Hatters Hostel is conveniently located within walking distance of both the main railway station and the centre of town. There is no smoking permitted inside, which is great for those who are sick of smoky common areas.
Unlimited tea, coffee, and toast is provided for free all the time, so there's no rush to get out of bed for breakfast, although we initially had some difficulty finding anything to put on the toast. The self-catering kitchen is small but clean and reasonably well-equipped.
Hatters suffers from the usual hostel annoyances -- stairs to access your room, with helpful signs along the way informing you that you've just burnt off the calories in a stick of celery (there is a lift but it's for operation by staff only), thirty-second push-button showers with limited privacy, and male and female bathrooms on alternating floors, meaning a trek up and down stairs at all hours of the night.
However, the hostel is clean, including the bathrooms, and the staff are pleasant, offering an informative free map and mini-guide to Manchester and one for Liverpool. There are no lockers, but valuables can be stored at reception, and there is security for entry at night. Useful facilities such as internet access, printing, secure mobile phone chargers, and mobile phone top up are provided, and there is a pool table and book swap in the common room.
Hatters is a highly recommended as a hostel. The biggest problem is noise at night -- both through the paper-thin walls from other dorms and from traffic on the street below. If you're a light sleeper, don't forget your earplugs!
-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
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