Hostel Baccarat is a mixed bag, as many hostels are. Proximity to the train station, daily cleaning of the rooms, and an ever-helpful staff add to the pleasing atmosphere they hope to provide. But availability of bathrooms, location in the dodgy part of Nice, and a lax room security may turn away savvy backpackers.
The Location
Hotel Baccarat is easy to locate due to its proximity to Nice's main train station and a large vertical sign directly above the doorway of the hostel itself. The walk to the train station is five minutes, to the beach is twenty-five minutes, and to the olde towne is thirty minutes.
Unfortunately, the ease of location doesn't mean that the neighborhood feels safe. The areas near train stations in Europe are usually to be avoided in the evening and Nice is no exception. The area has a general feeling of being the dodgy part of town and right across the street are the peep shows and adult stores. We recommend that, ladies in particular, be wary and travel in groups if you plan on staying here.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The rooms, including ten-bed-dorms, are fairly spacious and daily well-cleaned. The bathrooms, likewise, provided enough space for changing, showers, etc.
The problems that we encountered, in regards to the rooms, are a lack of bathrooms (one bathroom for a ten-bed room), and a lax door-security system. The front desk has a limited number of keys for each room and these keys must be left at the front desk when any guest exits the hostel to be picked up again upon returning. The problem with this system is that the staff does not verify the validity of each person taking a key. When someone says "room 100" he or she is given the key with no questions asked, even if the staffperson on duty has not seen them before. While this did not cause any thefts or significant problems during our stay, it is something to note and be careful of, particularly as there are no lockers in the rooms.
Common Spaces
A kitchen, dining area, and computer center are available during certain hours of the day and internet access for guests is free. This, we found, is the best way to meet people in the hostel--standing in line for the computers or sitting in one of a couple chairs in the lobby.
Not many people use the dining or kitchen area, but it is available to them and everything appears to be very clean.
Summary
In summary, this is not a hostel we recommend. While the rooms were clean, the staff kind, and the internet access free, it is never a good idea to stay somewhere with lax security in a bad part of town. During our stay there quite a few guests canceled their reservations and moved across town to other hostels. This may be the best idea.
by Gigi Griffis— Informe exclusivo de Hostelz.com
September 2007
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