Dama HostelBB

We were a backpacking couple and had a good few nights in the "Standard Double Room with Shared Bathroom". The room was spacious, clean, quiet at night, and comfortable. Towels, a hot water kettle, TV, and air conditioning were provided. It was in a separate building about 100 meters from Dama HostelBB on the same street. The area is lively, with lots of affordable places to eat and a particularly high concentration of African immigrants. I didn’t find that concerning, just use common sense when walking around and don’t behave like a naive, lost tourist. Most sights are walkable. One night the Wi-Fi stopped working, but after I reported it the next morning, the managers fixed it quickly. The shared men’s toilet has no seat, which I find unhygienic, though it seems common in Italy. There are no hooks in the shower for towels or clothes, and once we only had cold water. Even so, I’d recommend this place to easygoing travelers.

The receptionists were really nice and tried to help despite the language difficulties. The rooms were clean and air conditioned, which was a big plus, but each dorm had at least 10 people. The beds squeaked, though otherwise they were good. The neighborhood seemed sketchy, but I didn’t run into any trouble. There were no lockers unless you brought your own lock. Honestly, the place wasn’t quite what I expected from the booking. I’d give it 6/10.

The room was clean and most other things were fine, but the toilets were a real problem. There are two shared ones, both without a lid or seat, so you have to sit on a rim people are pissing on because there’s nowhere clean to sit. One toilet opens right onto reception, with only a half wall between them. You can hear the receptionist breathing, and she can hear you shit. A toilet needs a lid, and I want privacy when I’m defecating. There also isn’t always anyone at reception. I went out last night and got back at 2 am, but my key didn’t work and nobody was there to let me in. No one had explained the very particular way to unlock the door. I stood there for 10 minutes until another annoyed guest, woken by my ringing, let me in. Nothing in this hostel is soundproof. I’d expected a great place because it was cheap and close to the train station, but it wasn’t.

The hostel was very dirty. I suspect the bedsheets weren’t changed after guests, and there were huge cockroaches on the walls. The lockers had no locks, so storing anything felt impossible. Neither the hostel door nor the room door closed properly, and people from other rooms came in periodically through the night. There was no hot water in the bathroom, and the men’s and women’s bathrooms had no full wall between them. A man could spy on you washing over the half wall. The old beds squeaked whenever someone moved and felt like they might collapse. It was very multicultural, like being in a refugee camp. If you’re a woman, avoid this hostel. I was literally scared to fall asleep and didn’t sleep a wink all night.