Gaston Coliving Hostel

We arrived for the night we had booked two weeks earlier, only to find the hostel had overbooked by about six beds. The people there were absolutely lovely, and they said Hostelworld had been causing this issue for a few months. Still, nobody had contacted us to say our room had already been given away. Maybe it's poor communication, but if they knew this kept happening, why hadn't they done more to fix it or warn guests? I wouldn't take on the hassle and would look elsewhere. I hope it's not a scam, but I saw a lot of reviews online suggesting it could be. Book at your own risk.

The place itself is lovely, and I enjoyed the breakfast. My problem was with the person who runs it. I had a cold at check-in and coughed now and then, nothing serious. Since I work nights, I put on headphones and worked quietly at the kitchen desk overnight so I wouldn't disturb anyone. In the morning, the administrator said she could hear me coughing and that I was bothering other guests, then seemed to suggest I wasn't bothering anyone after all. She said we'd see how it went that night, which made it feel like I had to pass a test by making no sound at all. I asked for a refund right away and moved elsewhere. I'm sharing this so someone else can avoid the humiliation I felt. If you're going to bed at 10 and getting up at 7, you may have fewer problems. But if you expect to be awake late, even quietly sitting in a corner, this probably isn't the place. You'll be policed. And if you have a cold, good luck.

I want to give the hostel the benefit of the doubt. Overbooking or saying a room isn't available can be a scam, but I usually try to believe people and move on. Then I saw a sheet listing about ten people who'd booked through Hostelworld, Booking, and other sites, and most of them, us included, had no room. They blamed Hostelworld, even though we'd booked two weeks ahead. They could easily have let me know during that time, or at least messaged me that morning instead of waiting until we arrived. I was told the owner is very nice, but the way this was handled looked awful. I also heard it's been going on for months. If they know about the problem, basic courtesy would be to check the booking sites and warn people. This isn't a good way to run a business. I hope they can turn it around, but if it keeps happening, I can see why people might wonder whether it was a scam from the start.

I'd happily stay here again. The host was very kind and helpful, and everyone we dealt with was caring. The neighborhood felt safe, with good restaurants and a large supermarket close by.