Auberge de Jeunesse HI Lille

The shower setup was ridiculous. You had to push a button on the wall to make the water run, and I had to press it dozens of times for one bath. I also spent a miserable night sharing a room with two other people. One older guest went to bed before 9 p.m., then woke around 3 a.m. and kept tossing and turning. They breathed heavily as if short of breath, and the whole bed shook. The other person's snoring was really loud. I didn't get back to sleep until about 5 a.m. This felt more like a cheap rental apartment than a youth hostel.

Ehab and his colleagues made everything smooth and easy, and the staff were lovely, kind, and really helpful. The shared areas were nice for meeting other travelers or just relaxing. Clean, affordable, and very laid-back, a good fit for a tight budget.

The food was great, and they have gluten-free options. The rooms were decent too, with good beds and chargers. There’s a pool table and a lovely shared balcony. Each room has four beds and a shower, but no toilet; the public toilets are nearby. A great place for a visit to France, like mine.

For a last-minute booking, this was surprisingly cheap, and we got the room we’d asked for. I stayed with one other person in a triple room, so there was plenty of space for us. It had one single bed and a set of bunk beds. Everything was clean and matched the description. Our window faced a street, opened wide for fresh air, and had a blind we could close at night.