Hard Hostel Zürich

There are two service numbers listed, but I called both repeatedly during working hours and no one picked up. They don’t take credit or debit cards, and they didn’t have change for cash either. The walls are so thin you can hear people in other rooms and outside. The linen looked reused without washing, with lots of hair and dirty spots.

I booked for a week, but left after three nights and paid for another place, with no refund. I’d asked management whether they would refund a few nights because of the bed bugs, but they never even replied. I had bites all over my body. One morning the manager asked me how to spell “cockroach” and “bed bugs” in English, which wasn’t a good start. The beds were so worn they dipped in the middle, and I had major back spasms for days afterward. There was loud music outside my room until 11 pm, so it was noisy, and I had no sleep. There’s no common space or kitchen. The wifi was awful: I couldn’t use Skype, stream videos, or even email an attachment. I’d asked about luggage lockers beforehand and was told there were some, but they’re barely big enough for a laptop. The manager didn’t speak English or German. That’s OK, but a little strange given the location. I’ve backpacked across Europe and stayed in dozens of hostels, including four in the past year. This was the worst one I’ve ever stayed at. I’m easy-going, but this was unacceptable. DO NOT STAY HERE!

I was freezing the first night because the heater didn’t work. The bathroom was very dirty too, with toilet paper all over the floor and a bad smell. The man who welcomed us wasn’t polite, and I’m still wondering why they only accepted cash and not credit cards. I didn’t like it at all.

We got what we expected, which is why I gave this rating. The location is good, the wifi works well, and it’s the cheapest place to stay in Zurich. There’s no reception and only one bathroom per floor, as the website and reviews say. I didn’t smell smoke, despite another review mentioning it. My main annoyance was that my bed was right on the other side of the wall from the toilet, so I could hear everything. The beds are simple singles, I think from Ikea, so they don’t bounce, and I’d put big bags on them. Take your time entering the front door code, it doesn’t seem to register properly if you type too quickly.