La Petite Auberge de Saint Sernin

It’s a simple place with what you need, and it felt like backpackers had made it for other backpackers. The woman at reception greeted me so warmly that I felt at home straight away. I picked up some cheap Yogi-Tea from the stand beside the desk, and things just flowed from there. They give you locks along with your room key, which matters when you’re carrying an expensive laptop like I was. I’d recommend staying here and would come back.

My roommates were friendly and respectful, apart from one odd woman who put her mattress on the floor in the middle of the room and got upset when someone cooked breakfast at seven, which isn’t that early. The stay itself was very pleasant. The rooms are spacious, the small kitchenettes work fine, and everything was clean. I’d still do some serious redecorating and add more power points.

The staff were kind, and I met some nice people there. We ended up travelling together afterwards, though they, like me, moved to another hostel after just one night. I really don’t understand the great reviews. The place looked dirty and run-down when I arrived, with old furniture, unstable beds and a worn-out mattress that left me with back pain the next day. One shower didn’t work, and there were quite a few mosquitoes in the room even at the end of September. The kitchen was inside the dorm room, and that was awful to share with people who weren’t considerate. It smelled bad and made for a strange atmosphere. Someone woke me at 7 a.m. frying eggs and making filter coffee right beside my bed. There were no window curtains either, so the room got bright early. Reception doesn’t open until 10 a.m., which makes it hard to ask questions or leave your bags in the luggage room if you need to check out earlier.

The room was incredibly cramped, with six beds in three bunks. A local man seemed to know the hostel’s entry codes and pretended to be a guest, but he wasn’t. He was obnoxious and several guests had to throw him out. How did he know the code? I didn’t feel this was a safe place to stay, and it was neither clean nor well laid out. I’ve stayed in much better budget hostels in France. Don’t waste your money.