Auberge de Jeunesse HI Chamonix

The mold was the most serious problem: there was visible black mold and white fluffy growth on the first-floor bathroom ceiling, and black mold on the walls of our private bathroom. That's a health concern, not just an appearance issue. We spent 8 nights in a private room, and the other faults kept adding up. On the first night, the shower-head fitting was missing, the outlet and bedside reading light didn't work, and the lower window gate had come away from the wall. It was propped beneath a table to hold it open. Reception shut at 8 pm, so we reported everything the next morning. The receptionist was initially pleasant, then looked annoyed as we mentioned each issue. I understand staff can get frustrated, but it was reasonable for us to report problems as paying guests. Our key cards also stopped working almost every day, so we had to get them reset at reception again and again. On day five I asked if this could be fixed for good. The reply was basically frustration about how often staff have to reset guests' cards. I sympathize with an overworked team, but a recurring system problem shouldn't be treated as normal or put back on guests. None of this alone was catastrophic, but across eight nights it felt like a pattern of deferred maintenance, with problems tolerated instead of fixed. The place seems to depend on guests accepting substandard rooms and facilities. That might be manageable for a short visit, but not for a longer stay.