Lakeside Hostel Downtown

TRAVELLERS, AVOID. The listing calls this a hostel, but it’s really shared accommodation for people who have recently arrived in Dubai, including migrants and remote workers, staying short or long term while looking for work or already employed. That setup isn’t automatically a problem, but the name gives the wrong impression. It’s a two-bedroom apartment in Business Bay with very basic facilities: a cooker, washing machine, iron, and a small shared lounge and dining area. There are two bathrooms, one in each room, plus a shared toilet used by up to 16 people. The bathrooms work, but cleaning supplies and hygiene standards need improvement. There’s also a small balcony where people smoke and dry clothes. The dorm feels far too crowded. Cutting it from eight beds to six would help a lot, since it’s hard to use the shared facilities when the apartment is busy. Some guests also had poor hygiene and basic manners, which made things uncomfortable. Most people were respectful but not very social, especially if you didn’t speak their language. A few were needlessly noisy, with late-night phone calls or alarms going off between 4 and 6 in the morning. People also smoked in the bathroom, where there’s no ventilation, so the smoke spread through the apartment. That’s unacceptable when sharing with non-smokers. Getting to the metro is inconvenient. It’s about a seven-minute walk, followed by a 10-minute ride on the F14 or F19A bus. There are a few convenience shops nearby, and the building has a gym and paid parking. The lift is another headache. You can wait a long time, then squeeze in with 15 to 20 people as it stops at nearly every floor before reaching the 16th floor. The listing didn’t mention that’s where the accommodation is. Staff were okay, though not very friendly or engaging, and the mattress is so thin that you’ll feel it after more than two nights. Keep expectations very low, and don’t stay here long.