HI - Montreal Youth Hostel

This hostel is a three-level building that somewhat resembles a budget hotel. The white facade, red awnings, and white/red sign all make it easy to spot, even in the middle of a blizzard.

The Location

The location is great, just two blocks from Rue Ste Catherine and Rene Levesque, and only 500 metres from a metro station. If you arrive by train, it's walking distance or a $5 cab ride (which is preferable if it's snowing).

Rooms and Bathrooms

The rooms are adequate with sheets and towels provided. At the time of this review there was a problem with bedbugs, with a few people ending up with bites. The rooms are small, but have enough space for your things, and all have a small bathroom (shower, toilet). Lockers are in the rooms (provide your own lock), or if you need a larger one there are automatic lockers in the basement near the internet room. Private rooms consist of a bunk bed (double bed on bottom, single on top), a small locker, shower, and toilet. The shower looked like it needed a decent scrub, but overall the rooms are clean and hospitable. The key cards do tend to stop working (one of the staff told me it can react with the cards in your wallet) which is a common complaint of HI Hostels card system.

Common Spaces

The common areas consist of the main entrance, internet room, and a bar/cafe. The internet costs $3 per hour, but the computers are not up to date in terms of software. The bar/cafe is located in the basement and doesn't have much ambiance - it's set up with small chairs and tables with a pool table in the centre. It's not the most inviting because of the level of light and the individualised nature of the seating. A few couches in there would have made it a little more relaxed. At 'Happy Hour' there was only 3-4 people in there for most of the night. Occasionally groups get going in there, but only if you literally sit and wait for people to show up. The cafe is also the location to be if you want food, with a continental breakfast (two pastries, cereal, and juice) for about $6.50, served complete with a roll of cling film if you want to take anything with you. You can also order a couple of other things direct off the menu, and dinner is available as well.

The hostel was getting a spruce up when we were there (March '08) with new carpets and paint. We only saw a bit of it coming in, but it did perk the place up a bit.

Summary

Like most HI Hostels it has the blackboard with activities, mostly what's happening around Montreal, rather than activities organised by the hostel. A great outing was to an NHL hockey game - again although a 'group' didn't depart from the hostel, the line of seats they had were all hostel people, so you got to know people at the game.

This is a great hostel if you are planning not to spend to much time relying on the hostel to entertain you. It is definitely what you make of it. Groups who are able to take over common areas and make it more lively would love it, and single travellers looking to have a bit of a quiet time would enjoy it also.

For people visiting Montreal for a few days, it's location can't be beat and all things considered, it's clean and safe. The staff are incredibly helpful and pleasant - fantastically knowledgeable about the area and what you can do. It's not bad going for the price. Basically, it's a good hostel that with a few minor changes, could be great!

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review