The Hostelz.com Review
L'Auberge Chez Jean is a hostel made up of a few rooms in an apartment building. It's a friendly, social place, and it really is more like staying in a (crowded) apartment than a hostel.
The Location
It's a five minute walk from the Sherbrooke subway station which will take you pretty much anywhere in the city, and it's a short walk from many restaurants and markets. China town and the Latin quarter are about a fifteen minute walk away, and you can reach Old Town in 30 minutes or so. The neighborhood is quiet, pleasant and safe, only a few blocks away from Rue Saint-Denis, a major street that runs downtown with lots of shopping, some nightlife, and seasonal festivals.
Rooms & Facilities
The rooms are in a few small apartments, each with beds for 5-20 people, in different locations within a few blocks of each other. They walk you from the main location whose address is listed to the others if they put you there. Each location has basic facilities including a clean bathroom and a fully-stocked kitchen (with pots, pans, etc.). They include breakfast with your stay, providing bread, jam, butter, milk, juice and coffee, and you are welcome to use the kitchen for your other meals.
The Social Atmosphere
Many guests hang out at the main hostel facility, which also has a piano for travellers to provide a little entertainment for each other. The hostel is very casual and friendly and the staff is understanding of the often changeable nature of backpackers' plans. They are bilingual (in French and English) although like most of the people in Montreal they usually revert to French first.
Summary
Overall, it is a pleasure to stay at L'Auberge Chez Jean because of the geniality of the hosts and other travelers there, and its proximity to many activities of interest around the city.
The Location
It's a five minute walk from the Sherbrooke subway station which will take you pretty much anywhere in the city, and it's a short walk from many restaurants and markets. China town and the Latin quarter are about a fifteen minute walk away, and you can reach Old Town in 30 minutes or so. The neighborhood is quiet, pleasant and safe, only a few blocks away from Rue Saint-Denis, a major street that runs downtown with lots of shopping, some nightlife, and seasonal festivals.
Rooms & Facilities
The rooms are in a few small apartments, each with beds for 5-20 people, in different locations within a few blocks of each other. They walk you from the main location whose address is listed to the others if they put you there. Each location has basic facilities including a clean bathroom and a fully-stocked kitchen (with pots, pans, etc.). They include breakfast with your stay, providing bread, jam, butter, milk, juice and coffee, and you are welcome to use the kitchen for your other meals.
The Social Atmosphere
Many guests hang out at the main hostel facility, which also has a piano for travellers to provide a little entertainment for each other. The hostel is very casual and friendly and the staff is understanding of the often changeable nature of backpackers' plans. They are bilingual (in French and English) although like most of the people in Montreal they usually revert to French first.
Summary
Overall, it is a pleasure to stay at L'Auberge Chez Jean because of the geniality of the hosts and other travelers there, and its proximity to many activities of interest around the city.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
Their Description
L'Auberge Chez Jean Details
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L'Auberge Chez Jean Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Bedbugs We stayed in the "private" "blue room" downstairs and got bitten by bedbugs. Do not stay here under any circumstances! — bitten , USA (2009-07-21) Disgusting i would have rated it in the negative stars if that were possible. as other people have said, no privacy, hard to sleep. there were six of us, and we understood we were getting a four-person room and a two-person room. instead, we all got to sleep in the reception area, with beds everywhere possible. my friends got a double bed in a corner, with a guy sleeping on the floor beside them, and a girl sleeping in a hammock that was hanging over half their bed. the worst part -- bedbugs! only my boyfriend and i got bit to death though, so perhaps they forgot to spray our sheets with the toxic chemicals they spray that made my sister allergic the whole twelve hours we were there. (note -- we weren't sure if the spray was for the bedbugs, or to "disinfect" the sheets without having to wash them after every use.) — elena , Canadian (2008-10-15) Dire We stayed at Chez Jean for a week in 2008 and it was an appalling experience. Like the review above, we arrived at the Chez Jean that can be seen in the photographs only to be told that despite our reservation we would be going to the other Chez Jean down the road. Although the other house was in a decent area our hearts simply sank when we arrived. We were promised our own room after the first night (which never materialised) and they then proceeded to cram as many people as they possibly could into a room designed for two. The only positive thing about the whole experience was meeting Andre, who is possibly the most helpful and pleasant gentleman that you could care to meet. The other members of staff were almost going out of there way to be rude and generally unpleasant to be around. One girl in particular would seem almost put out if you dared use the facilities, and would huff and puff if she had to be in the same room as you. Do not stay here! — Steven , British (2008-08-06) Very friendly place This hostel is like a second home for me, I went here three3 times and I would come back again if I need. I met here some friends which who I am always in touch. The staff in generally friendly like the atmosphere. It is not the quietest place in Montreal, but the best to meet new friends. Moreover, the price includes breakfast and internet, the couples should stay in private room, for what it is very cheap. — Denis , France (2008-02-19) Do not stay here! This hostel is the worst one we stayed in in our whole year of traveling! To put it into context, it basically looked like a swinger's palace! There were as many beds crammed into every part of Jean's house as he could possibly fit in, some with only sheets hung up to create sections for privacy. There were four of us and we had to share a room with two small double beds which covered practically all the floor space in the room. We stayed for one night and left immediately the next morning. — Ellie , England (2007-04-17) I stayed in this hostel in the summer of '03. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had traveling. The hostel was totally booked for the International Jazz fest and Jean made an off-handed comment that even he had no place to sleep, so he would be bunking with me that night. I stupidly thought he was joking. At 3 in the morning, Jean climbed into the volkswagon van ("private room") that I was staying in. I was totally shocked. To make a long story short, I would highly recommend not staying at this hostel if you are a single female traveling alone. I am so sorry I did not post this comment earlier. — Katie In Vancouver , canadian (2007-04-04) stayed in summer '05 and had a great time. this place felt like home and the people staying there were amazing. clean and felt safe. the people who worked there were so friendly and nice. next time i come to montreal i'll definitely stay here. — amanda (2007-01-23) This place is run so dodgy that there when we arrived there was no signage it was just a big house to which we entered into their "reception" area which was actually a huge open room with about ten beds in it, a kitchen, and the reception. We had a reservation but were told it was full so were then driven to another one of their hostels down the road. This place also had no signage and were taken downstairs into a basement full of matresses on the ground -- at the time it was full of about fifteen sweaty guys and they expected us to pay $40 per night for two people for a scummy double bed in the corner of this stinky room! We refused and were taken upstairs where we had a room with two double mattresses on the floor (not technically beds) and were told to pay in the morning. There was no-one actually running it except for a guy who would casually wander in around 9.30pm each night to collect money. At the time we stayed there were several long term people who also got angry when on friday and saturday nights some of us had a few beers in the living room. The "free" breakfast is just cornflakes or toast, nothing flash. All in all it was completely dodgy -- we also only had one key for our room even though there was four people in it and their reasoning was that we didn't have to pay a key deposit so therefore we can't complain! Do not stay here unless you are ok with everything being very dodgy. Security was not the best either with no-one locking the front door. — Kiwi (2006-08-15) Great place! I definitely recommend it. I went to Montreal this summer and was referred to this place. We slept in the van. It was really cool — in the morning there was breakfast and everything! If you drive though, be careful where you park. I parked right beside the church north of the hostel, and was ticketed. But don't let that discourage you; go check out Chez Jean. I love Montreal! — Anonymous (2005-04-10) This place has atmosphere! I had so much fun staying at the Chez Jean. Everyone who stays here is ultra friendly and they party all night long. The hostel is located in an interesting part of town with lots of character and culture. Anyone considering Montreal should stay here. Montreal is the liveliest city in Canada and this hostel makes the stay one to remember. If you like socializing, stay here. — Aussie Brendon (2005-03-20) This is absolutely, by far, the worst place to stay on the planet. Our night of misery involved nasty ragged sheets, walls as thin as paper and just an overall disgusting atmosphere. The owners have two small children. At 8 in the morning the father proceeded to give his screeching baby a bath for nearly an hour. The baby, who was being washed in the room adjoining ours, never stopped crying. In fact, the baby continued to screech, scream and yell at the top of its lungs from then until we left several hours later. At one point, since there was no way we could sleep, we banged on the wall. The owner then freaked out and yelled at us and told us he was going to "kill us dead." He added a few choice expletives. Later he told his wife that he was going to "punch us in the mouth." Real class act. Never stay here. — Anonymous (2005-03-18) I had lots of fun at this hostel. It has a great staff. I ended up staying twice over the past summer, and I'm looking to spend a night or two there this winter.
If you stay in August, bring a fan if you can. It gets real hot in the rooms (wall-mounted fans are in most of the rooms, but they don't do much). — Michaela (2004-12-20) I stayed here for a few day this summer and I had a great time. The staff are so warm and friendly. The location is close to the subway, clubs and great food. I am comming back to Montreal soon and I am looking forward to another stay at Chez Jean! — Lucas (2004-12-02)