It's a Small World Backpackers Lodge - Hostel

Rooms start at $20, which makes the prices affordable for students, but the cleanliness has slipped. The blankets were dirty and smelled like pee, and the bathrooms were really dirty too. Staff were rude and unhelpful, especially the women at the front desk. The cleaning ladies were rude as well and acted like cleaning was beneath them when asked. Standards seem to have gone down along with Zimbabwe. I'd look at Airbnb for a better option.

The staff sent me to Mbare Bus Terminal to catch a bus, but my taxi driver refused to take me there, saying it was “the toughest place in Zimbabwe” and very unsafe for solo female foreigners. Thanks for nothing, I guess. The hostel itself was run down, with old things everywhere, dorm beds that nearly fell apart, and a filthy kitchen. It could have been a nice place with some maintenance. Honestly, it's the worst hostel I've stayed in.

The room by reception was noisy, with people chatting there until close to 10pm. The bathrooms had no soap, shower gel, or mats. The lack of mats bothered me most, since water splashed into the toilet area and there was no mop ready to use. Parking was another problem: they host more people than the space can handle, and I was called at 21:00hrs to move my vehicle. The parking surface is sloped, so cars can slip forward when driving in and cause damage or minor accidents in the yard. It might be a great place, but they need to sort out several things, starting with the parking.

It's in a quiet neighbourhood, and the rooms are spacious and clean. My room was the last one on the left side of the corridor after Mbabane. The wooden floor squeaked whenever anyone walked on it, though. The shower curtain was missing, so water splashed into the toilet area and left the floor slippery. We had to mop after showering to avoid falling. The mixer was faulty too, making it hard to balance the hot and cold water.