Antalya Marina Hostel

The people running the place were genuinely kind, and check-in was straightforward. My room had two bunk beds and was mixed-gender. I stayed for four days, and the main hassles were the mosquitoes and how small the rooms are. There was a minor problem with staff not knocking when it was time to clean, though I think that can happen in hostels. You can hear conversations clearly through the window next to the beds, so I’d try for an upstairs room. The location also took me a few tries to find on the way back, so I was glad my taxi dropped me off. It’s a reasonable place to crash for a night in Kaleici.

The breakfast was really good for the price, and the stay is one of the cheapest around, so I liked the value. Socializing was the drawback for me. There isn’t much chance to meet people unless they’re staying in your dorm, which is a big part of the hostel experience.

I paid for a full night and left after a five-minute look around. I travel constantly and have stayed in hundreds of places, good and bad, across many countries, so I’d urge people to spend their money elsewhere and support businesses that take guests’ health seriously. I’d seen a lower price online, but when I asked in person they quoted more, even though booking directly would save them the booking fee. We agreed to skip breakfast and the price came down to just 10% more than online. I wasn’t too worried about a few dollars and booked. A few minutes later, I noticed a smell in the room. They had just used a bug bomb, and someone showed me dead bugs as proof it had worked. The walls and sheets had a layer of chemicals on them. Guests’ belongings were left out and covered in the poison, with no warning to the people staying there. After waiting in the lobby and feeling the place didn’t match its reviews, I politely asked to cancel, but they refused a refund. The room and bathrooms were average, reasonably clean, but small. The dorm doors didn’t lock, security was limited, and people walking along the public path could pass right by the dorm windows. The kitchen was small, crowded, and a bit dirty. Other services seemed average or below average for a hostel, not the higher standard the reviews suggested. I found a private hotel room with a generous breakfast for what I’d paid for a shared room here. My money is gone, but yours can still be spent better. Sorry I had this experience, and I hope you avoid the same one.

The dorms at Marina hostel have four beds and are really nice, and the internet is fast. Breakfast was tasty and cost 10lira. My main complaint is that their tours cost much more than other tours in the city. A hostel should keep budget travelers in mind.