The Hostelz.com Review
HI - Boston Downtown Hostel is a very good option in expensive Boston, with a great location, nice atmosphere, very friendly staff, and a lot of facilities -- making this hostel a memorable one.
The Location
The hostel is located close to the Hynes stop of the Boston subway system, by which three lines stop, so you will never wait for more than five minutes for a subway at that stop. Besides, on the same block of the hostel there are many restaurants, on the perpendicular street a bunch of fancy clubs are located, MIT is a ten-minute walk, and the Prudential tower is also a ten-minute walk. You can hardly find a better location in town.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are many different options of rooms, from single to eight people. As a downside, rooms are very small, but they have also lockers. Mattresses, pillows, and the linens are in good condition; curtains can be well closed for a darker room; and each bed has an own lampshade.
Bathrooms are well spread around the hostel, and although no room has ensuite bathroom, you don't have to walk much to reach a bathroom. There are cabins for shower, toilets, and whole bathrooms. Showers are regularly cleaned, the water is warm if well adjusted, and there's space for placing soap and shampoo. There is no space for clothes, though.
Common Spaces
There are several common spaces at this hostel. As breakfast is included in the price, there are several tables with chairs, which are used throughout the day to use internet, because Wi-Fi is offered for free, but it works only on the ground floor. A fully equipped kitchen is also available, for those who like to cook their own meals. Several paid computers with internet connection are available in the lobby, and a small library is available in the same room. There is a laundry room, with very cheap prices for washing clothes, and lockers are spread around the basement and ground floors for storing the luggage after checking out.
Summary
In addition to that, every day the hostel organizes a different excursion to pubs, museums, or concerts. And prices are very affordable, when not simply for free. Combined with a great location and a very helpful staff, our impression is that you can hardly have a better option in Boston.
The Location
The hostel is located close to the Hynes stop of the Boston subway system, by which three lines stop, so you will never wait for more than five minutes for a subway at that stop. Besides, on the same block of the hostel there are many restaurants, on the perpendicular street a bunch of fancy clubs are located, MIT is a ten-minute walk, and the Prudential tower is also a ten-minute walk. You can hardly find a better location in town.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are many different options of rooms, from single to eight people. As a downside, rooms are very small, but they have also lockers. Mattresses, pillows, and the linens are in good condition; curtains can be well closed for a darker room; and each bed has an own lampshade.
Bathrooms are well spread around the hostel, and although no room has ensuite bathroom, you don't have to walk much to reach a bathroom. There are cabins for shower, toilets, and whole bathrooms. Showers are regularly cleaned, the water is warm if well adjusted, and there's space for placing soap and shampoo. There is no space for clothes, though.
Common Spaces
There are several common spaces at this hostel. As breakfast is included in the price, there are several tables with chairs, which are used throughout the day to use internet, because Wi-Fi is offered for free, but it works only on the ground floor. A fully equipped kitchen is also available, for those who like to cook their own meals. Several paid computers with internet connection are available in the lobby, and a small library is available in the same room. There is a laundry room, with very cheap prices for washing clothes, and lockers are spread around the basement and ground floors for storing the luggage after checking out.
Summary
In addition to that, every day the hostel organizes a different excursion to pubs, museums, or concerts. And prices are very affordable, when not simply for free. Combined with a great location and a very helpful staff, our impression is that you can hardly have a better option in Boston.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
December 2011
Their Description
HI - Boston - Downtown Hostel Details
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HI - Boston - Downtown Hostel Reviews from the WebHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Good location, shame about the bathrooms Stayed at HI for two nights with my boyfriend in October 2011. Very easy to find, fairly central location with everything you need in close proximity (Supermarket, places to eat, Fenway Park, Museum of Fine Arts, local transportation). Very welcoming, enthusiastic staff, which meant the slight booking mistake (booked into a 14 bed as opposed to a 6 bed dorm) was excused. Amazingly quiet room considering the size and very respectful guests. My only issue was the cleanliness (or lack thereof) the bathrooms. Overall decent stay, with the added bonus of a very sugary very filling free breakfast! — Cassie J , British (2011-11-05) Nice to Sleep At, Otherwise Reservation Confirmation Problems When I Booked this Hostel Via their Telephone Number and a Live Person; I Reserved a Room for two Days and Something Made Me Call Back ten days later to Find that I had No Confirmed Reservation. So I Rebooked it For three Days/Nights and Asked For Them to Send Me an E-Mail as I Always Asked and They Never Sent it. I Myself Helped a Foreign Guest with Their Extended Stay Beyond their Nights and the Same thing Happened. I Went to the Front Desk with this Guests Permission While He Was at Work to Book Him eight More Nights and Got a five Total and when his Other three Nights became Available; the Prior five Weren't Booked as I and the Staff Who Helped Me Confirmed it Told the Supervisor that it Was Booked; though they Couldn't Help. So I Had to Check Their Website All Day Long to Get the Guest Their Days Needed. I Told them that their System Has a glitch In It and No One Believed Us, Even though at least two Incidents Already Happened. Otherwise Our Sleep Was Fine as Well as a Clean Kitchen and Bathroom/Shower. Some Staff to Us Were Helpful; Though the Senor Staff Wasn't So Helpful; Even though They Have the Power. It's Always Nice to Meet Good People. It's the Ones Who Don't Want to Go Beyond Their Basic Job Requirements to Fix The Hostels Reservation System Problems. — CHRISTOPHER , USA (2008-09-27) Great hostel -- friendly staff, great atmosphere, convenient location I stayed at the HI-Boston Downtown Hostel for two nights in March 2008, in a female room with three friends. The booking was very easy through their Internet Reservations page, I received a detailed confirmation email only a couple of hours later. We went to the hostel by subway and got off of the Green Line at Hynes International Convention Center. The hostel was very close and easy to reach: when we got out of the subway station, we turned to the left, crossed Massachusetts Avenue at the intersection with Boylston Street, walked only a block, and turned left to Helmenway Street. The hostel was almost directly at the corner, on the left. The staff were extremely friendly and gave us lots of information. Our room was quite spacious, the beds were very clean, the mattresses very comfortable, the lockers large enough for backpacks or medium-sized suitcases. If you forget to bring your own locker, you can get one at the reception for $4.50. We had a nice view to a very quiet street with typical Bostonian brick houses. The restrooms were quite clean, there were also some private restrooms, the showers were good. Breakfast was definitely ok -- you can choose between coffee or tea, bagels or pastry with butter or jam, and apples. You can have as much coffee or tea as you want, throughout the whole day. There is also a large kitchen where you can prepare yourself some food. And there's also a laundry in the basement. If you have your own laptop, you can use the wireless lan -- what most people do since their Internet access is quite expensive -- I think $2.50 for only twenty minutes. The atmosphere in the Hostel was great, there were many international guests, it was very easy to get in touch with other travelers and exchange experiences. The location of the Hostel was very convenient -- it was like twenty minutes to the city centre (Boston Commons) by foot and very close to many restaurants, shopping malls, museums. So all in all it was a great experience, I would definitely recommend this hostel and would stay there again! — Janina , Germany (2008-03-26) Meh I stayed in this hostel in mid-October 2007. It had a lot of things going for it, but also a lot of things going against it. First, I shall discuss the location of the Hostel. Boston is a fairly small city (smaller than Dublin anyway), so the location is excellent in that any major attraction and "night-spot" is accessible by walking, so long as you don't mind a bit of walking (and if you dislike walking, cab fares will be cheap due to the reduced distance). Secondly, I shall discuss the facilities. I stayed in a dorm on the ground floor. The dorm was perfectly adequate, as was the large size locker in which I kept my personal belongings (a large backpack and a few other effects). However, the toilet facilities on said floor were inadequate. Three bathrooms (toilet, shower and sink) were present to provide relief to at least thirty to forty people. Things did get hectic in the early and late hours of the day, I can tell you. The toilet-to-guests ratio on other floors may have been more acceptable, but I can not be sure as I did not refer to other guests. Thirdly I shall refer to the desk staff -- those who manned the front desk, those who had been employed (and paid salaries) to increase the enjoyment of any and all guests, and insure that said guests' stays were as problem free and pleasurable as possible. Upon checking into this establishment, the initial member of staff who dealt with my party was a wonderfully friendly and courteous individual. She was well versed in the practice of checking in guests and it showed. Any and all initial questions about the hostel and Boston were answered in an almost militarian efficiency (if the military were friendly). And my party was refreshed by such civility. This, like all things, took a sour turn over the following nights. Several requests (to different staff members) were met with apathy and indifference. "I'll have to ask my manager," we were told. Twenty minutes later, when asked a follow up question in relation to the manager's response, we were fobbed off with sub-par answers formed in unfinished sentences. This was just one example of ineptitude and unwillingness to lift a finger to help guests who pay their salaries. Another bearded, glorified night watchman refused to allow guests to use the main telephone in an emergency, as he was too interested in a game of baseball to give half a f***. To summarise, this Hostel had a lot of things going for it. The location was rather good, a number of events were held for the benefit of guests (tours, pub crawls, and such, although some of which were canceled without announcement nor explanation during our tenure, I overheard one of the staff talking about taking too many drugs, so that may have been a contributing factor), and the dorms were adequate. But if you intend to rely on the advice or help of staff to enjoy this amazing city, then I advise you to study up before visiting. The final straw was when my party and I were checking out, and leaving the Hostel to head for the Airport. I said "Goodbye, thanks for everything" to the girl attending the front desk. And did I get a reply? Did I f***. So if you like helpfulness and polite-itude, then seriously consider your tenure here. I hope they shape up. — James , Ireland (2007-10-20) Nice stay in Boston! My friends and I had a good stay at HI. The location is very good (next to the centre and to the subway station), the rooms are tidy but nice, the bathrooms are fairly clean, and the staff is friendly. — Serena , Italy (2007-09-09) It's a pity My partner and I couldn't stay in the same dorm room, although when we've made our reservation by phone, we were told that we could stay in the same room. But when we arrived, late in the evening, there wasn't room anymore to stay together in the same dorm. So we slept separated, which wasn't very nice. The staff was not kind at all, they act very bored and seem not to care so much. They are not helpful at all. It's a very big hostel, but the rooms are tiny and the bathrooms are not so clean. The atmosphere of the place wasn't all that friendly. — Marieke , The Netherlands (2007-07-22) Freindly staff, not much of a common area. The staff at this place were ridiculously friendly. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. Great location. There were some planned events for the evenings with an optional pub crawl afterwards. I had a very good time here. The only complaint would be that there is a not really much of a common area, but all in all a good bang for your buck, especially since there don't appear to be any other options in Boston. — Mike , USA (2007-06-21) Awful My partner and I booked a private room at this hostel. It cost $90. Before coming to this hostel, my company had us up in a luxurious hotel for $130/night. As you may note, not a huge difference in price. Unfortunately, an immense difference in quality. First problem, the furniture. It was so old I was scared of getting slivers from it. This is a $90 per night room! Second problem, breakfast time. I normally like hostels because I can cook my own food. It was immediately apparent why they have a free breakfast. There isn't enough room for more than a couple of people to cook at once. In the evening, my partner wanted to do internet. There was so little room in the dining area where he was working that people were crammed in. One person accidentally spilled a drink on his computer. Later, we found a nice, empty kitchen to work in on the second floor. We were informed by its inhabitants that groups pay extra to use it. In all the hostels I've been in, none have had a two-tiered kitchen system like this. There are many hostels my partner and I can recommend heartily, this is not one of them, it was the most disappointing of all. — Nadine , Canada (2007-05-29) Just ok, and expensive! I cannot understand how this hostel justifies charging $40 a night per person for a shared room of about twelve people. Even the NYC hostel is only $30. It's a decent location, with easy subway access, and has the usual amenities. Staff is helpful. Breakfast consisted of bagels and coffee. Rooms were hot, bathroom was dirty. Would hesitate to stay again. — Christy , US (2007-05-25) This place was ok but just as well they provide you with flip flops because the bathrooms left a lot to be desired! And was always a queue for the bathrooms. The free breakfast was ok but the location is quite far from the centre of downtown but is within walking distance -- just! Rooms were very small and really hot! The internet was really expensive too! — Jon and Laura (2007-03-25) I stayed here for four nights -- two nights at the beginning of my visit, and then two nights at the end. The location is terrific -- you can either walk or take the T. You get a pair of thongs when you check in. When you check out, you can either keep it, or put it in the donation bin. The rooms were small, but it's ok. I stayed in an all female six-bed dorm. The other room guests were considerate in keeping the noise low going in and out and were all very friendly. The bathrooms were kept fairly clean considering there's always so many people there -- it was either sold out or had just one or two beds left when I was there. It was popular and I can see why. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the location is so convenient to everything, and the price was reasonable considering how expensive Boston is. By far, this is the most expensive hostel I've stayed at. Breakfast is bagels and muffins. Coffee and tea all day. The kitchen area is a very social area -- it seems like people hang around there a lot sharing their travel stories. I would definitely stay here again. — Walker (2006-09-19) I very much enjoyed my stay at this hostel. The staff were great, the bathrooms were palatial, and the location was very good (just off Boylston which will get you everywhere you want to go, and down the road from great shopping on Newbury St). The area is very studenty and there are lots of places to get good, cheap food. I would add that the room I stayed in was very small and cramped - not really enough room for 6 people and their luggage. But hey, it's a hostel. As a clean, secure and friendly place to sleep, it rated high. — Imogen (2006-05-10) Easy to find, excellent hostel with really friendly staff here. They're on twenty-four hours which is great. Kitchen, TV room all good. Room spacious and clean, bathrooms all good. Drawback -- internet very expensive. Otherwise recommended! — DRW (2006-05-09) I stayed there for a few days last month. This is a very nice. The subway was not far, room and showers was clean, staff was very nice. — Nicolas (2006-04-08) This was a very nice hostel; good atmosphere. Very clean, and the showers were excellent (you didn't have to share them and they had locks). The staff was friendly and helpful (willing to call a cab in the middle of the night). The location wasn't perfect, but there was a subway nearby. Breakfast was VERY SWEET and FAT; very much sugar involved, but still, they did have free breakfast. Very good and inexpensive Thai restaurant just around the corder. One minor flaw: we couldn't open our window... — Aafda (2006-01-10)