Well, Dover YHA was a bit of a disappointment we must say. From the ground floor it all seems ok. There is a kitchen for self catering, coin operated internet, dining room and games room with pool table, and board games. All seemed clean and tidy and well organized. The staff were friendly and a decent hot and cold brekky is included in the price of the stay. It's not far from the centre of town and is an easy walk from the bus and train stations. The ferry port is about 30 minute walk away.
The rooms are separate for male and female. Smaller rooms are available, so if you want to share with someone of the opposite sex you need to book a room to yourselves. All the beds are bunks and are YHA standard with YHA sheets provided free. The rooms are adequately sized and simply furnished, but the beds are quite narrow.
The main problem with this place revolves around the plumbing. Anyone who has spent any time in the UK will know that showers are not a British speciality. The water pressure and spray are British standard, meaning barely there and sparse. To those just arrived in the UK, Dover YHA provides a rude awakening to what lies ahead. For those of us making our last stop in Dover before heading to Calais, it serves as a reminder of what we will (hopefully) be leaving behind! Along with that, the real problem is that the bathrooms are
very old, shabby, and in disrepair. The shower rooms are grimy and sludgy and the drains were blocked. Toilet paper was in short supply and we were told there was no more, and the toilet floor was visibly dirty. The sink in the women's toilets was tiny and insufficient for four loos and the cold tap for the sink in our room didn't work. Also the garbage bin in our room hadn't been emptied from the previous guests.
This place has been getting away with low standard because it's the only hostel in town. But as the only hostel in town, you might still have to stay here so just be prepared for crummy bathrooms and have some flip-flops to wear in the sludgy showers!
— Exklusive Hostelz.com Übersicht
September 2005