The Hostelz.com Review
If you're looking for a place to meet people and you don't plan on going to bed early (or taking a shower), Woodstock may be a good choice. It's located about 500m from a metro stop in the northern area of Paris, close to the Sacre Couer.
The common area is small but it's usually packed at night during the high season, which is especially surprising since the hostel itself is very small. The half of a VW Beetle mounted on the wall is a nice touch. They used to have a nice foosball table, but it seems to have disappeared.
Unfortunately they still allow smoking inside. So as soon as one inconsiderate person is too lazy to go outside to smoke, everyone has to breathe the smoky air. And the smoke floats up into the rooms, so the whole place smells like smoke.
There is a cat on the premises, so stay away if you're allergic. There's one bathroom for floor, and only one shower per floor. But you're better off not trying to use the shower anyway. It's just a push-button and a stream of luke-warm water. No soap dish, no shelf or hook for your clothes, nothing.
Despite the flaws, this is still a hostel where a lot of people enjoy staying and have a good time, so depending on what you're looking for, this may be a good choice.
The common area is small but it's usually packed at night during the high season, which is especially surprising since the hostel itself is very small. The half of a VW Beetle mounted on the wall is a nice touch. They used to have a nice foosball table, but it seems to have disappeared.
Unfortunately they still allow smoking inside. So as soon as one inconsiderate person is too lazy to go outside to smoke, everyone has to breathe the smoky air. And the smoke floats up into the rooms, so the whole place smells like smoke.
There is a cat on the premises, so stay away if you're allergic. There's one bathroom for floor, and only one shower per floor. But you're better off not trying to use the shower anyway. It's just a push-button and a stream of luke-warm water. No soap dish, no shelf or hook for your clothes, nothing.
Despite the flaws, this is still a hostel where a lot of people enjoy staying and have a good time, so depending on what you're looking for, this may be a good choice.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
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Woodstock Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Excellent atmosphere I was there in woodstock for 2 days. First of all the location is superb. Near to Sacre coeur. Secondly there was a good market nearby for shopping. Talking about the staff, i came across with 2 managers during my stay. A lady in Morning and a guy in Night. Both were very helpful. When I returned late at night, around 2.30 am, i found my bed been occupied by someone else, and i told this to the manager (guy). He really put extra efforts climbing up and down 3 floors 3 times to find me a comfortable bed. The lady in the morning shift was very helpful for guiding me about the places in paris. Though i requested her to click a pic with me which she refused to do and i was sad, but that's ok. she was cute. Cleanliness was good and up to the mark, bathrooms were clean too and satisfying. At the end i will give 98/100. I liked it. — Vijay Jani , India (2011-10-15) Great social scene, excellent location -- no complaints! If I'd read some of the reviews, I probably wouldn't have stayed here -- but I'd have regretted it! The only reason I can see for objecting to this place is if you're a complete hygiene freak or are expecting a five star hotel -- ok, the bathrooms are pretty small and basic (but new!) and the kitchen isn't exactly well-equipped, but in terms of cleanliness it's just like staying at someone's house or in student halls, nothing worse! Much more importantly, the atmosphere was great when I was there -- loads of fun people, and there were always people to go out and party with if you want, even as a solo traveler; on the other hand, as most people go out, it's perfectly ok to have a quiet evening in the courtyard or your room as well. The staff ranged from slightly cold but polite to incredibly friendly and helpful (sadly a rarity in Paris!), and the rather draconian-sounding rules about outside alcohol were not really enforced in practice -- on one night we asked if we could stay out past 2 and that was no problem at all. Location is great, it's possible and pleasant to walk to the railway stations and some of the main sights and there's plenty of good food available. Security-wise, there aren't lockers but there's a safe behind reception for passports, and I felt I could trust the other people in my room to go in and out with the key. Lockout could potentially be annoying, but who goes to Paris to spend all day in a hostel? — Anonymous , UK (2010-07-20) Very average This hostel is ok, but only ok, I stayed there from Sep. 28th to Oct. 2nd 2009, there are as many good things going for it as there are bad. There was a different person working on the desk everyday, all of which seemed as they hated being there, not once dd they offer me any help. I asked if there was a charger for a plug hanging around and the women said "does it look there is one?" -- pretty rude actually. The toilet on the fist floor was awful too, about two square feet all on all, very dirty! The shower was good actually, obviously the standard hairs and dirt where you stand but the water was perfect temp and was fine, obviously its been fixed. The rooms were very basic, but I guess you get what you pay for and at £18.90 a night, I guess it wasnt too bad. I would give it five out of ten, there will be far better hostels than this but they will probably be much more expensive and your better off spending your money in the city rather than at the hostel. If your not bothered about dirt, then stay here! — Richard , English (2009-10-04) Great Place for Socialising Stayed here for six days in July, including the last day of the Tour de France. The location is great, just far enough away from Montmartre proper that you don't have a million tourists around, and only about a fifteen-minute Metro trip to any of the major sites. The rooms are not spectacular, but you get what you pay for. Woodstock is the place for you if you want to meet people. The courtyard is open until 10 p.m. but sometimes the staff would let us stay out until 11 p.m. Almost everyone at the hostel went out together while I was there. It's very easy to make new mates here. I'll never stay anywhere else when I return to Paris. — Kiki , Australia (2009-08-16) Really shoddy and badly run! The showers were cold every day. The kitchen was dirty and very badly equipped -- only two forks, four plates, and one stovetop plate in working order. Maria, the "manager" is the rudest person I have met and she treated all the paying guests disgustingly! Very disappointing! — Ruth , South Africa (2008-10-29) A nice hostel I stayed for a week in august and my general opinion is that it's a good hostel. Unfortunately the kitchen was very poorly equipped, and some of the staff were a bit rude, but the people that stayed there were nice, the breakfast was good, and the majority of the staff was great! I recommend you to visit Woodstock! — Hanna , Sweden (2008-09-07) I stayed there for about five days in June. I had recently turned eighteen and was on my own. The staff was great and all spoke fluent English -- they were very helpful when it came to giving directions and overall conversation. The common room is small but it was a great gathering place for and different kinds of people. The free breakfast (coffee, hot chocolate, baguettes, jam, and coffee cake) was wonderful. The small kitchenette was furnished with a few pots and pans and some utensils that came in handy when on a budget. the corner store was well stocked and I was able to cook dinner a lot of the time. Other guests often cooked and were happy to share. My only complaint would be the showers which were not completely up to par. Overall it was a great experience -- I would recommend it to student, especially if on a budget, and it has a wonderful atmosphere -- especially if you're looking to meet new people. — Jinx , U. S. (2007-04-18) I stayed here for a few days in August 2006. The staff ranged from helpful to cynical, but they were very loose with the "no outside alcohol" rule and we often drank cheap wine in the courtyard till the late evening. The social scene is pretty lively here, which is great if you don't mind staying awake till late in the evening. The showers are all push-button operated, and don't get much hotter than lukewarm. The location is great, and it's a short walk to the closest supermarket, and even shorter if you just want to grab something at a corner store. There's an Internet cafe close by, a laundromat down the hill, and a great bakery right across the street. The closest Metro stop isn't very far away either. Just watch out for the lecherous men hanging around Pigalle (the nearby red-light district) in the evenings if you're a lady. My brother and I had to fend a drunk guy off from getting too close to a female friend we were walking with, so just be wary if you're approached by any men (shout, or even give a strong shove, if necessary). — Sho , United States (2007-04-18) I stayed here for a week in June. The temperature outside was just right that the rooms weren't uncomfortable. The place was fairly clean, but didn't have enough showers/toilets for the number of guests there. The location was decent, about a five-minute walk from a major subway station, and the staff were helpful. The coffee cake for breakfast was very addictive. This place was my second choice, my first choice seeming to be everyone else's too so it was booked solid, but I would stay here again if I return to Paris. — Haley , Canada (2007-04-11) The Woodstock Hostel is a very English friendly hostel, as the name might suggest, in the Montmarte area of Paris. The hostel was a little tricky to find and five to ten minutes' walk from the closest Metro stop. It is a ten- to fifteen-minute walk to the Sacre Couer, the closest tourist attraction to the hostel. The hostel is quite compact and they have attempted to disguise the age of the place with bright colouring and memorabilia aplenty -- including an old Beatle car right there in reception. Rooms are ok, similar to the level of the rest of the hostel, and the toilet and bathroom are covered in random graffiti which is perhaps a lowlight of the place. There is a kitchen facility for use and a small supermarket just on the corner of the road. The daytime lockout is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The best thing this place offers is its friendly English speaking staff and its rowdy social vibe. Beers and wine are available for purchase over reception and there is a small outdoor area to socialise as well as. Great place to meet people and have a good time. — Dale (2007-01-07) Staying here in Mid-september, i found the atmosphere of this hostel to be top notch. The courtyard is where to meet people. Even though the hostel bar consists of a fridge full of heineken's, its best to go to the local store to pick up some brew. In terms of sanitation, that part sucked. Overall, i would come back just for the socializing. Cheers. — Alex (2006-11-27) Stayed for two nights in October. Relaxing atmosphere in great location. The Staff -- Maria and Delvia -- were very, very helpful. — David H (2006-10-09) I stayed at this hostel for five nights straight and these are my thoughts. The atmosphere is fabulous. Unbeatable, I'd say. There's a pleasant (but small) courtyard where everyday people will sit and talk about what they saw that day. I met a ton of people there and if that's your main priority, Woodstock is your best choice. Rooms are generally taken care of. The rooms on the bottom floor can definatly suck a little because they have no windows and get quite stuffy with four to six people in them, so request a room on an upper floor. The staff are general quite helpful. The british guy who owns it is especially hospitable. The bar isn't much of a bar, if you want something other than beer, but they didn't ever crack down to hard on the no outside alcohol rule. The bathrooms have seen better days, but they work. It's not really that nice during the day, which you're locked out during anyway, but the early evening is fabulous and there's a lot of character. You'll meet some great people and be happy you stayed there in the long run. — Minnie (2006-10-09) A shame really. A hostel with great potential. Nice neighbourhood, reception very cool. Staff vary from extremely helpful (most of them) to cynical and unpleasant. Rooms not so very clean, showers grim. I didn't get any sleep until 4 a.m. when the staff party below me finished and the bottles were noisily cleared away. I asked after 3 a.m. for the noise to be reduced. Needless to say I was wasting my time. Didn't stay for the second night, mightily inconvenienced but got a cheery goodbye from the guy behind the desk, so that was all right then. Go if you can tick all the boxes below: Under twenty-three, Not need sleep, Don't mind pubic hair and dehydrated insect carapaces on your bedding. Bon Chance! — OC (2006-09-13) Woodstock is one of the cosiest and relaxing hostels I have been and it is well located in very lively part of Paris just jump from Sacre Coeur. Very friendly and helpful staff made our stay very comfortable. Hostel is very clean with a nice breakfast in the morning. Thanks to its tiny kitchen you have great chance to meet other travellers. — Zdenek (2006-07-10)