The Desire Hostel

The reception was dark, and I felt unsafe there. The staff were neither especially friendly nor rude, but there was nothing positive about my stay. The rooms bore no resemblance to the misleading online photos, and the whole place was very dirty and unhygienic. There wasn't even a proper shower. I wouldn't recommend this hostel to anyone looking for somewhere clean or comfortable.

I cut my stay short and checked out a day early, spending the night in a hotel because this was so unpleasant. This was my first hostel experience, and unfortunately it was horrible. Right afterwards, I stayed in another hostel with welcoming people, a pleasant atmosphere and good upkeep, so the difference was huge. Desire Hostel looked nothing like its online photos. The building was old, the floors dusty and maintenance very poor. The atmosphere felt dull and unwelcoming compared with other hostels I've stayed in. Staff were just okay, not warm or friendly. The kitchen was unhygienic, in terrible shape and completely unusable. I had booked six days but stayed only four.

I've stayed at The Desire Hostel three times over the past year, and it's started to feel like my home in Delhi. The rooms and bathrooms have been in good condition, the place is well maintained and cleaned often, and requests for service were handled quickly. Everything ran smoothly, and we had no issues. It's a good option for low-budget travellers. The staff are friendly and cordial, especially Mr. Rohit (Manager), who looks after guests and was very supportive. Most guests are young, friendly people travelling for work or school, along with a few tourists like me. There's a lovely gated neighbourhood and a park nearby for a stroll, and a nearby bus can take you wherever you need to go. Always happy to stay here. Thanks to the Desire staff. I'll definitely come again.

The bathtub was filthy and looked disgusting, and the front desk lady did a lousy job of being cordial. She didn't seem to understand that I was leaving both Indian and foreign ID. She needs better hospitality training if she wants to keep working in this field. At 10:47 pm, she argued with me while keeping a very strong flashlight on as I tried to explain that I needed sleep and had to wake up early. She talked badly about guests, called one of them crazy while she was sleeping upstairs on the terrace, though that guest later slept properly in her bed. The woman also said, “I'm Indian and it's not the way,” apparently referring to our argument. She acted as if sleeping in the same dorm room as everyone else was a privilege, not a right.