Paxx Istanbul Hotel & Hostel

The reception staff member was polite, but told us there was no booking. By then I almost wished that were true. Finding the place was a hassle from the start: there’s no clear sign, and the entrance is confusing. The room was filthy, with dust and hair everywhere. The furniture was worn, and the online pictures looked like they belonged somewhere else. There’s one shared bathroom, awkwardly placed inside a shared room, so you have to walk past people in bed to use it. The door doesn’t lock, leaving no privacy. The place is so cramped that anyone with a large build or into bodybuilding might as well sleep outside. The room also felt unfinished. The walls were bare, the window was broken and had no glass, and it was freezing all night. Loud music from next door carried on until 1 a.m., so sleeping was impossible. On the map it looks close to the center, but steep slopes and endless stairs make getting there a real challenge. After more than 50 hostels around the world, this was the worst I’ve stayed in. Dirty, misleading, noisy, cold, and uncomfortable, with poor management. A stay to remember, for all the wrong reasons.

After leaving the rude Xalila hostel, I switched to Paxx and it was a lot better. The room was cramped, but I still had a great time there. The African guy who works there was really friendly and helpful, the kind of person I trust in Istanbul. I hope he gets paid better.

The management were extremely rude, barely smiling, like they thought you were their enemy. They even charge for luggage storage after checkout, which is a joke. You also can’t check in before 2:00 AM, even when a room is available. That feels completely inhumane. The sheets were filthy. I saw them simply rearrange the bedding after one guest left and give it to the next without changing it. The bathroom lock didn’t work, so someone could open the door while you were showering or using the toilet. There’s no kitchen, and although there’s a fridge, it’s unplugged and off limits. There’s nowhere to dry clothes either. A bar next door played music until 1-2 AM every night. The room had no soundproofing, and it felt like someone was singing in my ear, making sleep impossible. I’ve stayed in more than 200 hostels across over 40 countries, and this was by far the worst.

I was traveling alone and picked this because it was the cheapest hostel I could find. The description said there was AC, but it didn’t work, and in that hot weather I slept without AC or a fan. The room and bathroom were unclean, and the bathroom door wouldn’t close. I stayed one day, then found a better place for only about $1 more. This isn’t worth it. If you absolutely need the cheapest option, it’s there, but adding $1-2 to your budget gets you more facilities nearby.