Alameda Downtown Apartment 1204

There was nowhere to store clothes, and the rack had no hangers. The tiny room had three outlets, but only one worked, so charging several devices wasn't possible. The WiFi was included, but so slow I couldn't download 5MB in half an hour. The shared shower was always occupied, though I couldn't say how many rooms used it. I had to wash my feet before I could take my socks off without getting them dirty. The windowless room was rented for two, and its sagging bed hurt to lie on at 183 cm tall. The thin, worn foam mattress didn't make up for the broken bed. This was an experience I'd rather have skipped.

The only thing going for this hostel is its location. Its name gives a misleading impression because there's no kitchen, and the photos don't show how small and grimy it really is. Toilets and showers were broken and disgusting, there were no towels or toilet paper, and the outlets didn't work. We got bitten all over by bed bugs, and the staff were unfriendly.

For the area, the price is hard to beat, and the location is excellent. But I wouldn't stay there again when it's fully booked, especially on a holiday weekend. There aren't enough toilets or showers for that many people, and changing in the badly designed shower area is almost impossible. If you're traveling light, you probably won't have a bathrobe to help. The place is two floors of an office building, with cubicles turned into rooms. A nearby nightclub kept the bass thumping all night, shaking the walls and even the bunk bed frame.

The hallways were full of trash, with condom wrappers scattered around, and half-naked men kept walking through. We felt unsafe, like being there was a physical hazard. Inside, the bathroom was too gross to use, the sheets smelled dirty, and the room had no window or AC. Its fan was caked in dust and blew chunks onto us. The walls had unknown smears, the bed looked like it had been peed on every night for 50 years, and the mattress was brown and mouldy. Not worth staying, even for one night.