The Hostelz.com Review
HI - Washington, D.C. boasts both a good location and good atmosphere. The second after you enter the hall, you know they’ve been doing it for ages. Everything is very well organized and prepared for serving as many backpackers as possible. So the place is big and crowded and anonymous, however the staff is very nice and helpful. They organize a a daily program you can join to explore the city as the locals see it.
The reception is open twenty-four hours and they have no problems taking credit cards. They will also provide you with all the information about the city’s attractions and anything else you might look for.
The whole place is freshly renovated (there was still some painting going on during our stay in August 2006). It’s very clean and the bathrooms are awesome. There are even hair dryers on the walls waiting for you!
Rooms are quite small, especially for the amount of beds that are fitted in, but at least there is plenty of space to hang out outside the room. There’s a big TV room and dining area, and also a very nice, fully equipped kitchen. Continental breakfast costs extra and is available daily in the dining room area.
Note the hostel’s policy regarding the sleeping bags. You are not allowed to take any to your room. Hostels typically don't allow sleeping bags because they can spread bedbugs from infected hostels, but this hostel is stricter than most about the rule. If you are traveling with sleeping bags -- like some of us did -- you will have to pay a few dollars for storing it at the reception. If they find a sleeping bag in the room they will fine you.
The reception is open twenty-four hours and they have no problems taking credit cards. They will also provide you with all the information about the city’s attractions and anything else you might look for.
The whole place is freshly renovated (there was still some painting going on during our stay in August 2006). It’s very clean and the bathrooms are awesome. There are even hair dryers on the walls waiting for you!
Rooms are quite small, especially for the amount of beds that are fitted in, but at least there is plenty of space to hang out outside the room. There’s a big TV room and dining area, and also a very nice, fully equipped kitchen. Continental breakfast costs extra and is available daily in the dining room area.
Note the hostel’s policy regarding the sleeping bags. You are not allowed to take any to your room. Hostels typically don't allow sleeping bags because they can spread bedbugs from infected hostels, but this hostel is stricter than most about the rule. If you are traveling with sleeping bags -- like some of us did -- you will have to pay a few dollars for storing it at the reception. If they find a sleeping bag in the room they will fine you.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2006
Their Description
HI - Washington DC Hostel Details
|
|
(To add or correct information for this listing, please use the Listing Update Form.)
Map Location/ContactHow is HI - Washington DC Hostel rated on other websites?
HI - Washington DC Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Great Staff -- The Best! There is a saying that an organization's greatest asset is its people. At HI-Washington DC Hostel, one can find the truth in that in abundance. Whether at the front desk or in the dining facility, I was always treated like the staff enjoyed their job and went about it in a professional way. HI-DC has a well-organized staff available around the clock, is strategically located in downtown D.C. and accommodations for all without a sense of crowdiness. From Patricia, one of the site's supervisors, Michele and Jack at the front desk; Carmen and John in the dining facility to Nora, the supervisor that helped me figure out how to turn on the TV, -- THEY GET IT DONE, and make you feel right at home. I can only imagine how important this is to people traveling from afar and especially in groups. To have the peace of mind that your group will be taken care of is one less major thing one has to worry about when organizing a journey. Also, the breakfast on the daily is a nice touch and their is plenty of hot water, clean spacious secured rooms; and good conversation with a wide variety of travelers who seem to at least have one thing in common -- they fell the same way I do about HI-Washington, D.C. -- Its fantastic and right on the Money! — Lawrence Howard , USA (2012-02-05) Good except for breakfast guy a very good hostel. The only problem was the guy who "emcees" breakfast. Maybe some people find him friendly but most find him annoying. He's very in your face, interrupts personal conversations and comes on too strong, especially to the young girls. This goes on every morning at breakfast. Get rid of him and it will be a perfect hostel. — jeff , australia (2011-12-13) A standard has been set! I stayed here November 12-15, 2010 for a birthday vacation and a hockey game and had a blast. Staff were nice and helpful but not in the way. I lucked out with awesome roommates and for the cost of ONE night in a meh hotel outside of town I got to spend 3 nights within walking or a very short public transit ride from everything. Loved it and can't wait to come back! — Val , US (2010-12-09) Great! This is the best hostel I have been in (I was in one in London and one in Paris) and I loved it. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, very relaxed, young, lots of free activities, lovely people around, very well priced, and the option for a $2 breakfast. Really great, in my opinion. I thought it was really well planned and whenever I had a problem the staff was always there to help. Free internet connection as well and lots of tours and activities. — croya , UK (2008-09-04) Unfriendly Staff I was staying at this hostel till yesterday. I found their staff (especially front desk) are really rude and unfriendly. When I had internet connection problem and I asked them to check connection (please be aware I was not only person had the problem), They just said "sorry we cannot do anything because we don't manage." Even they trying to call a company who takes care of. And they're always unfriendly. I was really disappointed. I have stayed a lot of hostels in U.S.A. This is the worst hostel I ever stayed. — Rina , Japan (2007-10-18) This was my first experience staying at the hostel. Therefore, I was quite worried. The hostel was ok, not that bad as I expected. It is located in the center of the city, three blocks from the Metro Station. I stayed there one night and did not use all the facilities. I came in the evening and received the number of the bed where I would sleep. They have two-layer wooden beds and they make noises. I would suggest they improve their beds somehow. They give you sheets and a towel. The women's bathroom and shower are quite clean. There are eight to ten people in the room. I left my suitcase in the locker room (you pay $4 for that). However, they do not guarantee the safety of your stuff. There was an air-conditioner in the room and it made terrible noise. In general, it is an ok hostel I think. — UIOP , Russia (2007-05-24) This hostel was fine however it is in a fairly ordinary area.There were vacant blocks nearby with burnt out cars in them, i think people were actually living in one. There were also shops that had been abandoned, vandalised, and propped up by iron girders across the footpath. i felt like i was in a war zone, not the capital of the wealthiest nation on earth. Despite this, the hostel was good with excellent kitchen facilities and clean bathrooms. We spent one evening sitting on the porch watching a prostitute take her Johns down behind an industrial waste bin in the nearby car park, it's that kind of neighbourhood. — MR T , Australia (2007-04-22) The hostel is better than I expected. in spite of some staff members' rudeness everything was pretty smooth to me, because I was not expecting a Hotel service anyway. About bed bugs, well, I did not get any bites, but I understand that some people could use some soap and take a good shower before going to be when you first arrive. People also carry these bugs, not only sleeping bags. I had some very stinky girls as roommates and I could not believe they would go out at night and get back with hickeys and never changed their clothes for the entire four days they were sharing the room with me. I recommend it, and keep in mind, this is a hostel and not a hotel. — Nena , Argentina (2007-04-19) I do not understand why the rating here is so poor. I found this hostel Great in fact. I stayed here in December 2006 for five nights. The people here are friendly. A huge kitchen, laundry, in-room locker (with your own pad-locks). The location was great. I basically just walk to most of the attractions without even taking the metro. If you wish to ease your journey, metro station is just five blocks away. The bed are clean, new sheets, working heater -- this place is nice. I will certainly recommend it. — Eric (2007-01-17) I wish I had read these comments before I went to this hostel -- although I probably would not have believed them. Lockers are expensive, breakfast is not included, even so it says so on their homepage, staff is unfriendly, but these are bearable things. Bedbug bites are not, though. I stayed for one night and got severely bitten all over my body. This is the first hostel ever where this has happened to me. Beware of bedbugs. — Elisabeth (2006-11-20) It seemed to me that they have strict rules for everything. And forget a relax atmosphere. it's run as a business with only one aim and that is to make money! The positive thing is that it's located close to China Town. If you take the New York-Washington china town bus (costs 15 bucks) like i did, you only have to walk about six blocks. — Chris (2006-11-06) It was a pretty good place to stay. Some rooms are air-conditioned, some are not. The biggest disappointment was that, considering its size, there were no lockers available. Some floors had a few in the halls that you had to pay for, but they didn't lock. This is something they really need to improve. — Richard (2006-08-30) Seems to be a nice hostel at first glance. But attention if you do not plan to be contaminated by blood-sucking insects like fleas or bed bugs. Do not go there! All the fourteen people in my room got bites all over and the staff does not seem to care. — Monica (2006-08-23) I cancelled my reservation a week before my stay, but the hostel still charged an amount of fifty-two twenty on my credit card. They never respond to any of my emails and I've never received my money back. So don't make any reservations here, because you can't cancel your reservation! — Anjo (2006-08-14) I stayed for one night in February 2006 and I would find another hostel or hotel to stay in when I visit Washington again. There is no free luggage storage for bags, just small ones in the room with your bed. If you attempt to check in early, they won't book you in even if the bed is available. The bathrooms were dirty and needed repair (the shower head fell off). Phone messages left weren't passed on. It's a little walk from the main part of Washington, but location didn't seem too bad. The common room wasn't too bad. — Paul (2006-05-27)