Hatters Manchester, Manchester

The location of Hatters Manchester is perfect, but that is about it. Uncomfortable beds, dirty bathrooms, and push-button showers are a backpacker's nightmare.

The Location

The location of this hostel is unreal and definitely the best thing about it -- you are basically smack bang in the middle of Manchester with everything you could want, with restaurants, bars, and cafes surrounding you so you can really soak up the Manchester lifestyle. It's no more than a ten-minute walk from the train and coach station and you've got a good old UK supermarket nearby.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The hostel is located in an old building in the old part of Manchester, and that is exactly how you can describe the inside of the hostel and its facilities. The rooms have lovely wooden floors and huge windows, however the floors are filthy, as though the under-bed area has not been swept in months, and the windows don't close properly so this could make for a very chilly winter's night. The bunk beds and pillows are horrible -- springy, sunk-in-the-middle mattresses and the old, lumpy pillow combo. There are some personal lockers that could be used downstairs and the way the hostel is looking, this is strongly suggested.

The bathrooms are filthy, with one of the toilets blocked, paper strewn across the floor, and a constantly running tap that couldn't be turned off. The female showers are ok, but could definitely do with some extra cleaning, and they also have the dreaded push-button showers that last around ten seconds! They are in a large room, but the doors provide little privacy and do not give you enough space to get changed.

Common Spaces

If there is any redeeming feature of this hostel, it is the common areas -- you have a guest kitchen and free tea and coffee all day long as well as free breakfast. There is quite a large common area and bar with pool table, as well as TV and movie selection. The hostel also does some evening activities and pub crawls, which is great for meeting fellow travelers and enjoying what Manchester has to offer.

Summary

This is really not a great hostel, and it most definitely needs some attention. But when weighing up the price, location, and the social aspect of the place, it could be just what you are looking for.