The Yard Hostel

The location was great, and both the dorm and shower were okay. I liked having to take our shoes off at the entrance. A few drawbacks: my drawer was broken and wouldn’t lock, there was nobody at reception, and towels cost extra, so bring your own.

I had a terrible experience at Yard Hostel. The reception closes early, and nobody was available on the WhatsApp number they provided. It made for a very unfriendly welcome to Finland. It felt like the people running the place cared only about making money from travelers. You can find hostels that are more central and cheaper, run by nice people who even provide towels for free. Let’s boycott places like Yard Hostel.

There are only three showers, so you may sometimes have to wait, and remember to bring slippers or flip-flops because shoes aren’t allowed. There’s a basket of plastic sliders if you want to use those. The beds are comfortable and there’s plenty of storage in the lockers and beds. The kitchen and common room are a decent size, and the shared space has boards showing events happening in the area that week. It’s a great hostel, central without being in a loud area.

The location is central, but I wouldn’t call this the best hostel in Helsinki. The inside was very dark even during the day, nothing like the cozy wide-angle photos on the website. Dim lighting gave it a basement feel, the windows looked onto a construction site, and the tiny toilets and showers smelled as if something was rotting. The mattress and pillow were stained. There was barely room to put things down. The boxes under the bed were very heavy, and you had to pull them out each time to get your belongings. In the shower and toilet there was nowhere to put clothes or anything else. Nobody was at the desk in the morning or evening, so there wouldn’t have been anyone to help if something happened. I was glad I only stayed two nights.