6A Great Dover Street, London SE1 4XW Tube Borough Bus 21, 35, 40, 133, 343 Tel (020) 7403 7773 Websitewww.dovercastlehostel.com
BUG review
This small hostel has accommodation above a pub near Borough tube station in Southwark. It has a small kitchen with new appliances but the common area is cluttered and smoky. Guests get cheap drinks at the bar.
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Dover was the first hostel I stayed at. I should have listened to the nasty reviews from other backpackers. It was really gross in there. The toilet rarely worked, the showers were clogged so you were getting everyone elses hair and grime on your feet (even though I was wearing sandles), and I was never sure if my sheets were clean. The staff who helped me check in was rude, I stood there for like 10 minutes before I was helped because he was downloading videos on the internet! I swear there is no real management there. Oh, and don't ask them anything about the hostel (when do I get sheets?, what time is breakfast?) or places to go in London, because you will extremely hassel them! There are lots of other good hostels to stay in London, I suggest you keep looking.
3 of
8 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
Spain
So so 26 December 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(3)
(Review ID: 2503)
Best place to meet people from all around the world. Not a quiet place. Not a clean place, so if you don't mind someone throwing up next to your bed, you must stay in there.
2 of
8 people found this review helpful
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Magalicious
Tennessee
complete nastiness 4 December 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Magalicious
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(1)
Atmosphere
(1)
(Review ID: 2504)
This hostel was totally nasty. I'm not kidding. Please do not stay there. The reviews that liked it must have been by people who work there or who were paid a lot of money to write them. The whole time I was there I felt dirty. The shower was cold. I'm for real- never any hot water. Totally bums hanging around all the time. Oh, and the breakfast consisted of a bunch of people hovering around a box of cornflakes & a bag of bread. Please save yourself the agony & DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!
11 of
16 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
LA USA
Cheap, central, and the bar stays OPEN!! 17 July 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
(Review ID: 2505)
This hostel was cool. The location was central and it was cheaper than the others we called. The room was quite messy - but that was peoples gear and apart from that it seemed clean enough. The best thing was the bar stayed open late and the staff helped me find a room in one of their flatshares so now I can stay in London longer!
1 of
6 people found this review helpful
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Robert Walker
Melbourne, Straya
One of the best hostels in London 10 July 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Robert Walker
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 2506)
You won't get better than the Dover. You don't get five star luxury for a tenner a night (though some of your reviewers seem to think you do!) but what you do get at the Dover is good, clean, cheap and safe backpackers accommodation. There aren't any "long term unemployed" staying there (the Dover doesn't take Housing Benefit - I was there when someone asked) and I have stayed there four times this year on my travels and have yet to meet the same person twice. The Dover bar is a friendly, cheap place to have a drink and meet people, the staff are always ready to help, and the food is good, too. Stay over at the Dover!
7 of
12 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
UK
Hell on earth!!! 27 June 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
Facilities
(1)
Atmosphere
(1)
(Review ID: 2507)
This was the most disgusting, smelly, dirty hovel I have ever had the misfortune to come across! Thank god I had only paid for one night there. I backpacked around the USA and Canada in 2001 and didn't find any of their hostels to be like this. .
4 of
11 people found this review helpful
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Eric
Chicago, IL
very disappointing 29 March 2003
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Eric
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
(Review ID: 2508)
This was the first hostel that I staied in on my 2 month backpacking trip through europe. Although the location is pretty good and the price was reasonable, I was very disappointed. The beds were not in very good shape, torn and pretty nasty looking, but they did give free sheets so this wasn't a big problem. The biggest downside to this hostel is that most people were not backpackers, they were aussies living there for extended periods of time. I love aussies, but I was looking forward to meeting some fellow backpackers, and this is not the place for that. My only other complaint is that the top floor did not have electricity nor hot water in the shower room the entire 4 days I was there....I had to wait in line every day on the floor below to get a shower in....I don't know if this is normal or not, but I wont be making a return visit to dover castle hostel to find out.
7 of
13 people found this review helpful
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jason
burleigh, australia
where r the backpackers???? 23 August 2002
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
jason
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
(Review ID: 2509)
the best thing about this hostel is the location, 2 mins borough station tube, also the free breakfast saves u a few dollars. the downside is that it isnt really a backpackers hostel. i stayed there for one week and the place was full of long term residents from irish and welsh and australian backgrounds who where honestly just bums who hung around the hostel all day trying to make life as uncomfortable as possible for any newcomer. the most dissapointing thing is that the hostel has potential, but until they decide whether they want to be a hostel or a housing estate for the long term unemployed i wont ever stay there again
4 of
10 people found this review helpful
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rose
westbourne park
we go to the bar for a 15 November 2001
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
rose
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 2510)
we recomend u trying a slipery nipple, cok sukin cowboy and a brain hemirige,some of the few available shots on offer at the bar. the staff are very welcoming, and lodgers are all great fun and sociable people.
8 of
29 people found this review helpful
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Anonymous
north london
a lively atmosphere and the bar staff are wiked 12 November 2001
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(5)
Cleanliness
(5)
Facilities
(5)
Atmosphere
(5)
(Review ID: 2511)
we havnt stayed in the hostel, but are regulars at the bar, which is really fun and has a lively atmosphere...the music however is not that great, house, but other than that i love the place.