostel. Its someone's private house that he has crammed full of bunks without the adequate facilities to cater for international backpackers. It is difficult to know exactly where to begin to describe how horrible our stay was, and the disgusting service we were given. Kyoto Globetrotters Hostel
and Osaka Downtown Hostel and Olivers International Hostel are all run by the same person -- expect the same standard of service in each. There are no positives. Our experience is no exception! Oliver has a smile on his face when you first arrive, and a seemingly welcome persona -- this is a facade! Oliver will only be polite until you hand over your yen. After this, the service slips to a disgusting level. He offers no help, assistance with the area, guidance, or friendly advice. He prefers to remain out of the way and out of the building. There are times when there is actually no one running the hostel and all you have are a series of hastily written directions to follow left on the front desk for you to find -- if you are lucky. The facilities available are ridiculous. The common room can only be described as a shoe-box not catering for more than five people comfortably. There are only two showers and two toilets to cater for a maximum capacity of thirty-five. The showers/toilets were not cleaned during the three days we stayed. Also you could only reach them by going through the common room. We were on the top level -- three floors up -- so there were not easily accessible for us. The rooms had bunks that reached almost to the roof. I was unlucky enough to be given a top bunk and could not even sit on my bed without having to crouch down and duck. I was only a foot and a half from the ceiling and the lights. These rooms are a safety hazard and are not comfortable. Internet is not always accessible and is expensive. We were trying to book another trip out of Kyoto when the hostel lost power for a few minutes. After this Oliver refused to credit us the remaining time owed, even though we had paid for it. His manner was arrogant, confronting, and unnecessary. There is only a small bar fridge and a jug and no kitchen/bar/vending machines or convenience store close by. As we were leaving early in the morning, we wanted to order a taxi as the buses werent running. He initially refused until we pushed the issue. After this he told us that he tried to call, but that all of the taxi numbers were engaged. Because of this, we had to walk almost eight kilometers to the bus station and left the hostel in disgust at midnight to walk through the night to get there in time. As someone who is opening a hostel in the near future, I was given a perfect example of everything not to do. This is not a good hostel. Do not stay here, or in his other hostels in Osaka. Oliver's manner and work ethic are well below standard and especially as an avid traveler seeing a lot of hostels, he is by far the worst i have stayed in around the world. Disgusting Oliver, absolutely disgusting! — Patrick and Joe , British and Australian (2009-01-07)