HI Victoria Hostel

The staff were helpful and friendly, and people were respectful, though I could hear the pool table upstairs from the downstairs eating area. I was kept awake by people yelling outside every night. The dorms are very large, with up to 20 beds. The carpet was badly stained, and I’d rather have linoleum so the floors could be mopped. Compost was piling up in the kitchen, with five five-gallon pails, and it looked like it was only emptied weekly. It was decomposing, which felt unsanitary. The kitchen layout is poor, and it’d be nice to have matching dishes since they’re inexpensive to replace. A small light by each bed would let people read without lighting up the whole dorm. My locker also needed paint inside because it was quite dirty.

My bed was comfortable, and the hostel was quite clean. Staff were friendly and helpful, and breakfast was the usual hostel fare. It’s on Yates, across from Lucky, so there’s a fair bit of noise at night. Earplugs help. The locker required a $5 deposit, and I got $4 back at checkout. I had a great stay at HI Victoria.

There’s safe storage, and the kitchen is cramped but usable. The dining area often doubles as a computer lounge, while the common-room furniture is dated and uncomfortable, though you can manage if you keep shifting around. Staff members were friendly and helpful, but the place relies heavily on policies. They can’t clean the washrooms, yet raise accommodation costs without trouble. There’s no courtesy phone, just an old payphone that rarely takes quarters. Two busy nightclubs across the street make it loud. It is close to town, though other places are too. For a short, cheap stay if you’re 35 or younger, it could work. This hostel definitely feels geared toward young people.

For a solo traveler, the biggest drawback was the lack of any atmosphere. The main dorm has over 30 beds, which feels like too many, though the bunks are sturdily built. The beds themselves were comfortable, and the location was great. Prices were very reasonable. Breakfast was mostly the usual grains, but there wasn’t much to spread on them. That may have been because I arrived near the end of breakfast. Given the location and size, I think the place could be better.