HI Madison - Hostel

The hostel was clean, comfortable, and friendly, in a great spot for downtown Madison. Our one problem was a guest who got locked out after the doors lock at 10pm and require a code. At 3am they pounded on the door and smashed a window, waking everyone. Management took ages to arrive and deal with it. Apart from that incident, we had a great experience.

For a cheap place to crash in town, it was decent enough. The beds feel cramped once everyone and their luggage are in the room. I’m not sure if the atmosphere was off because I visited at a bad time or if it’s normally like that. I’d recommend it for the price, and that’s the only reason I’d stay again.

The staff are nice, and the location is amazing if you want somewhere quiet but still close to everything in Madison. Sharing a room is part of the setup, so it suits people who just need a place to sleep and don’t mind that. It may not work if you want a perfect, cozy bed. My five-star rating came down to the cost and location.

The local artwork, shared cooking area, and board games brought back the appeal of a great youth hostel for me. A few things have changed since my last stay at an HI hostel, but it’s still clean and quiet, with that promise of community.