2/5 Pabler A. 1 year ago on Google
In
a
world
of
compromises...
you
do
not
get
what
you
pay
for.
I
cannot
in
good
conscience
recommend
this
hostel
when
there
are
similarly-priced
or
cheaper
hostels
throughout
the
city.
Welcome
to
the
good,
the
bad,
and
the
ugly.
Anyone
complaining
about
sharing
a
dorm
is
a
fool.
This
is
a
hostel;
sharing
a
room
with
other
people
isn't
the
problem.
There
are
some
positives
worth
acknowledging
and
I
do
have
plenty
of
good
memories
from
the
hostel,
but
it's
ultimately
a
mixed
bag,
and
unfortunately
more
bad
than
good.
The
location
is
in
the
Parkdale
neighbourhood.
Historically
a
bit
of
a
slum,
the
neighbourhood
is
rapidly
gentrifying,
so
you
get
an
interesting
mix
of
Toronto's
cool
urban
character
while
also
seeing
the
ongoing
crisis
with
housing
and
mental
health
--
there
are
plenty
of
transients
in
the
area
and
some
people
may
feel
unsafe,
although
Toronto
is
largely
a
safe
city
and
you're
unlikely
to
experience
any
real
harm.
Despite
what
some
reviews
say,
you're
quite
close
to
the
urban
core
and
can
easily
access
the
city's
main
attractions
by
transit.
The
clientele
is
primarily
composed
of
two
types:
local
Toronto
residents
down
on
their
luck,
and
recent
immigrants
trying
to
settle
in
Toronto.
Both
types
are
only
there
because
they
cannot
afford
proper
housing
or
more
comfortable
temporary
accommodations.
Guests
are
around
90%
male,
most
over
35.
Young
women
may
feel
intimidated
by
this
and
should
definitely
opt
for
the
female
dorms.
The
owner,
Leanne,
is
actually
a
very
friendly,
pleasant
woman
to
interact
with,
but
the
bottom
line
is
always
about
money,
and
you
can
detect
that
she
has
some
disdain
for
her
clientele
and
does
not
put
much
effort
into
their
comfort;
you
can
feel
how
cheaply
everything
is
maintained.
The
staff
are
a
mixed
bag,
and
even
with
individual
staff
members,
your
experience
largely
depends
on
their
mood.
Sometimes
they
will
go
out
of
their
way
to
help
you,
other
times
you
will
be
rudely
shut
out
for
very
simple
requests.
Most
of
the
staff
live
at
the
hostel
and
this
detail
is
taken
advantage
of
regularly.
Workers
are
expected
to
perform
at
150%
and
paid
minimum
wage
to
do
so.
Amongst
both
long-term
guests
and
staff,
there
are
moments
of
levity
and
joy,
but
most
of
the
time,
everyone
seems
bitter
and
exhausted
over
their
circumstances.
The
dorms
vary
--
the
cheapest
have
quite
uncomfortable
mattresses
and
are
very
shabby
looking,
but
decent
effort
is
made
into
maintaining
cleanliness.
The
pricier
dorms
are
nicer,
but
as
of
writing
this,
the
most
affordable
dorms
are
still
nearly
$60
a
night.
Some
bathrooms
are
quite
modern
and
well
maintained.
The
older
ones
are
very
run-down,
but
the
hostel
is
in
the
midst
of
renovations
to
improve
conditions.
Speaking
of,
the
ongoing
renovations
will
mean
constant
noise,
and
the
kitchen
has
been
out
of
commission
for
literal
months
now,
with
no
end
in
sight;
one
would
think
guests
would
be
notified
of
this
massive
inconvenience
and
the
rates
reduced,
but
no,
you
will
still
be
charged
the
full
rate
to
live
off
of
takeout
or
microwave
meals,
while
a
working
kitchen
is
still
advertised.
As
of
writing
this,
the
Wi-Fi
is
very
shoddy.
Only
one
network
works
with
mediocre
consistency
--
the
rest
will
fail
more
often
than
not,
so
some
dorms
will
have
no
Wi-Fi
at
all.
There
is
a
large
TV
in
the
main
room,
although
guests
or
staff
are
expected
to
provide
their
own
streaming
accounts.
If
you
do
not
like
vermin,
there
are
recurring
problems
with
roaches,
bed
bugs
and
mice.
Despite
all
this,
the
motley
crew
of
misfits
and
shabby
living
conditions
make
for
a
unique
experience
where
you'll
meet
interesting
people
and
learn
a
lot
about
yourself
and
the
world
around
you.
Stay
for
a
night
and
you'll
get
a
half-decent
sleep
with
a
slight
bitter
aftertaste.
Stay
for
a
month
or
longer,
you'll
learn
new
degrees
of
humility.
A
lot
of
potential,
but
very
little
love
and
a
shoestring
budget
is
put
into
this
place.
Stay
here
if
the
other
hostels
are
booked
up
and
you'll
survive,
but
experience
resent
you
didn't
know
existed.
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