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Frequently mentioned in reviews: room (21) stay (18) hostel (18) staff (16) great (16) night (14) Toronto (12) clean (12) good (12) breakfast (11)
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  • 5/5 Charlotte W. 1 year ago on Google
    Stayed here as a solo female traveller and absolutely loved it. It's combined with a bar so you can easily pop down and have a late night drink, the staff are incredibly lovely and helpful. Well stocked kitchen so you can cook meals. Toast and coffee provided in the morning. Would absolutely stay here again when I return. Just checked out and someone ran out with a croissant and a coffee for me to take to the airport.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jay A. 2 years ago on Google
    The Only Backpacker's Inn is a wonderfully vibrant and welcoming hostel that's surprisingly inexpensive. Staff are friendly and eager to assist, the lower floor serves great coffee, and a free light breakfast is provided from 8-10am every morning. The location is practically perfect, being situated just around the corner from a metro station that will get you to old Toronto in about fifteen minutes, and the wealth of multicultural restaurants on Danforth Avenue mean you'll never struggle for food plans. The rooms are a little cramped, and the overhead light in mine was too dim to see much, but they're cleaned every day and for the price there's really nothing to complain about.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Laurence C. 7 months ago on Google • 20 reviews
    Pretty bad experience overall. Please note that the rooms are over a bar, which means we hear loud music up until about 2:30 AM and the smell is awful. The room smelled like a bar, the old alcohol smell that you probably know. I felt very claustrophobic as ventilation was basically nonexistent, our room had no windows that could be opened (which is also dangerous in case of fire, if not absolutely illegal), it was hot and constently humid. The beds and common areas were clean, you can tell the employees do their job, but the sheet set was two small blankets and that's it. I had much trouble falling asleep and started to have asthma because of the conditions. I ended up going to the movies very late to avoid going back to the inn too early even if I could've fallen asleep right then and there. The layout makes also no sense, you need to go out to get back in to the kitchen and there is one toilet for 3 to 4 rooms of 4 to 6 beds. Lastly, the "amazing breakfast" advertised was only cereals and grapefruit... Will not go back. Staff was nice and helpful, that's why I gave two stars instead of one.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lissi 2. 6 months ago on Google • 54 reviews
    Very nice stuff and service who are almost all the time there for you. They clean every day. Breakfast is good with some options to choose. Good contaction to the city and some superstores to buy everything you need are just 5min walk. Very good hostel and totally worth for the price! Would come here back if I come to Toronto again!!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Florian R. 1 year ago on Google
    Overall a good hostel. Well equipped, well located and clean but quite overpriced. As for the staff, they are on the whole helpful, but our experience is still marred by a mishap with a person in charge of cleaning the premises that we must report so that in the future this kind of abuse does not happen anymore. Inadvertently, we had the misfortune to leave a toiletry bag one evening in a bathroom. The next morning we looked for it without success. We asked the cleaner if he hadn't seen it right after he went to the bathroom. He had seen nothing. So we went to ask the responsible staff if anything had been found. We were kindly assured that a message would be passed to the cleaners and that if the object was found it would be placed in our room. So this morning we return to the cleaner to find out if he has seen anything since. The gentleman now remembers that he found our kit but threw it away🧚... Why?! It remains an unfathomable mystery. In the common areas there is a box provided to accommodate found objects and during the day I went back to check if someone had left the kit there. Highlight of the show, the guy brings us back the empty kit with a smirk. He tells us that people used it during the day or supposedly it was supposed to be in the lost and found box🤸🤸🤸. After a few stormy Latin exchanges, he took our keys on the table like a thief and left with it, threatening to call the police and throw away all the objects we left behind... freaky. The manager finally came to apologize and kindly returned our deposits. In conclusion, I hope that in the future people will not see their personal belongings thrown away for the sole purpose of causing harm and that measures will be taken to ensure that this type of unacceptable behavior does not happen again, according to the reviews it's not the first time. This was unfortunately our only bad social experience in Canada during our trip.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Mostafa K. 2 years ago on Google
    I don’t recommend for anyone, it’s 100% unreliable, after 17 hours of flying back to Toronto they refused to let me in cuz my ID’s address in Toronto, despite that I wasn’t living in Toronto at this time and regardless that I told them I just arrived after 17 hours flying and it was around 10 pm and I already have a reservation, they didn’t let me stay. They also charged my Credit Card with 26.01 CAD and the agreement was to pay at the property when I arrive and they didn’t refund this money. Be aware it’s a scam, 5 starts reviews aren’t real.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Viktor B. 4 months ago on Google • 34 reviews
    Excellent hostel! I needed a room in a hurry, and I could only book different rooms for each night. However, they managed to keep me in the same room for the whole stay! Room was very clean, quiet and didn't smell. They have a smart policy for keeping the shoes outside the room. Every hostel should be like that! The café/bar downstairs was excellent too. Together, it was all I needed for a delightful stay. Definitely the best bang for your buck!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Kim D. 1 year ago on Google
    The good - Nice hostel in general, with plenty of common area`s. - Well equipped kitchen The bad - While staying there they randomly cleared out my bed and threw some of my stuff in the bin. Really weird, as I was still checked in and even if I wasn`t, why throw my stuff away? - I had good experiences with the staff, but I noticed they were sometimes rude to other people.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 william de l. 5 months ago on Google • 34 reviews
    After staying in this hostel I can say that it is uncomfortable, the beds are dangerous because you can fall during the night. There are 2 toilets for the entire floor and 3 showers. No possibility of sitting in the room. the kitchen is very small. There is not seat for everyone at breakfast. Lack of electrical outlet or otherwise very far from the bed. Tiny locker suitable for children perhaps but we are travelers! with bags.

  • 5/5 natalie t. 7 months ago on Google • 8 reviews
    I stayed here for one night as a solo traveller. I rented the private room and it was totally worth the $$. The room was so clean, the a/c was beautiful after walking around danforth and it has a private deck! + the sweet host delivered a hair dryer for me! I did some laundry last night and had a drink at the bar while I waited. I met Brandon and Blue, they were such a big help and made me feel so comfortable ❣️ This place is a major safe space and I can’t recommend it enough! I love a free breakfast too :)
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sarah H. 7 months ago on Google
    Great place to stay, clean safe and friendly. Linens provided along with towels for showers. Coffee shop and bar onsite. Only complaint is the morning guy in the coffeeshop was pretty aloof/rude. Talking to you guy with the blue fauxhawk.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Shinji 7 months ago on Google
    Great location, great service, great hostel. The overall was really great. If you need a place to stay at Toronto for a night (for exemple you have long layover), it's a great place to stay, most hotels are super pricy in Toronto so it's less expensice there. The only bad thing I'd say is that I couldn't sleep at all during the night, because of people snoring, but it's a common hostel risk so I don't blame the Only Backpacker's Inn for that. Also the free breakfast was great :)
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andrei 5 months ago on Google • 4 reviews
    Great place, definitely recommend. Awesome stuff, lots of public space to hang out. It also has a cafe and bar with live music. Plenty of bathrooms available. Everyone is following the ground rules, which makes sharing living space very comfortable. In general there is this pretty cool vibe, check it out for yourself.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Fırat A. 7 years ago on Google
    Clean, friendly and well decorated hostel with a bohemian atmosphere. The room I stayed (Front Room) was big enough to change clothes and to place the stuff. Although plastic shelves were big enough to put the clothes, the lockers provided were small. The pub and cafe are great to socialize and get the local feeling. Breakfast was good enough for a hostel; cereals, eggs, butter, jam, chocolate, fruits and coffee make a good start to a day. There are many private washrooms and showers and pretty clean. There is a kitchen and a large TV room as well, though you you gotta access through the backyard. I stayed here one night in December on a very cold day. Probably it's even nicer in summer with the backyard. Definitely recommending it!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Beth 9 months ago on Google
    Staff rude, guests even ruder. Facilities are nice, but of an out of the way location. Wouldn’t stay again.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 chancey z. 5 months ago on Google • 19 reviews
    Love the local mixed with traveler vibe. The coffee shop is fantastic and I love that the bar is directly connected. Fantastic location with lots of great food options. Solo traveler and I booked the private room which only had one neighbor and included the shower in the room. Big kitchen area and chill backside facing balcony

  • 4/5 Megan L. 10 months ago on Google
    Really great for the price, friendly staff, felt the private rooms were really worth the money. Only a few metro stops from downtown with plenty of restaurant options close to the hostel. Great cafe and bar downstairs. Free breakfast was a great advantage, not nothing special. Only wish they had a 24 hour reception, as we had a smoke alarm going off all night!

  • 4/5 R E. 11 months ago on Google
    It's not the place it's the fellow backpackers. Breaking rules is not cool in a shared room. I walked into my room and my bed had 1 woman's bag and the others pile of dirty stinky socks on it. I'm supposed to get along with these jerks, luckily it's a short stay.

  • 5/5 R A. 10 months ago on Google
    I have not been a guest . But I am glad to see a hostel in Toronto east side. I can't think of any of the older ones are open anymore.

  • 4/5 One love L. 1 year ago on Google
    Good location 👌. I was there for a week but i asked the cleaner to change my bed sheet and towel, he told me that no they will not charge for me because is hostel so they don't charge. He is a tall guy 😏

  • 5/5 Jannat Ul F. 1 year ago on Google
    Has a lovely cafe! And a cute small bar! Great place to crash for a night or so! Has bunk beds!

  • 4/5 Alex “OldSchoolPlay” K. 10 months ago on Google
    I recommend - stayed there in October 2022 and no regrets! Decent place to stay if you are travelling to Toronto and on a budget. Location is awesome, low prices, subway station is behind the corner and it's RIVERDALE - lots of places to eat, drink and have fun nearby. Room was clean and employees were friendly and helpful also

  • 5/5 Alexis T. 7 months ago on Google
    For the price, it packs a punch! The staff is warm and kind and help you find your way through a maze-like layout of the place. Breakfast is included and consists of cereals, fruits and some bakeries (if you're early enough!). The matress is depressed in the middle and the rooms are a bit squeezed. I recommend you bring ear plugs and a night mask. The street nearby also has a lot a different cultural restaurants you can try (hindi, greek, ethiopian, pakistani) and the subway station is just around the corner.

  • 5/5 Jose P. 7 months ago on Google
    Bad experience in the bar area because of a rude bartender. I went into the Cafe area where I usually sit,and of course the service was good, and my beer 🍺 poured how I like it. Been going there for decades, and 1st time I had an issue at the bar, because I want my 🍺 🍻 poured how I 👍 it. Nasty short balding bartender.

  • 5/5 Pankaj D. 7 months ago on Google
    Very nice, cozy and Affordable place. Nice place to stay and meet with new people.

  • 4/5 Ehtesham A. 6 months ago on Google
    Room was not so quiet at night because there is a bar downstairs. People talk until 3 am. Better to have ear plugs. I was satisfied with cleanliness and other facilities.

  • 5/5 Wendy N. 5 months ago on Google
    My husband and I stayed over in August, as I had heart surgery at the Michael Garron hospital. Liz, was not only welcoming, but Liz let us park behind her place vs down the street, as we had to leave at 5:00 am.. Our room, a well as the little apartment, was cozy, clean and safe!!!! Liz gave us a lock for our room and didnt charge her fee for same, as we were leaving so early, she let us leave it under the pillow. The cafe and bar have such a laid back atmosphere, we were blown away. Being under the stress that I was, Liz gave me a big hug and wished me luck. Seriously, where else would you find that in Toronto!!!!! I wouldn't hesitate for a minute to stay there again and I would and will, recommend this place to anyone. Thanks Liz again for making our stay so relaxing, all is well here and please don't ever change!! W Newell

  • 5/5 Viktor Luiz Stembrock N. 2 years ago on Google
    Great hostel with amazing staff and great facilities. Rooms are good overall for a hostel, breakfast is relatively simple but a nice plus since it's one of the cheapest around downtown. The café and pub downstairs are really cool on its own and certainly worth a visit. The locations is great, right next to a subway station near Greektown.

  • 1/5 Alex L. 2 years ago on Google
    Unprofessional place, not recommended at all!!!!

  • 5/5 Rafael L. 5 years ago on Google
    One of the best Hostels that I have ever been. Cool stuff, nice bar and cafeteria downstairs. Amazing infrastructure. The only negative thing for me is that you are not allowed to drink any alcoholic beverages in any part of the hostel, including the kitchen or social zone, what would be good to gather some people there and have fun!

  • 5/5 TheOzzyD 4 years ago on Google
    Hands down one of the best hostels I've stayed at. Great breakfast.. cereal, fruit, eggs, toast, jam. One day we got muffins! Safe and secure with friendly staff.

  • 5/5 Aaron P. 2 years ago on Google
    Really cool place it's five star if you're the type to enjoy checking in at a cafe or bar depending on time, to me it felt like staying at an old fashion inn and absolutely enhanced the experience as did the older building, the slightly steeper stairs then would normally be put in these days ( you can avoid them if you don't feel comfortable with them ), the art covering the walls along with pictures of happy travelers and a basement hangout area that you could missed if you didn't know it was there , to me it all lends itself to feeling like a home for adventures. Will stay again

  • 4/5 Johannes S. 2 years ago on Google
    Great value for money. Nice and helpful staff, equipment quite good. Only beds are a bid uncomfortable

  • 5/5 Lucy B. 2 years ago on Google
    One of my favourite bars in Toronto! A great inside and outside space. The staff are the best and their selection of ciders are very impressive.

  • 1/5 Ryan G. 2 years ago on Google
    Booked a hotel room only to be told they only rent to people outside the GTA. Then they refused to give me my money back... this hotel is a scam waiting to happen. Stay clear of this place

  • 3/5 wajd m. 2 years ago on Google
    Small but accommodating, with very nice staff Stayer there for one night and had a free breakfast included but they ran out of jam and peanut butter at the time (despite waking up early); had free bread and coffee but I must say the staff makes you feel at home

  • 5/5 barathram b. 3 years ago on Google
    Amazing place to crash for short term. Super helpful staff. Lovely shared kitchen. Well maintained. Hygienic. Groceries and convenience store near by. So close to donlands subway, You can literally peek right in to the subway from balcony. Shout out to JP, who's super nice

  • 5/5 Amaan Ali S. 2 years ago on Google
    Very clean, sanitary, organized and super affordable!

  • 3/5 oksana l. 1 year ago on Google
    The big plus of this hotel is 3 minutes from the subway. The first time I saw that the reception was in a bar, they also kept the towels that I received near the beer and wine, in the same place in the bar, if you want to drink, then a 10% discount at the reception-bar))). It also doesn't say on the website that you need to have a lock to store your belongings. For a traveler from Europe, this is something new. There are a lot of reviews on the site that steal things - I was lucky, I did not have anything interesting.

  • 5/5 A 2 years ago on Google
    5 star experience for a hostel. Location is amazing and I had a chance to get a cozy bedroom with an in-suite mini shower and a sink, shared (with another room) bathroom, great and equipped with everything needed kitchen, and a lovely small balcony.

  • 4/5 Reza 1 year ago on Google
    Overall good experience. Very clean, with most of the staff being super friendly and cool. The room was pretty cold the last 2 nights and even though I brought it to their attention they did not address it.

  • 1/5 Alejandro E. 1 year ago on Google
    The worst service I’ve ever seen. The place is dirty, there’s a lot of disorder and the staff is really annoying. The breakfast is one toasted bread with coffee. The rooms are small and there’s only one small bathroom for many beds. The worst experience by far. It’s located near the metro station but in a very loudly and ugly street.

  • 5/5 Suraj M. 2 years ago on Google
    Met a lot of people from Different countries during my stay. Breakfast can be improved and the room is little bit overcrowded due to it's size.

  • 4/5 RoyalTV 1 year ago on Google
    Beautiful atmosphere at the Hostel! The Cafe and Beer bar (which have a lot of awesome beers) were very nice to hangout. Sometimes in the Evening was live music.

  • 5/5 Jill D. 1 year ago on Google
    Go here. Everybody was super chill and super kind. I was in a mixed dorm and felt safe as a female. I chatted quite a bit with some of the people working and they were awesome. Gave me a great reminder of backpacking through Central America. Eduardo...que ondas! Eres lo maximo! I had an all around great stay and will be back! :)

  • 5/5 Jessica 4 years ago on Google
    I love going here, every time I stay overnight in Toronto will be here. The people you meet are lovely, there is free breakfast, wifi, and showers and the beds are very reasonably priced. It is right around the corner from a subway station and transportation to and from is very simple, plus it is well maintained so you never have to worry about bed bugs or dirty sheets. Cozy, fun, and relaxing 10/10 ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

  • 4/5 Kyle G. 1 year ago on Google
    For 1 night, this place was nice to stay and sleep at. Confusing instructions to get to where you need to check in (find the café and where you order food). Make sure to remember which door to enter (there are 3 possible doors to choose from). Younger crowds (as is customary in hostels). I saw a review that compared this place to a hotel. THIS IS NOT A HOTEL. Expect hiccups.

  • 5/5 Joseph N. 1 year ago on Google
    Affordable, friendly staff. Location right by the metro. The place was very clean as well and were kind to offer towels when requested.


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