Harbourside Hostel Bristol

The place is getting more damaged and looks worse, and the open-plan dorms don’t work. It was cold unless you knew how to operate the heaters. It felt dirty, as if it hadn’t been cleaned. There was a BO smell in the toilet, perhaps from smelly feet on the floor. Only one shower, and it’s very small. The photos are nice, but without maintenance the place will look bad very quickly.

The location is the one good thing. They charged more than the price listed on the site, then asked me to pay an extra £20 cash as a deposit after I’d paid by card. The door is kept locked, and ringing the bell doesn’t help because nobody is at reception. The staff also work in the adjoining restaurant, so you have to go there and ask them to open the door. For check-in and check-out, you have to look for them and wait for them to come over. That might be manageable if they were polite, but they were very rude and unprofessional. One staff member spoke very quickly with an Indian accent, which made them hard to understand.

The room was OK, but I wouldn’t recommend this hostel. There’s no reception or access card, and most times you go out, you end up waiting outside hoping someone from reception will show up. During the day it’s worse, since you have to go into the restaurant beside the hostel and ask them to let you in. It’s a real hassle.

The showers, toilets and rooms were tidy and clean, and the beds were really comfortable. The whole place seemed well cared for, with clear signs that made it easy to find things. Staff were super friendly and ready to help, including with directions whenever I needed them. I had a great stay, and it’s close to the city centre. I’d definitely come back. Cheers!