Majestic Hostel Porto

I booked for over a week at hostel majestic, but the stay was a terrible experience from the moment I arrived. I came with my Portuguese friend to translate, but nobody spoke Portuguese. The staff spoke English only, and the place smelled awful. At check-in they asked me to pay the city tax twice. It was sorted after the receptionist called his manager and then spoke by phone with my friend. The room I booked was supposed to be a private double, but it didn't feel private at all. There was no outside window, just one facing the corridor, and the door had no lock. It wasn't a double bed either, just a twin bunk bed. There were no lockers, and they seemed to want to charge for luggage storage. I didn't feel safe in the building. Most of the other residents seemed to be older people or people who might be homeless. After coming through the front door, even my female friend said she wouldn't stay there. The bathrooms were dirty and smelly, with old mold everywhere. I had to call booking.com myself because the booking was non-refundable. The receptionist kept saying, “we do clean” and “the rooms don’t have locks, only the front door”. I left without staying, and booking.com had to contact them directly to get me a refund. My trip itself was great, though. The next day I checked into “urban garden Hostel” around the corner, and it was so nice.

The room was clean, so that part worked for me, but the shared bathroom for men and women was tiny and had nowhere to hang anything. I didn't feel safe staying the rest of my nights after the check-in problem. I'd already paid online, but the receptionist tried to get me to pay a second time. I didn't realize at first that I had paid, and luckily I had no cash on me. The owner said the receptionist's English wasn't good and it might have been a misunderstanding. Still, I doubt he didn't know I booked through booking, especially since the other owner said he was supposed to know those bookings were paid. He then lied in front of me, saying he hadn't asked for money after the deposit and city tax. I'm writing this to remind people to check whether they've already paid online.

The location was on a shady, dirty street, and I didn't feel safe there. I arrived at night, and the owner had me sign a paper saying there'd be no refund if I didn't like the room. I wouldn't have stayed even one night otherwise. The whole thing felt like an incredible fraud. The hostel itself was completely unhygienic. There were no doors on the showers beside the toilets, and the kitchen was a dirty mess. When I told OWNER JAHIRUL Islam about the kitchen, he blamed the guests and complained about them as soon as I arrived. His attitude and bluntness were incredible. He doesn't even hire cleaning staff, so it's hard not to worry about what diseases you might catch there. One night he came into the ladies' dorm while I was asleep to show a girl her bed. He spotted something on the floor, got a mop, and started cleaning in the middle of the night. It made no sense. I also believe he leaves fake reviews under his own name. The photos tell you what kind of hostel it is. Horrible experience, and I felt unsafe. Please stay away.

Thanks, Majestic Hostel! The staff were great and the service was excellent.