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Please see La Rochelle for other available La Rochelle hostels and accommodations.
Please see La Rochelle for other available La Rochelle hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
La Rochelle AJ Hostel is a great place to stay for travelers who are looking to relax in La Rochelle and who don't mind a short walk into town. Clean and friendly, the hostel offers internet access, a laundry, a large bar/common area, and a nightly affordable dinner which ranges from spaghetti to roast rabbit. Overlooking the marina at Les Minimes, it is quiet and safe.
b>The Location
The hostel is located in Les Minimes, a short, fifteen-minute walk from the centre of La Rochelle. It is situated not far from a local bus route that links travelers with the main railway station and the centre of town in a matter of minutes. There is a pedestrian and cyclist path that runs from the hostel to the old part of La Rochelle that snakes around the harbour and has a reliable solar-powered sea bus that chugs back and forth between Les Minimes and La Rochelle every few minutes until late at night (the crossing itself takes about thirty seconds). There is a beach area about a five-minute walk from the hostel that also has many restaurants, and the marina across the street provides a relaxing view from both the hostel bar and cafeteria.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms are cleaned daily and are very secure, as each room has its own electronic key card that is controlled by the reception. The beds have small shelves and reading lights on the headboards, and make the rooms seem a little more private, as the are less "open" than ordinary bunk beds. There are no lockers in the rooms, although the hostel does offer locker service. The rooms have a small desk and armoire in which to hang clothes, and the bathroom is divided into one room with a sink and shower and another with just a toilet. This is great in a shared room, as one traveler can shower and still leave the toilet available. The shower is very small, but adequate, and has a small shelf for soaps. There are no private rooms available, but there are double rooms.
Common Spaces
This hostel provides both a cafeteria where the included breakfast is served, as well as a large bar area with a television where dinner is served. There is also a small sitting area at the reception with two pay internet computers, and paid Wi-Fi is also available.
As the hostel has over two hundred beds, it is more of a subdued hostel than a party hostel and in the summer hosts a number of French special needs visitors. There is also an on-site laundry service available, and although the price is somewhat steep, it's nice for those travelers who have been on the road for a while. The hostel hosts a wide range of visitors, from French twenty-somethings on vacation for a long weekend to middle-aged Americans traveling around France. The overall atmosphere seemed to be quite laid-back and friendly.
Summary
Overall, this is a great hostel for those who plan to explore La Rochelle or go to the nearby beach at Les Minimes. Although it isn't located in the centre of town, it is still quite close and has nearby public transportation. The only negative aspect of this hostel is the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. lockout, which is quite annoying, but the doors are open until midnight, and it is possible to enter a security code and come and go at night. While the hostel doesn't have a full-service restaurant, it does offer a dish every night for dinner which is delicious and great value. This is posted every day on a board in the reception area, and includes mussels, rabbit, and spaghetti.
b>The Location
The hostel is located in Les Minimes, a short, fifteen-minute walk from the centre of La Rochelle. It is situated not far from a local bus route that links travelers with the main railway station and the centre of town in a matter of minutes. There is a pedestrian and cyclist path that runs from the hostel to the old part of La Rochelle that snakes around the harbour and has a reliable solar-powered sea bus that chugs back and forth between Les Minimes and La Rochelle every few minutes until late at night (the crossing itself takes about thirty seconds). There is a beach area about a five-minute walk from the hostel that also has many restaurants, and the marina across the street provides a relaxing view from both the hostel bar and cafeteria.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms are cleaned daily and are very secure, as each room has its own electronic key card that is controlled by the reception. The beds have small shelves and reading lights on the headboards, and make the rooms seem a little more private, as the are less "open" than ordinary bunk beds. There are no lockers in the rooms, although the hostel does offer locker service. The rooms have a small desk and armoire in which to hang clothes, and the bathroom is divided into one room with a sink and shower and another with just a toilet. This is great in a shared room, as one traveler can shower and still leave the toilet available. The shower is very small, but adequate, and has a small shelf for soaps. There are no private rooms available, but there are double rooms.
Common Spaces
This hostel provides both a cafeteria where the included breakfast is served, as well as a large bar area with a television where dinner is served. There is also a small sitting area at the reception with two pay internet computers, and paid Wi-Fi is also available.
As the hostel has over two hundred beds, it is more of a subdued hostel than a party hostel and in the summer hosts a number of French special needs visitors. There is also an on-site laundry service available, and although the price is somewhat steep, it's nice for those travelers who have been on the road for a while. The hostel hosts a wide range of visitors, from French twenty-somethings on vacation for a long weekend to middle-aged Americans traveling around France. The overall atmosphere seemed to be quite laid-back and friendly.
Summary
Overall, this is a great hostel for those who plan to explore La Rochelle or go to the nearby beach at Les Minimes. Although it isn't located in the centre of town, it is still quite close and has nearby public transportation. The only negative aspect of this hostel is the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. lockout, which is quite annoying, but the doors are open until midnight, and it is possible to enter a security code and come and go at night. While the hostel doesn't have a full-service restaurant, it does offer a dish every night for dinner which is delicious and great value. This is posted every day on a board in the reception area, and includes mussels, rabbit, and spaghetti.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
October 2010
Their Description
La Rochelle AJ Hostel Details
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Location/Contact| Address | Avenue des Minimes B.P. 305, La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes, France |
| Location | |
| Website | www.fuaj.org |
| Telephone | +33 (0)5 46 44 43 11 |
| Fax | +33 (0)5 46 45 41 48 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
For one night this hostel was fine. Nice location within walking distance of the old port, the place was kept clean, and the rooms were fine. — Shakey (2006-08-11) This hostel is ok for somewhere to sleep. It was clean and secure, but no atmosphere at all, and it was a long deserted walk from town in the evening. La Rochelle is a lovely place so I would re-visit the hostel for that reason. — Sarah (2006-07-28) The location sucks. Walking alone at night from the city center, especially for a disoriented girl like me, is scary. Beware of the useless stuff. The museum of animated machines is really fun. — Liron (2005-09-09) I want to note that there really aren't too many hostels worth staying at in France. I wonder why that is; I don't mean the service is rude, I just mean the building is crumbling. — Anonymous (2004-04-12) I went to this hostel on an organised trip last summer (June 2003). Unfortunatly I was very unhappy with the standard of cleanlines. The toilets were cleaned very unregularly and the shower floors were black with mould and dirt. The toilets and showers are in a block at the end of each corridor, unless you are a lucky customer and get 1 of the 10 rooms with a shower and WC already installed! The food was very basic (French style). The resturant was rather big with a pleasant view of the harbour. Inside the rooms you have bunk beds with bright red frame work and grey duvet covers. The windows had shutters and opened all the way with no saftey catches. The room also included 2 sinks and 6 massive cupboards to be used as wardrobes. The room was very unwelcoming and rather dusty. Overall, La Rochelle was a lovely place but I do not recomend this hostel to you as it looked very unappealing from the outside and inside. I am sure it will lower your rating of the beautiful town. — Anonymous (2004-01-09)