Located in the Museum District of Houston, Houston International Hostel is within walking distance to all the major museums in town. A few blocks away are the Houston Holocaust Museum, Museum of Natural Science, Museum of Fine Arts, Children's Museum, and many many more. It's only a fifteen-minute ride by public transportation to Downtown Houston and its many attractions. Getting from the Hostel to the Galleria shopping center is not too far by car, but can be extremely difficult if using public transportation.
The Hostel itself is located in a side street, which can be a bit hard to find for the first time. It's quite a walk from the nearest train station (nine blocks), which isn't convenient for travelers with heavy bags. It's very easy to get to the hostel from Houston's Greyhound station (the metro station is right across the road), however getting there from the Amtrak station is much harder and requires a walk, and a few bus transfers.
The hostel itself is located in a somewhat run-down house, it has three bathrooms (one on the ground floor and two more on the second floor) which are kept fairly clean, a very big and well equipped kitchen, a nice big common area, a small TV lounge, outside patio, luggage storage, pay phone, and three Internet access computers. The Internet access is expensive, but an unlimited access card is available, which makes it worthwhile for travelers planning to spend more than a few days in the hostel. The dorms are clean and neat, and the beds are outstandingly comfortable.
On the downside, this hostel has some weird regulations and rules. First, each traveler has chores to do. They aren't harshly enforced, but you have to do at least two chores every day (chores range from taking out the trash to cleaning your room). Secondly, the hostel has a lockout between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and between midnight to 8 a.m. -- which means travelers cannot stay in their room past 10 a.m. or return to the hostel after midnight without getting the staff's approval and a key. Travelers arriving late, and not during the reception hours, will be forced to wait outside for the staff to come back, so plan your arrival accordingly.
The atmosphere is another major problem of this hostel. This hostel has a lot of permanent residents, which are somewhat dodgy, and you wouldn't want to get on their bad side. The permanent residents are pretty old, and not very fun, which makes the entire atmosphere shift between drowsy, dreary, and boring.
All in all, this hostel has great potential, and decent conditions, so if you're looking for a place to stay but not more than that, it should be your choice in Houston. If you're looking for a more social place, where you could meet travelers like yourself, you'll have to look elsewhere.
-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
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