Auberge Maeva

The employees were very nice, and I had a good experience overall. The six-bed female dorm was quite spacious, and sharing one bathroom among all six of us wasn’t too bad. One girl staying there was clearly sick, though, and I became extremely ill shortly after leaving. I’d still highly recommend this hostel. It looks run-down from the outside, but it’s probably the best one I’ve stayed at so far.

The owners are nice people, but this place was beyond what I could tolerate. I had to pay before seeing the bed, and there was no refund. I’d never encountered bed bugs at any of the many hostels I’ve stayed in before. I booked at the last minute and wish I’d researched more. It’s a cheap place for a tight budget, but you get what you pay for. By the second day I was looking for another place to stay. The pans for making pancakes were rusty, and the whole place was old and dirty. The entrance is down a quiet alley, which didn’t feel good when coming back at night. I was fooled by the positive reviews and regretted booking as soon as I saw the bed.

It was close to the train station, which was great, but the place was dirty. There were yellow stains where people sleep on the sheets, plus pubic and other hair on the beds. Bathrooms on every floor were filthy, with used Q-tips on the floor and even a used condom left there for two days straight. The water smelled like rotten eggs, so good luck brushing your teeth. I’ve stayed at hostels across Canada and around the world, including two others in the same area, and this one was by far the worst. If last-minute hotel rooms hadn’t been $400 a night, I would have left as soon as I saw it.

There was no ventilation at all in our eight-bed room, which had nine people because of a booking error. It was so hot that nobody could sleep, except one guy who snored all night. There were no fans, no open windows and no AC. I wasn’t expecting luxury, just somewhere livable. The hostel is on a run-down street, and a ground-floor dorm window was broken with plastic taped over it. It’s the worst hostel I’ve ever stayed in, and I’ve stayed in a lot. I don’t recommend it.