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HI - Philadelphia, Chamounix Mansion Hostel Details
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HI - Philadelphia, Chamounix Mansion Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
In dire need of a gut rehab While the Chamounix might have been a glorious mansion once, that is no longer the case. She has great bones, but the place needs a thorough cleaning, gut rehab and bath & kitchen redo. You should not sit in the living room while women are showering as the water runs downhill ... literally. The beds might as well not have mattresses, the sheets are below par. Had I known about the horrible condition of the Chamounix, I would never have agreed to chaperone 11 foreign exchange teens. They by the way, did not appreciate the accommodations either. I would have rather stayed at the flea bag motel. — Nancy R. , USA (2011-10-16) Beautiful location, though difficult to get to Wonderful old mansion in a stunning city park. Great if you have a car; not so by public trans/walking. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly -- perhaps too friendly, as they did not ask people to talk quietly and keep food out of dorms. (Two hostelers from hell were there last week: A man who talked incessantly and loudly in the LR, and a woman who covered a 7-8 foot arc around her bunk with papers, junk food, dirty mugs, her computer -- and then hogged the public computer for most of the morning.) The place is immaculate & spacious. Be SURE to have your earplugs! Still, one of my favorite "rural" hostels in a vibrant city. — mbj , usa (2011-03-13) I would give it 3 1/2 stars I enjoyed my stay at the hostel. It was clean and quiet, but the beds were not very comfortable. They were foam mattresses with thick plastic coating that scrunched them down and made them kind of hard, so I take away 1 star for that. The common areas are nice. They could use some fly paper in the kitchen or a bug zapper! There were 2 evil cats hanging around the porch that kept sneaking in. I'm allergic to cats so I had to constantly blow my nose and got a rash. One of them bit somebody! The free bicycles were broken so we didn't get to use them. I take away a half star for the lockout! It's not a problem normally I guess if you are out seeing things, but it was really hot around 3pm and it would be nice to be able to come back to the hostel for lunch and a nap. The closest bus stop is over a mile away. I rented a car, but felt really bad for people who had to walk that far, especially with their bags. I gave people rides as much as I could, but the car was only so big and I felt really sad when we were riding with a full car and then saw one or two people half way along and couldn't squeeze them in. I think the hostel should offer a drop off service to the bus stop at least once or twice per day, especially since they have a lockout at 11:00. If it rains at 11:00 and people are locked out of the hostel and have to walk a long way then that's terrible, especially if they have suitcases! — Sasha (2010-09-05) Very Nice It's a very nice hostel and we would stay there again! Bus to Philadelphia. — Johnson , USA (2009-07-20) Worth the money My son and I stayed at this hostel November 3, 2007. It was the first time staying in a hostel. We were very pleased with our stay. The guy at the desk was very helpful -- gave us instructions on getting around town, where to eat, what to do. The hostel itself reminded me of the home I grew up in. For as old as it is, I thought it was very clean. I did find out the walls are paper thin -- one of the guests asked me to be quiet while talking on the phone and the next morning I thought a couple of guys were outside my door when they were actually in another room with the door closed. The location is peaceful and quiet. Luckily, we had a rental car, so getting there was not a problem. I would definitely stay there again with the rest of the family. — Connie Langford , USA (2007-11-11) A nice, cleann comfortable hostel. There's a very big, well-equipped kitchen, but except for a few snacks in a vending machine, you can't get any food nearby. If you don't come by car it's over a half hour by bus from central Philadelphia, then about a 15 walk up the hill. You have to walk back to near the bus stop to buy any food, but someone did say that delivery is possible. — Richard , USA (2007-03-28) I stayed in this hostel for one night only but it was enough to impress me. Firstly for the staff met only two people Andrew, and a lady (didn't get her name) both were very congenial and helpful, so no problems there. Next the hostel as such. It's an old building so you get creaky sounds of the old building but i guess it adds to its rustic charm. As for the comfort, comfortable the kitchen is well equipped -- hey, but the vending machine was broken -- ate my money! beds are comfortable. since it's in middle of nowhere, no traffic sounds. Cleanliness, its not the cleanest place on the planet but it's not dirty. With so many people living under one roof, the limited staff can manage to keep it clean and hygienic, hats off. Now for the bad part -- it's in middle of nowhere -- correct that, far end of nowhere. They have a bus stop one to one and a half miles from hostel where only two buses show up -- that too not on time! you have to walk from the stop, the walk is through a beautiful park, is good for your heart but still its a long walk. the hostel people are very open about it, and its mentioned on their website. If you are pressed for time then its probably not the best option, and if there is no other then book a taxi. believe me, I learned the hard way! If you are on a leisure trip with plenty of time on your hand then it's a damn nice place to be. — Kinshuk Sahaya (2006-11-14) It was my first experience in a hostel in U.S.A. I really liked this hostel. With international student ID or Student advantage card, you get fifteen percent off. The receptionist guy, who has been working there for six years, was really helpful. The hostel does not provide any food/cafes but there are some vending machines and you can always order food. The hostel is ten minutes walk from bus station. It is in the end of the park, if you have a lot of luggage, keep this in mind. The rooms were very clean. Overall, I really had a good experience. — naysen (2006-08-10) This place is every bit as beautiful as its name, and the people were incredibly friendly. Problem: it's way out of the city, you have to ride a bus and then walk a mile (!) to get to the hostel itself. Also, there are not a lot of hot European guys there. — J.K. (2005-03-05) Excellent, with a small reservation about the lack of air-conditioning. I was in in one of the attic rooms and it gets very hot there--and it wasn't air-conditioned. That quibble aside, I enjoyed my stay (April, 2004) and have recommended it to friends, and will do so whenever asked. Not REAL easy to find, but a lovely place once you do. I met some delightful people and the staff were very helpful. — Peter O'Malley (2004-07-10)