Backpacker College @ St. Lawrence University

We had to buy our own pillows and blankets because what was supplied barely counted as either, and the beds were incredibly uncomfortable. The room also smelled until we turned on the air. The bathroom was dusty and dirty, with hairs and stains everywhere. Its door wouldn’t stay closed because there was no latch, and the fridge gasket had fallen off, so the fridge wouldn’t shut properly. The hallways were dirty too. One staff member was friendly, but the others wouldn’t even look at us or say hello. Parking cost an extra $9 a night. This may be a good concept, but the rooms and what you get for the price are way too expensive. Spend a bit more and stay at a hotel.

When I moved in at the start of the year, there was garbage left by the previous person, and the place looked dirty, with things that should have been white turned yellow. My room had bed bugs. They sprayed, but it didn’t work and I kept getting bitten. Bed bugs can happen, but the staff didn’t help much with fixing the problem, and most of them seemed not to care. Finding that garbage made me doubt they cared about the rooms’ cleanliness or quality.

I was here for a work weekend and had neither the promised high speed internet nor running hot water. The front desk staff member moved me to another room after I brought it up, but there was still no hot water for a shower and no internet for work. We tried reaching the manager about a refund, but nobody could get hold of them.

I spent two nights here for a soccer tournament. It’s a clean, friendly dormitory that’s available as a hotel in summer, in a handy location. Staff are there around the clock, and there’s laundry on site. Plenty of parking, at $8 a day. A good option for budget travelers.