Panda Hostel

The internet was surprisingly good, and the location was good too. But the room was so cold we froze whenever we weren't under something. The duvet was so stained I couldn't bring myself to use it, so for all four nights I slept with my coat over me. It took a few minutes of running water for it to get warm, and the shower's warm water came out very weakly. The walls are paper thin.

This was the most unpleasant hostel stay I've ever had. My friend is allergic to mold, and when we got into the room we found the ceiling covered in black mold. The door locks didn't have keys, which made us feel very unsafe, especially with other guests making us uncomfortable during check-in. We raised the cleanliness and safety concerns with staff right away. They contacted the manager, who handled the issue unprofessionally and became aggressively defensive. During the conversation, the manager admitted the room shouldn't have been in use because of the black mold and should have been blocked off for safety. We asked for a refund because the room didn't meet basic health and safety standards and the Hostelworld listing was misleading. We were then told to speak with the property owner, but the unprofessional treatment continued. The whole experience was disappointing and concerning. Given the conditions and the way our concerns were handled, I strongly advise against staying here. This establishment shouldn't be in business.

The room was filthy and unpleasant from start to finish. For £80 a night, I don't expect five stars, but I do expect a clean place. The towels clearly hadn't been washed, and mine had lipstick and eyeliner from someone before me. No curtains, sheets that smelled like salt and vinegar crisps, and a bloodstained duvet with no cover. The shower was broken, so you had to hold it, and the water was cold. The bed was thin and hard like a prison bed, and there were holes in the walls. They couldn't find our Hostelworld booking at first. After about 20 minutes, one staff member finally found it and, to his credit, was friendly, but it was frustrating. Later, my friend accidentally shut the door with the keys inside, and it locked automatically. Staff had no spare key and told us, “this is your problem girls.” Who doesn't have a spare? Another staff member arrived with a key over an hour later. It was a horrible wait. Neither of us slept well, we felt dirty and gross, and I'd never recommend this place.

Good location, but everything else was awful. The private room was incredibly dirty and badly maintained. The walls are tiny, so expect to hear everything, and there's a lot of noise. There was no hot water in the morning, though by then you might have lost the urge to shower there anyway. The towels were the roughest in human history, and there wasn't even a hook to hang them on.