City Hostel

City Hostel is an unassuming hostel located between two restaurants on the corner of Duckworth and Prescott -- across from the Tim Horton's is the easiest way to give directions! Only a small sign lets you know you're in the right place, and even then, you're likely to be greeted by a locked door with no one on the other side. Call the phone number listed on the sign on the door to get someone to actually come down to street level and meet you. The rooms are all upstairs.

The service is rather lackadaisical. The "office/lounge" is occasionally converted to a dorm room when everything else is full, so it's not unusual to see the manager sitting on the stairs or in the hallway with a wireless laptop and a smile. It's often hard to find someone in charge when you have a question. We actually had to go out of our way to track down a hostel employee on our last day so that we could pay for our room! However, this laid-back attitude is typical of St. John's. We came to love it, especially when the staff cheerfully let us check in early after we came stumbling half-comatose off a sleepless sixteen-hour ferry ride from Nova Scotia. They also let us help ourselves to delicious snacks baked daily by the owner's wife for the hostel guests.

One area of the service that is not at all shoddy is cleanliness. The rooms, common area, and bathrooms are all new-looking and meticulously clean (although the shower floor was a little gross -- bring your flip flops). The cost of a room includes freshly-laundered sheets smelling of fabric softener (while we love the scent, it's a bit much for those with fragrance or detergent allergies), towels, soap, and free internet access (when the lounge is available). The central location is fantastic -- an easy crawl from George Street, and right next to one of the best restaurants in town, the Bagel Cafe.

While there are clearly a few kinks to work out in its day-to-day operations, City Hostel is an excellent place to stay in St. John's.

— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
September 2006