Embassie Backpackers Liverpool

The photos didn’t reflect the place, and it felt falsely advertised. If you care about your health, sanity or sense of smell, I’d say don’t go near The Embassie Hostel. Walking in, I was hit by a powerful stink of sweat, mould and old socks. The bedsheets smelled of unwashed feet and broken dreams. In the kitchen, which looked like nobody had cleaned up after a party in 1986, there was supposedly a “free breakfast,” but cats were coming out from every corner and walking across the table. I passed. Guests wandered around in what looked like drug-fuelled trances. At 3 a.m., a man staggered into our room, sprinkled cocaine on the bed, then lay on the floor and exposed himself. I went to find staff and found the “manager” sitting with seven empty cans of Carlsberg, staring into the void. There was also a bathroom sign pleading with people to close the shower curtain because “it’s deprived of water.” Whatever that means, it wasn’t reassuring. This place felt unsafe and filthy, and in my view it’s a genuine danger to women, students and anyone with a pulse. I think Booking.com or any other platform it uses should pull the listing before someone catches something incurable. It felt less like a hostel and more like a social experiment in endurance, or a halfway house for people society had given up on. I fled at 3:30 a.m. and checked into the Z Hotel, where the staff seemed like actual humans and the beds didn’t smell of regret. That’s how bad it was: I’d rather sleep on a pavement than set foot in the Embassie again. Women and children, stay away before something really bad happens.

The unheated room and shower left me nearly frozen. I'm not easily bothered, but this felt like survival training. Bring plenty to drink and take three strong sleeping pills, and maybe you won't check out early.

The owner was genuinely kind and welcoming, and that was the one good part of my stay. The rest of the hostel felt dirty and uncomfortable. I spotted three spider webs, there was a strong unpleasant smell, and the pillow was so filthy I had to find another one myself. I piled on several sheets to get warm because the room had no radiator and was freezing. I felt uneasy as a solo female traveler. Men were using the female-only bathroom, and there were long-term residents who seemed inconsiderate of other guests, as well as random people wandering around the property. Breakfast was advertised, but I never saw any. The place left me feeling unsafe, and I wouldn't recommend it, especially for women traveling alone.

I got only a few hours of sleep in this really dirty hostel, and didn't even bother trying the shower. The female room was on the top floor, and I had hoped to stay there until morning, but the door was fragile and usually unlocked. Around 11pm, a man came in to arrange a bed for someone. Earlier, a man had occupied the female toilet for more than 20 minutes. Finding reception was confusing when I arrived. A man in the courtyard spoke to me, and check-in turned out to be on a computer in the kitchen. They offered coffee around 9:30pm, but I politely declined. My bed had no power outlet, so I had to leave my device charging in another bed area. In the morning, I wanted to say goodbye, but a large dog was staring at me, so I just left. The review photos are out of date. Look at the photos inside the reviews to see how old and dirty the place is. I don't know how the owner runs the business, but the hostel needs a makeover if they want people to be happier staying there.