Pros:
Location, games facilities and bar, helpful staff
Cons:
Bit scruffy, but double room was spacious with on suite shower.
shirburn
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(3)
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(3)
Busy hostel with plenty of outdoor facilities to keep kids entertained - tennis, football, basketball. Basic breakfast served and evening meal too, if required. We tried one night, but menu only in French. so we weren't quite sure what it was or how much, but only came to 14 euro for 2 of us. I managed to mess up my booking and stayed a day over my actual reservation, and rather than being annoyed with me, the staff were concerned that we had not cleared our room and checked out. They were on the verge of calling the police, worrying that we had had an accident, when we arrived in the evening to much embarrassment. Staff are kept very busy, and still manage to make sure you get any help you need.
Friendly bar with pool, table football and tv. Free, but slow, internet access. You can also hire bikes from the hostel.30 minute walk to Walled Town or plenty of cafes/bistro/pizza joints/cash machine nearby. Beach is just 5 mins away. Regular busses pass by outside. If arriving by air at Dinan (Ryanair) you will need to get a taxi to St Malo - around 20-25 Euro. We plan to visit again next year - St Malo is a great place to explore, and the bus network is cheap and regular - no need for a car.
Pros:
A cheap place to stay in posh, expensive Saint-Malo
Cons:
Far from train station. Staff not always friendly.
cristian
saw things this way
Maintenance
(3)
Cleanliness
(3)
Facilities
(3)
Atmosphere
(2)
Stayed there three times, in 1995, 2004, and August 2006.
The staff at the reception can be very unfriendly and make you feel unwelcome. On my 2nd stay I actually had to ring them because the reception was closed when I arrived: the guy supposed to be in charge was "busy" at the bar! Had a nice surprise last time though, different guy, very polite.
A little run-down + damp and chilly in the winter (near the sea). Hot water in the showers. Guests' kitchen: not much elbow-room to prepare your food, and fridges already fully stacked but you can rent one (it's charge!)!!! Lockers (2 euros each time you close/open them) + laundromat (4 euros to wash and dry, but there's only 1 machine) also available. Nice, large breakfast room and nice enough breakfast (corn flakes and orange juice included, only 2 bread rolls per person). Lots of facilities for volley ball etc and a bar so it can be noisy in the evenings. They often have groups of children staying and part of the premises is a home for disadvantaged youth who get free lodging through social workers, so if you're a woman travelling alone, you can get bothered: just stay in your room!
Dull, 30' walk from the train station.
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(Review ID: 7998)
Cheap and comfortable but evil staff, November 26, 2005
Reviewer:
Nicole
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
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(2)
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(2)
I stayed here in March 2005 and thought it was ok. Nice town and Mont St Michel is a good daytrip. Near a supermarket, beach, and the ferry if u want to go to the Channel Islands. Kinda institutional but at least it was clean, comfortable, and had reasonable bathrooms. I agree with other comments that the kitchen was way too small - get in early to cook dinner! Staff were unfriendly and unhelpful - I left on the day that French time went into daylight-saving and they didn't make much of an effort to tell anyone, just a vague note pinned to a wall that no one noticed and it was written in French only! I know it was vague coz I met a guy there who spoke French and he read it to me! So I missed my train and wasn't very happy!
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(Review ID: 7999)
Only advantage : price, May 20, 2005
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n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(1)
Cleanliness
(1)
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(1)
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(1)
Stayed in this hostel a couple of nights in 1994 and was sorely disappointed (rudeness of the staff at the reception and at breakfast, noise)Stayed again a couple of nights last winter : ditto. That is, staff not so rude, but still came short of what can be expected, plus no one at the reception on arrival, went to the office of the "young workers' home" as indicated, but no one there either, "young workers" not helpful AT ALL (and I'm French, so I speak French, but I guess one has to learn "le parler-banlieue", ie. gutter French, in order to communicate with them).Eventually, after half an hour, found one of the staff, and got myself a room for me alone, because from what I had seen I felt it was out of the question to sleep in a dorm. Even so there was noise in the corridor and in the court till very late in the night. The room was clean, but not heated enough, so it was really cold and humid and I spent part of the night shivering.Self-catering kitchen really too tiny, eating part takes up 3/4 of the room, and thus serves as a waiting lounge for you to sit till you can cook your meal...Apart from the lousy "young workers", lots of schoolgroups, and even groups of adults, who weren't at all on a tight budget and look down on backpackers. So lots of queue at breakfast, then you don't know where to sit, and the room is so noisy you gulp down your breakfast in a hurry in order to leave as soon as possible.Saint-Malo is a beautiful town though, and not cheap. Also a bus stop right in front of the hostel, U can take the morning bus to Cancale and walk back to Saint-Malo on the GR 34, about 28 km, moderate difficulty, and beautiful scenery. Mybe the alternative would be to stay somewhere more expensive, but also better-taste. Or "commute" to Saint-Malo with the car or the train, or stay at a camping site. I'm not going to stay there a 3rd time!
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(Review ID: 8000)
A place you can stand but not more, October 19, 2003
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n/a
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Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
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(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
Even though it was easy to find (location is a little far of the city, but most hotels in Saint Malo are) and its near the shore, near a supermarket and walkable from the train - it was unpleasent. The showers are tiny and you have to keep your clothes not getting wet; no lockers or keys to the rooms at all... its just always open besides 10:00-18:00. The rooms are small and crowded and the beds are short for someone whos over 1.80 meter.The overall feeling is like in a school trip, but thats just not it. The workers attidue sucks;When I arrived, I asked the guy on the reception if the place is as noisy as it seems, so he became med and said: "if you want you can go to other place".One of the girls over the office made some scarey faces to me and acted rudly.After failing to do my laundry (the directions were only in Franch), I asked for an help from another worker, who was upset by that and consisted that there are directions in English. Finally, after pointing that she is very busy and dosent have the time - she camed to the laundry room with me... thanks a lot really. She Sew Everything was in Franch and didnt even apologized.I asked her if my present annoys her, so she laughed and said it isnt.If it wasnt for the bad treatment, I wouldnt mind; but anyway - this place is the best option in the city financly.
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(Review ID: 8001)
Cheap with good facilities.., April 25, 2003
Reviewer:
Sammie
Pros:
n/a
Cons:
n/a
Imported Review
saw things this way
Maintenance
(4)
Cleanliness
(4)
Facilities
(4)
Atmosphere
(4)
I stayed here only one night with some friends of mine.. but, it was a good experience... the location is not bad.. it was only like 12 euros for one night and breakfast was included. They had picnic tables so you could eat outside.. a tennis, court, basketball, court, kitchen.. friendly and helpful staff.. overall good experience. I would recommend staying here.
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(Review ID: 8002)
Typical institutional HI, December 2, 2002
Reviewer:
Pros:
n/a
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n/a
Anonymous
saw things this way
Maintenance
(2)
Cleanliness
(2)
Facilities
(2)
Atmosphere
(2)
This hostel is located a bit out of the action, perhaps twenty minutes walk or so from the walled city center, in a fairly non-descript commercial-residential area. The hostel is conveniently located to public transport, as there is an adjacent bus stop to a line that connects directly with the rail station. The facilities are typical HI in look and feel. The rooms tend to be smallish, with bunk beds and limited space, located in sex-segregated wings. The hostel does have a nicely equipped kitchen for self-catering, as well as a small bar that opens during the evenings. But, for the most part, as do most of the French FUAJ hostels, this one caters more to French school groups than it does to individual backpackers, which puts a damper on the traveler social scene.Given the lack of ambience and its popularity with school groups, this hostel has little to recommend it. But if a hostel is what you require, or all that your budget will allow, this one will do.
Had a nice surprise last time though, different guy, very polite.
A little run-down + damp and chilly in the winter (near the sea). Hot water in the showers. Guests' kitchen: not much elbow-room to prepare your food, and fridges already fully stacked but you can rent one (it's charge!)!!! Lockers (2 euros each time you close/open them) + laundromat (4 euros to wash and dry, but there's only 1 machine) also available. Nice, large breakfast room and nice enough breakfast (corn flakes and orange juice included, only 2 bread rolls per person). Lots of facilities for volley ball etc and a bar so it can be noisy in the evenings. They often have groups of children staying and part of the premises is a home for disadvantaged youth who get free lodging through social workers, so if you're a woman travelling alone, you can get bothered: just stay in your room!
Dull, 30' walk from the train station.
