The Monks Bunk Hostel & Bar

The social side was a real highlight, with activities planned basically every day and guests kept up to date in the WhatsApp group. The location was great, it was affordable, and the beds and pillows were comfy. Rooms and toilets were super clean, and the staff were mostly very friendly and helpful. A few small things bothered me: the rooms were hotter than I like, and the lockers were noisy and awkward to open and close at night. One staff member was a bit sassy, maybe she was just having a bad day, it happens. The building looks somewhat run down, though they seem to be working on it, and I never felt unsafe. I really enjoyed my stay and would highly recommend it.

It was hard to get around the hostel because the keys weren’t maintained well and opening or closing doors took some effort. The beds and toilets also seemed poorly maintained. The ladder to the top bunk was really slippery and difficult to climb. One downstairs toilet was out of order, and I waited almost 30 minutes for another to open up. The place felt eerie and poorly cared for, despite the good things I’d heard online. I also didn’t feel great about the security of my belongings: the lockers looked flimsy, and it seemed easy to get in and out of the rooms. It wasn’t a great place to meet other solo travelers either, which was disappointing.

We had a great stay, and the rooms, beds, showers, and toilets gave us no trouble. We were in room 13, 6 beds. The building is a little run down, but we met some great people, and the Italian girlie on staff was so much fun, though I can’t remember her name. I’d probably come back if I weren’t concerned about the bed bug problem. Sorry to those who had a bad experience!

The activities for guests are the one thing that might make me recommend this place. My friend and I booked separate reservations after seeing the hostel’s good ratings, then I called to ask if we could share a room. They said it wouldn’t be a problem and that we could sort it out on arrival. On the first day, they told us we could be together the next day. My friend then found a pornographic magazine on her bed, which made us question whether it had been cleaned. The next day, staff said one of us would have to pay extra to move into the more expensive room. If one of us moved to the cheaper one, there’d be no refund for the difference. They ended up saying it was our fault and they couldn’t put us together. Some staff were very rude when we asked questions in the kitchen, though I also met some kind staff members. The bathrooms and showers were always really dirty. It was an up and down experience, but honestly I didn’t like the stay at all.