The Hostelz.com Review
YHA Salisbury Hostel is a large, old but well renovated building set on spacious grounds just outside the city ring road. Guests must either hold YH membership card from any country or pay a temporary membership fee for each night at the hostel. The general atmosphere is very much YH rather than backpacker, just that degree more formal and organised. There is no curfew or lockout period but check-in is by 11 p.m.; those staying out late get in by a security code which is changed daily.
Location
The hostel is located just east of the city ring road and just about a kilometre from the city centre where the bus station is situated, but at least double that to the railway station which is to the west of the centre. From the ring road it is about a hundred meters up Milford Hill and then another hundred meters up the private drive. There are buses passing the hostel entrance but only about one an hour. There are no shops or eating places immediately outside the hostel but as the city is so close that's little problem.
It provides a good base for visiting the famous Stonehenge, although there is another YHA hostel closer. Salisbury Hostel sells tickets for the tourist bus to Stonehenge (note you cannot easily get there by normal bus). The hostel is well placed for visiting the city itself, which is located on the River Avon and splits into a couple of separate streams through the city. This and the historic nature of the city -- don't forget the cathedral -- make this a pleasant city to visit.
Rooms and Bathrooms
All guests receive a room key and -- unusual in YH hostels -- there are good, lockable lockers in each dorm. The dormitories are quite spacious and have a wash basin but no en-suite. The mattresses we checked were clean and comfortable enough. The bunks are solid and not squeaky but there are no individual lights. The squeaky floorboards in some dorms are probably the only truly negative feature of the whole hostel. There are several toilets and showers -- all are very clean and have a reasonable space. Although there are no benches in the showers, there are plenty of clothing hooks.
Common Spaces
There is a really superb, modern kitchen area, totally separate from the eating area, which contains four mini kitchens. The dining area is modern and spacious and shared with those who have bought meals from the hostel. The menu is quite substantial and what we observed and heard about seemed to be excellent. The TV/lounge room has comfortable sofas, TV, and DVD player. There are also sofas in the large lobby. An unusual extra facility is a young children's playroom in the basement. There is a large well maintained garden (with attached car parking), which is very attractive and should be a great feature in the warmer months -- and also means the smokers don't have to hang around the front door!
As we visited at a quiet time, the atmosphere was also quiet, but there was the usual good-natured chatter amongst hostelers, a family, couples, and individuals. Most are there for the general sightseeing of the area rather than outdoor pursuits. There are plenty of maps on the walls and brochures of the local sights and activities available.
Summary
This is an excellent hostel, as good as any we've stayed in and at a mid-range price, too. The staff are friendly, chatty, and willing to answer questions when asked. As noted before, it is distinctly YHA in style. Alcohol is available but as it's a licensed premises, guests are not permitted to bring their own into the hostel. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the hostel and the city.
Location
The hostel is located just east of the city ring road and just about a kilometre from the city centre where the bus station is situated, but at least double that to the railway station which is to the west of the centre. From the ring road it is about a hundred meters up Milford Hill and then another hundred meters up the private drive. There are buses passing the hostel entrance but only about one an hour. There are no shops or eating places immediately outside the hostel but as the city is so close that's little problem.
It provides a good base for visiting the famous Stonehenge, although there is another YHA hostel closer. Salisbury Hostel sells tickets for the tourist bus to Stonehenge (note you cannot easily get there by normal bus). The hostel is well placed for visiting the city itself, which is located on the River Avon and splits into a couple of separate streams through the city. This and the historic nature of the city -- don't forget the cathedral -- make this a pleasant city to visit.
Rooms and Bathrooms
All guests receive a room key and -- unusual in YH hostels -- there are good, lockable lockers in each dorm. The dormitories are quite spacious and have a wash basin but no en-suite. The mattresses we checked were clean and comfortable enough. The bunks are solid and not squeaky but there are no individual lights. The squeaky floorboards in some dorms are probably the only truly negative feature of the whole hostel. There are several toilets and showers -- all are very clean and have a reasonable space. Although there are no benches in the showers, there are plenty of clothing hooks.
Common Spaces
There is a really superb, modern kitchen area, totally separate from the eating area, which contains four mini kitchens. The dining area is modern and spacious and shared with those who have bought meals from the hostel. The menu is quite substantial and what we observed and heard about seemed to be excellent. The TV/lounge room has comfortable sofas, TV, and DVD player. There are also sofas in the large lobby. An unusual extra facility is a young children's playroom in the basement. There is a large well maintained garden (with attached car parking), which is very attractive and should be a great feature in the warmer months -- and also means the smokers don't have to hang around the front door!
As we visited at a quiet time, the atmosphere was also quiet, but there was the usual good-natured chatter amongst hostelers, a family, couples, and individuals. Most are there for the general sightseeing of the area rather than outdoor pursuits. There are plenty of maps on the walls and brochures of the local sights and activities available.
Summary
This is an excellent hostel, as good as any we've stayed in and at a mid-range price, too. The staff are friendly, chatty, and willing to answer questions when asked. As noted before, it is distinctly YHA in style. Alcohol is available but as it's a licensed premises, guests are not permitted to bring their own into the hostel. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the hostel and the city.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
November 2010
Their Description
HI - YHA Salisbury Hostel Details
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HI - YHA Salisbury Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Best hostel on the trip! This was the best hostel that I stayed at on my month long trip. The girl who worked at the front desk was very nice and helpful. The place itself is in a fantastic, beautiful, and quiet location. I stayed in the little guest house in the back, so it felt like I had the whole place to myself. The breakfast was very good for hostel food. Since there isn't much in the area to compete with this place (as far as hostels go) it could easily be terrible and backpackers would still stay there. But no! It's amazing! Definitely worth a visit! — s , usa (2008-07-12) The warden nearly made me cry I arrived late due to a terrible six-hour journey, getting lost twice, having to drive through forty miles of thick fog and got there twenty minutes after check-in closed, exhausted, stressed, and desperately hoping that there was still someone up to let me in. (I had phoned ahead in plenty of time to let them I would be late. Nobody had answered but I left an answer phone message). Luckily the warden was still up and about. Unfortunately he was on a power trip and decided not to let me in due to arriving late. He then made me grovel to him for about ten minutes and was prepared to leave me out in a freezing cold night in November because I hadn't brought my passport to give him as security (I did have car keys, purse, and credit card but apparently these didn't conform to his rules). I have never come across anybody so rude before in my life. The hospitality industry is definitely not the right place for him. He very nearly reduced me to tears. Aside from the attitude of this particular member of staff, I will say that the hostel was clean and the breakfast was very good with a vast array of choice. I think it has been done up since the last reviews on here. It's worth knowing that there were no individual reading lights and no plug sockets in my room but I will say that the standard is still very good. It is the most expensive hostel I've ever come across though and I would personally have preferred to pay £5 less and not have the breakfast. — Amy , UK, England (2007-11-05) Very close to the bus station, and you can easily walk to the train station as well. Salisbury isn't terribly big, so you can walk everywhere. It was clean when I was there (April 2007), and pleasant staff. As with any hostel, I recommend earplugs, but it wasn't terribly noisy. I was traveling alone and found everyone pleasant and helpful. — liz , USA (2007-04-21) It was a lovely clean hostel. Get the bus rather than the train, as the train station is nowhere near anywhere! There is a good library to choose a book from, and the kitchen facilities were fine. I would definitely stay here again. It's close to town and they can sell you bus tickets to go out to see Stonehenge. — Pauline (2005-04-02) This is very quiet, relaxing hostel, with friendly staff and a good location (5 minutes to the town center). I enjoyed my stay there very much. It was very clean, friendly and had a good lounge and eating area. I would definitely stay there again! — Paul (2004-11-18)