Located in the Back Bay of the "walking city" of Boston, Massachusetts, this hostel is a unique experience for backpackers, foreign travelers and even those in the U.S. looking for a deal on accommodations (although it's still very expensive for a hostel). Four floors of dormitory rooms, a large shared kitchen and a socially active common room make this hostel quite the experience in big city hostelling. With hostel-organized tours of museums and get-togethers at local bars, there are nightly things to do and people to meet.
One of the most important aspects for travelers staying in a hostel is to get a good night sleep. Although there are four floors of possible dorm rooms, the dorm rooms are all very much alike with three bunk beds (six beds) to a room, reading lights for each bed, large vertical lockers and window A/C fans for those hot summer nights. The room lockers are large enough for backpacks, but bulky suitcases are more suitably stored in the extra locker space on the first floor (for a small fee). If you forget to bring your own lock for the lockers, you can purchase one at the desk for $5. Dorm windows overlook either a residential street or a busy city street. Yet, for the seven summer nights that we stayed in this hostel (sleeping in a female room, a male room, and a coed room on different floors and sides of the building), there was no problem with street noise. Additionally, fellow hostellers were very friendly and considerate of those sleeping in the dorms.
Several bathrooms and showers are located on each floor scattered between the dorm rooms. Most bathrooms are really cramped – with barely enough room to squeeze in – giving a historical look into the size of typical Boston housing. There are larger bathrooms containing showers, though most showers are in separate rooms from the toilets. Bathrooms are cleaned every morning, but stained, cracked caulking indicates that there is still a need for upkeep and repair on the building.
Though the dorm rooms are clean and the bathrooms and showers are plentiful, the most impressive part of the hostel stay is the activity in the kitchen and common room. Food is restricted only to these rooms so most hostellers spend the night watching tv, playing the piano and socializing in these rooms. It is here that travelers share stories of their adventures in Boston and give advice and warnings for future travel. There are several vending machines located in the common room and the ice cream prices are really reasonable.
The kitchen has lots of pots, pans, plates, cups, and utensils for all to use. Two large refrigerators are available for use, but there are no freezers so you have to eat all of the ice cream you buy. There is a large shelf area where hostellers label their bags of food and contribute to a common area of "free food." The hostel provides common condiments such as mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper, and there is also a good amount of "common food" giving the impression of a sharing hostel environment. Hostellers clean their kitchenware in a large industrial dish washing sink. The whole area is kept clean and tidy by hostel staff daily. Dining in Boston is expensive, so many hostellers cook in the kitchen each night sometimes sharing their cultural tastes. A grocery store located around the block provides a good selection of food basics (vegetables, fruit, grains), but is a tad expensive.
The HI - Boston hostel is a very pleasant place to stay in Boston!
— Avis exclusif de Hostelz.com
September 2004
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