Anyone stayed in a YHA family room?

[ThatllDoPig]

I didn't know they did family rooms but apparently so, and quite a bargain, just wondered what they are like if anyone has stayed in one?

We stayed in a 5 bed room (can't remember if it was called a family room or not) last year with our kids, then aged 4 and 2. It was fine - felt like a bit of an adventure. Accomodation was basic, but clean and we had a shower and loo just next door. Good evening meals/breakfasts too. I think it was about £70 for the five of us in July.

Thanks walrus sounds good. which one did you stay in? I'm finding it difficult on their website to discover which ones have the family rooms.

We have stayed in them and TBH they vary hugely in quality. Some (esp lakedistrict and rural areas) have been lovely, others (London) have been downright grubby and in one (St Pauls) we didn't even feel safe as security was poor.

Overall, as a family of five we find it cheaper and nicer to stay in Premier Inns even taking into account the fact that we need two rooms......

We use Tesco vouchers, makes it very cheap. Generally stay Premier Inn in cities though, but in the country some fabulous locations where ou can walk fm the door.

Love the YHAs at Ilam, Kington,Coniston Coppermines, Eskdale, Derwentwater (independent now). ...

Scotland hostels are even better as well!

Thanks. We would be looking at the lake district ones I think. Didn't realise you can use Tesco vouchers!

We've stayed in several, and, like hostels, they vary enormously depending on the building. We've stayed in the cramped to the roomy, tbh, but when I'm just sleeping there for 3 nights or so, I don't mind if there's not a huge amount of room - you have the communal kitchens and the lounges to sit in, you only need to sleep in the room, which is an advantage over somewhere like a Premier Inn I'd have thought.

Borrowdale is fab too.
Buttermere is great location and nice hostel, but we had a disappointingly small and cramped room, but that might just have been because it was summer and the place was jam-packed.
(Coppermines is a very basic hostel, but the location is incredible.)
Oh, yes and Wastwater is incredible listed building in a stunning part of the county.

They sometimes but restrictions on use of Tesco vouchers, and you have to check with the individual hostel. Last time they said minimum of 3 night stay with vouchers.

Hi, We were at Lands End - great location, but sounds like not quite what you're after!

Yes, we've stayed in quite a few - the actual 'bedroom' accommodation can be quite basic but always perfectly acceptable and the advantages are the excellent location and the opportunity to meet like minded people - we've always had a great time - just don't go expecting luxury .

Tenby is great - an ex milatary base and we had en-suite rooms (officers accommodation ). Fabulous location.

Yes, they are not the cheapest option for a city, but good in other locations.Alsot have the advantage that you can cook, play board games etc... Sometimes your kids will meet others. And if you get your kids to sleep you can sit up drinking in the common room rather than whispering in a hotel bedroom .

Have stayed in the one near Ironbridge, a bizarre one near stone henge and one on the Sussex coast (sorry, having a brain fart re: place names, will look them up if any one is interested).

We've stayed in quite a few in England & Scotland.

Bogglehole (near Robin Hoods Bay) - fantastic YH & Family room. Basic but clean, food amazing, right on beach, but not an en suite (this doen't bother us)

Boswinger (South Cornwall) - lovely small YH, Food fab, 5 mins from glorious beach, no en suite.

Straford Upon Avon - massive YH, not as personal as the others but great facilities, food and en suite.

Scotalnd - We went to Stirling and stayed in YH there. It is a huge hostel and not very personal but right in the middle of the city, just next to the castle, with en suite and the breakfast was awesome.

We couldn't get into the YH in Edinburgh as the Fringe was on, and we ended up in Travelogde. It was awful. It was actually cheaper than a YH but it was scruffy, unfriendly and food was plastic.

We LOVE youth hostelling. We usually get a family room even though there are only 3 of us - one big bonus for us is the other familys from all over the world. DS loves it. He spent 3 hours teaching 2 spanish boys to play cricket!

We stayed in the Grasmere one - it was 4 bunkbeds and I felt at £68 plus extra for towels and breakfast it wasn't that cheap to be honest. However it is within walking distance of Grasmere which was nice.

There were two buildings and we weren't in the main one so we couldn't have left DS to have a drink or sit in the common room.

We stayed in a newly built YH in Oxford three years ago. The family room was compact, functional, clean and safe, with two lots of bunk beds (DS was 3 at the time and had to be kept off the top bunks!). Breakfast in the cafeteria was good. The only downside was that (I guess because it was Oxford) the hostel was full of groups of foreign teens attending language schools, who ran riot up and down the corridors until well after midnight every night, with no adults seemingly in charge of them - not great for keeping a toddler asleep, and not that relaxing for us... Apart from that, we're interested in staying in a YH again, just haven't managed to match up holiday venues and YH locations since.

There are 6 of us do we decided to try one in London during Feb half term this year. It was perfect for what we needed and much much cheaper than having 2 rooms in a chain hotel. It was also within walking distance of where we wanted to be and tube lines. Only disadvantage was no parking but it was central London and less than £20 pppn!