In youth hostel hell

[AtSea1979]

What is this fresh hell? Go to a youth hostel they said, DC will love it.
Currently lay on a bunk bed, in a room with only two bunk beds and a cupboard. Cost as much as a 3-4* star hotel for this dump.
I miss having a kettle in the room, the kitchen is in a different building so I’ve gone to bed thirsty.
It’s so noisy, people are messing about and shouting and screaming, playing some sort of game that warrants lots of cheering every 30 seconds or so, not sure if they are outside or downstairs with the doors/windows open or what but it’s very loud.
AIBU to just get up and go home? 1 DC is asleep, the other doesn’t seem to be.

@MollysMummy2010 I do agree about the Dublin one though. It was pretty awful. But there are also some lovely ones.

Premier inns are £80 or less why on earth didn’t you stay in one them?

£80 a night seems steep, though it's Christmas, so prices likely higher.

I've stayed in them a lot. The standard varies massively across them.

It's fine if you're wild and free. Not so much if you're more accustomed to putting your feet up in front of the tv with a glass of wine.

There's a reason they're called 'youth' hostels. A lot of them have age cut-off points (usually around the 40 mark). I recall being mortally offended when one place questioned my age.....

Worst I experienced really was a threesome going on in an adjacent bunk in my dorm.

Complain to the warden - they should sort the noise out. They'll be a number somewhere (back of the door probably).

You do need to take your own kettle and extension leads though.

I tend to find they are full of a mix of ages. I use them a lot for hiking. But I do much prefer having my own room and if I can booking a section/building out exclusive hire just for the group.

The have put their prices up massively. Often we stay in Travelodges now as it actually works out cheaper. But you do get beds made and free WiFi now.

£80 a night for 3 people you won't find too many hotels for that price. Depending where you are.

I did enjoy my youth hostel stays... when I was 19/20 years old single traveller.

Now with my DC? Only if my house is burned down and my car washed away by an almighty flood! Than I might consider it.

I think they're great, my Dgc love them.

Who talked you into this?

A 2 hour drive isn’t so bad if you feel awake enough. I would either do that or book the closest Premier Inn or Travel Lodge.

I stay in backpacker hotels when I have a bookselling event. Helps keep the cost down. If you're a wuss someone who needs to be comfortable and private, then they are probably not for you.

Oh the Dublin one... the memories!!! Awful place, shared men/women bathrooms/showers, spent a night changing rooms followed by a drunk guy.

I think I have done the full circle... from youth hostels, to 5* hotels and now back to youth hostels with my teen. Mind you, they are not as bad as they used to be, most have ensuite family rooms and you see mostly families and groups of retired people but I suppose that if you are in a popular touristic city you will get a rowdy crowd!

I'm never doing youth hostels again because of the sweaty rubber beds. You will feel terrible in the morning after a sweaty sleepless night. Get a hotel or go home.

Bottler there is no upper age limit for staying in a YHA now.

The worst thing that ever happened to me in one was the Horror of the Busted Drain. I arrived late-ish at night, bit tired, bit tipsy, went to bed vaguely aware there was a Smell but too tired and tipsy to care. When I got up the next morning and sprang brightly out of bed, the floorboard went SQUELCH, water bubbled up from it and the Smell from Hell filled the room. I fled to the shower, feeling very glad indeed I had put my luggage on the other side of the bed, and left as fast as I could. I did point out to the receptionist that there was a busted drain under the floor or some such problem, but she just shrugged. Never went back to that one...

I haven’t even brought my own towels, never mind the kettle! I should have read the small print.
Friends who come a lot with their DC, who enjoy lots of walking etc. I like walking but then coming back to a hot shower and a brew in bed with the remote!

Why are you stopping in a youth hostel when you are only two hours from home?

And no, do not ever ever stay in a youth hostel if there is a cheaper B&B around, it totally defeats the purpose.

Sympathy. Kids will probably love it ( when they look back). You are an adult.
Find a travel lodge or similar.
I hate camping too,

What on earth were you thinking? They are dire. Did you not research it at all? I've stayed in many hostels, but back when I was 19/20. Certainly not as an adult with a child

I'd go home. I couldn't think of nothing worse than staying in a youth hostel with my two children.

We turned up at a travelodge once and it looked so awful we turned round and came straight back home, never mind a youth hostel.

I have stayed in quite a few with my children. Some are in lovely buildings and in special places, but I don't let this fool me anymore. It's all the same grim shit inside.

This will out me but meh. I'm banned from the youth hostel association. For nine years to be precise.

We stayed in a youth hostel years ago, myself, my sister and our 4 DC who all have Autism. Two are very profound / non verbal. The YH wasn't ideal but we were attending a wedding that was taking ace.at the bottom of mount Snowdon 🙄 so our only real option for miles........plus we had our own rooms / accomodation in the grounds seperate from the big house / bunkroom. So pretty good ........until around 1am when we returned to the YH. All sober obviously but merry. They didn't tell us the damn grounds were unlit resulting in about 30 pissed up wedding guests and.us in tow trying to keep the DC safe which could only be likened to herding chickens. Ended with the nephew breaking into the bunkhouse when we were trying to find someone to help us get to our rooms, hooting and wailing like he does and waking everyone up. 😂😂😂

Bil wrote a snottogram when he got back to complain about the stupid set up, no doubt hoping for a refund and got a snooty letter back basically saying we know all about you hooligans and you're banned from the YHA for your raucous behaviour. I felt I slight pang of pride I confess 😂😂😂

EIGHTY POUNDS?!!!
Fuck. That.

Hellholes full of nobheads

I regularly stay in Dublin Youth Hostels, usually in the mixed dorms where there are 12 beds.

It is totally fine.

There's one hostel where you get a little pigeonhole in the wall with your own charge socket and shelf, and once you've wiggled down into bed you can draw a curtain and you're totally private (in your 3 foot by 6 foot space!).

But it isn't suitable for children.

I wonder if the OP is related to the godawful person I met a few weeks ago, who demanded every person in the 12-bed dorm turn their lights out at 7pm, because his children needed to sleep!

@FoamingAtTheUterus
Wear your ban with pride 😁👍🏻

We stayed in a (much recommended) youth hostel for a family wedding in N Yorks.

It was fantastic - just like a hotel- lovely breakfast laid on in the morning, only a handful of people there. It was only the multiple bunk beds in the rooms that gave it away tbh! I can't remember if there were kettles in the room

However, yanbu OP. That sounds pretty awful. I guess it's the Christmas spirit