First of all, I extended my stay in DC and thought about hosteling. This hostel had a good review and was close to my hotel, Zena, so I booked for my last two nights there. I showed up with my luggage at around 14:00 hrs. and the employee at the front desk didn't even respond to my greetings. Every question I asked went unanswered. Rude to say the least. As soon as I gave him my ID, which he did not request respectfully. He barked: check in is at 3PM!. I responded that even in boutique hotels they cut you some slack. No response. So, I asked if I could leave my luggage there, and again, rude, responded, $5.00 per piece! I asked for my IDs and went back to the Zena and left my luggage there free. The first impression is important and the one I got of this place was terrible with this employee. He argued with me in a few occasions, he's absolutely impolite, and seems not clean and moody. Every request was encountered with a rude response and an argument. Terrible! Seems to hate his job there. When I commented about it with roommates, they all felt the same way. Now, the evening and afternoon employees were very nice and polite! Unfortunately the dark man with the beard that is there in the morning takes all the good and turns it negative. read more

Duo Housing - Same - Hostels Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed my stay at Duo Housing. This was my first US hostel experience (and my first hostel period in 20 years), so I was bracing myself for noisy young backpackers, work, not super hygienic facilities, and I was a bit nervous about safety. Not at all what I found at Duo - the staff were courteous and very helpful, the very nice bathroom and kitchen facilities were clean and well-supplied, and the beds, while no frills, were comfortable, warm and clean. There was a mix of residents, in terms of age (at 40 I was not even the oldest one there!) some were international travelers, others were US visitors to DC, I didn't actually meet or talk to any students. I was only able to stay one night because my driver's license still has my DC address, and they don't allow DMV residents to stay for more than a night at a time (I moved less than a month ago). For the price, this is a great find and will definitely be on my list of places to stay when I have to be in DC for work On my first night checking in, there was an older gentleman on the stoop outside telling everyone trying to get in that this was the worst hostel experience he'd ever had, and I wondered what I was getting myself into. Turns out that guy was the equivalent of a live 1-star Yelp review that Yelp would put in the "not recommended" bin. read more

I wasnt sure what to expect, first accommodations in a hostel but it wasn't too bad. Location 5/5 Walking distance to downtown with plenty of eatries: Mexican restaurant next door, Kush bar (if you're into that) and public transportation. Price/Services 4/5 Friendly staff and straight forward check in process and house rules. Convenient booking via Airbnb and responsive. Much cheaper than the surrounding hotels which go for $250 upward a night. Total cost for 3 days and 2 nights $216. f Bottom double bunk bed and private bath/shower. Be advised a roommate can book at any time..I was concerned about this but it worked out. On my last day, I had a female roommate on a solo trip visiting from Canada. She was sweet and thank God neither of us are crazy lbs. Downside: Only locked door for your room is in the bathroom which was wild imo. I'd advise you bring a door stopper and do not disturb sign as housekeeping does come to clean. Additional bathrooms on each floor and kitchen /common areas with computer and ATM. Moderate noise level & It it was Halloween so ppl were out and about but nothin too loud. Smells like weed sometimes but not in my room thankfully. Lol They have a spacious patio and cooked breakfast from 8:30-10am. Didn't attend either. And they also have 24 front desk assistance if needed. As I left out the first morning there was a man being escorted by the cops off the premises however the cop was tall dark and handsome...he was dreamy so I didn't mind lbss. Overall 4/5 Great stay! Glad I found the spot. read more

See all

I was in the second building so I wasn't provided towels and had to go back and forth. Sink water pressure was abysmal, but the shower was amazing and very hot. Turning on the sink made a very loud groan sound which was annoying throughout the night. Also, there was very little space in the lobby and the room despite my paying extra for basically the more isolated, guest-friendly experience. The man running the counter was also very passive aggressive about my luggage situation despite the email I received stating nothing regarding what he told me. If you're staying here, go to the I or U Street Capsule Hostels. Much friendlier and cozier. read more

The location is right within walking distance of everything you came to DC to see. It was really clean, and the people are super nice and interesting. Imagine more than of a college dorm atmosphere than a hotel and all your expectations will be exceeded. And price can't be beat to stay downtown in a major world capital. Ten stars. read more

The staff was very nice and attentive, but unfortunately the place did not live up to the reviews. There are not enough bathrooms and I would say that's the biggest problem. Plus the bathrooms don't even have hooks or shelves, which makes it a lot harder to get ready. The bedrooms were alright but no secure access so anyone can get in, the lockers are loud and I couldn't even open one to get my bag in. Also got eaten alive by mosquitoes in October, so that sucked too. Otherwise, seemed clean enough, and the location was fantastic. People staying there were your typical hostel crowd. read more

Duo Housing - Rooftop view - Hostels Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'm 100% positive I got scabies from this place. The only explanation is that they don't always wash the bedding between guests. Scabies is transferred by close skin to skin contact and not from sitting fully clothed for a few minutes on a couch or chair. The person that slept in my bed the night before must have had it. Do not stay here. read more

Hello, My experience there was very problematic. I've stayed in hostels all over the world for years now. First of all the staff and location are fantastic,30 feet from a great small grocery store,5 blocks from Whole Foods Market! All the famous sights are not far at all,restaurants all over the area! Now for the not good stuff- I stayed in DUO bldg .2, 2nd floor, room 6A. MAJOR ISSUES- 2nd floor bathroom- One of the shower doors for our shower is gone, so water goes on the bathroom floor,making it slippery.In the shower itself it's also slippery and there's no handles to grab if you slipped. When I put my towel on the chrome towel rack, it came apart making it useless. The plastic towel hook is broken off. The toilet paper holder broke too. On top of all that,after it rained 8/29/24 the roof leaked all night in our room! ...and the dripping water interfered with my sleep 8/29/24. We used the trash bin to catch the water! The next day when I told the 4 pm afternoon manager, he said he was not aware of this. There were no other room options for me and I didn't want to move out,I stayed until 9/2/24. The outdoor patio in the back smells like urine if you sit by the fence on the left. I have been requesting refund for a few weeks now, but my messages and emails to the management are ignored. The employee I talked to on the phone 9/14/2024 offered no apology,empathy,responsibility for the problems,or resolution for my bad experience there. All I requested was a 1 day refund for all these issues. I'll never stay there again and don't recommend anyone else stay there! Joseph USA read more

I was from Alaska and AC the owner made me feel so welcome and it's a very clean place. There's a cute grocery store next store and the employees are wonderful. Highly recommend it you are traveling to washington dc. read more

Incredibly inconsiderate and made my trip a complete hassle. Booked and made the staff aware of my bicycle, and get there around 10pm and am told that I have to completely disassemble my bike to store it inside. because I was unable to I was told I had to store it outside... so the only options were to leave it outside and have it stolen or to get a refund and go figure out another hostel (at 10pm) There are two other nice hostels in the city I'd recommend over these. read more

A trio of stars for Duo. This is the only hostel I've ever stayed in and I suppose others have stayed in far worse. This place does have location going for it though as it's very convenient and just a couple blocks from the metro. I stayed here with two friends for a couple nights, spring break March 2017. I thought the no shoe policy was kind of strange...you have to leave your shoes out in the entryway for all to pass. I remember the front desk attendant was a little too friendly, he ended up wanting to chat for too long and gave us a whole tour. Which was nice, but we really just were looking for a cheap place to crash and weren't interested in the pancake breakfasts or organized activities. We were placed in one of the large bunk rooms in the basement. There was a single full restroom right in the room which would have been super convenient except that it had no running water to speak of. Now, the ugly: ceiling rats! I guess that's commonplace in DC, particularly this neighborhood, but being on the top bunk, mere feet from the rodents... was unbearable. My friend wasn't able to fall asleep at all. If I'm remembering correctly, I believe I left my laptop under my bed sheets while we were out during the day. Which is kind of unbelievable but nothing bad happened to any of our stuff so perhaps the clientele is generally trustworthy? I would not risk it again though. All in all, I would not elect to stay here again but it was adequate for a short stay on a college student budget. read more

This hostel will always hold a special place in my heart. One of those reasons is the chocolate chip pancakes breakfast! The roommates and hostel mates were very sweet and friendly, especially one in particular who found me the easiest to talk to bc I was the only one there who spoke their language... The staff are very friendly and helpful. You can room here for about two weeks max. Ask with the hostel staff for details The location is decent. It might seem scary at first, but it's pretty safe. The only thing I disliked was only having two bathrooms for the entire second building. Also, there is a 10 min limit for showers, but not sure if anyone really follows it. I didn't notice until after I was finished. From the hostel, it was a few blocks to the White House. The hostel itself is set up really nicely. Both buildings have a comfy cozy living room and computers to use the internet. If you are a smoker, you're in luck. There are a lot of nice patio outdoor areas, especially the nice one by the kitchen. If you want to wander the town and you need to check out of your room, they will hold your bags for you. If you don't mind spending extra for a room and you want to book with a bunch of friends, you can get a private suite. It's definitely worth the price if you travel with a group. However, you won't get the full hostel experience and you won't meet as many people this way. I definitely recommend saving your money and mingling with people from around the world. I know where I'll be staying on my next DC trip. Seni hatırlıyorum... read more

See all

The best hostel I've ever been to. Everything is immaculate clean. The bunks are comfortable. The two outside decks are amazing. They have a computer room, kitchen, dining room and a living room with a big screen with streaming services and video games. The staff? THE BEST IN THE F'N WORLD!! I'm looking forward to coming back very soon read more

It's got its quirks. Staff hang out like the guests. Not 100% organized and consistent about the usage of the front door / security protocol. The showers are plenty hot. Cleanliness is about average. There's some slight odor in a few of the rooms and some common areas. Price is very reasonable. Location is not very close to a metro station but still centrally located. read more

Went to DC on a solo trip for a concert (at 9:30) and didn't see the need to spend $200 for a place to crash from after midnight to an early departure. Duo was the perfect answer and cost less than the concert ticket itself. For about $35 for a shared 8 bed room, it gave me a clean, secure, convenient place to sleep for the night. The bed was comfortable enough, but the bunk beds were extremely squeaky if someone moved. I was afraid to try climbing down the bed when i had to go to the bathroom because it would be such a noisy ordeal. $35 for the night, i really am not complaining, just sharing my experience. They even have pancakes in the morning. They also didn't have outlets for the top bunk or a place to store stuff reachable from bed. The other guests really kept to themselves unless you engaged them. Not sure if this is the unwritten rule of hostels, but this is the third one i've stayed at and they all have been that way. Friendly staff, clean conditions, secure entry. i didn't mind the no shoes policy because it kept the place clean especially since it was a rainy day. I wouldn't expect my wife to stay here with me, but on a solo adventure, it worked out great. read more

Duo Housing - I got dibs on top bunk - Hostels Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Horrible experience. My friend tried to book for three of us, we arrived and our booking had disappeared. After ages of hustle and bustle we were told to come back at 3pm to check in. We got there at 3:15 and were told that our beds weren't ready. We were exhausted after arriving at 7am. THEN woke up the next morning with bites, which we were afraid might be bedbugs so we asked for our sheets to be re-washed. We took the sheets off, then came back that night to find our beds were untouched. Our beds were unmade. As we were leaving we asked to use the printer to print off boarding passes, which wasn't allowed. Fuckin bullshit. read more

I have never given an establishment a 1-star review before, but this place earned it. We booked through bookings.com, but found that Duo's policies did not match what was listed on the page. After charging our card, they sent a confirmation email saying that they don't normally accept groups, but would make an exception for us. We were a group of 4 high school seniors and recent grads, plus two old chaperones. After driving 6 hours and arriving in the evening, they refused to admit us because a couple of us were 17 years old. They essentially set us out on the street even though our room was confirmed, bought and paid for. It took two days for the $400+ refund to show up on our credit card. Establishments are welcome to create whatever policies they like, but restrictions should be communicated at the time of booking, and they should comply with their own publicly posted procedures. We wouldn't have booked it if they had communicated their age restriction. As it happened, their failure to do so and callous refusal to work with us when we arrived put us in a huge bind. read more

Rarely give places a 1 star review, but this place deserves it. #1: Only one bathroom on the main sleeping floor, shared between who knows how many guests. If I had to guess, 40+. #2: Said bathroom was disgusting, and was lacking on supplies. #3: The entire sleeping floor smelled heavily of marijuana and smoke. #4: The inside of the building was hotter than the outside, on a 90+ day. #5: The staff seemed incredibly stoned. I'm surprised this guy was even able to function at all. #6: The rooms were dark and dirty, the sheets seemed dirty, and the beds had zero privacy options. #7: The lockers were small and dirty. I got in, got a weird tour, and then got out as quickly as possible. Surprisingly, I actually got a full refund. Ended up finding a local hotel, which was an unexpected expense, but infinitely better than staying at Duo Housing DC. I've also noticed that for some reason Hostelworld won't let me post a negative review about Duo Housing DC. Which would explain their strangely high rating on there, but is also deeply disappointing. I think I'll be avoiding any future bookings through Hostelworld. read more

I personally enjoyed staying at this hostel a lot. Price was decent, free breakfast, free wifi and free towels. Bring your own shampoo and body wash. They have a no-shoe policy which I thought was good - avoid bad smells around the house. Room was located underground, presumably in a modified basement but was well lit and spacious. There are 4 levels in total including the basement, and the whole lot accommodates many people. There are washing machines, iron, water dispenser and snack vending machine in the property. There are 2 common areas - living room and breakfast table. The chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast were delicious, but I wished they had provided some coffee/tea too. Charging outlets are everywhere, my bunk bed alone had 4 ports. Location was good, but HI Youth Hostel has a better location closer to the city attractions. However considering the price and services offered, Duo Housing DC is a better deal. You can get to most of the attractions by walk within half an hour. The path back at night was very well-lit and busy with activities so it's safe for single female travellers. Overall a very good experience, highly recommended. read more

See all

Unbelievable!!!!!!!! Best place in DC. Very friendly staff, clean areas and they keep an eye on security. Worth every minute there. I will miss these guys till I come back again. Kevin B. read more

I rate this joint "CHC" for Crap Hospitality & Common sense! I shack up in hostels when I work down in DC. Most have a 2 week max stay for any given year so I had to move from my fave to Duo. I've stayed at Duo before and dug it so I didn't think I'd have problem Anyways, on the day of check in - July 5, 2017 -I called in the morn to see if I could get a bottom bunk. Yeah sure, I was told - Np we have plenty of bunks the holiday's over - so you can arrive at anytime don't have to be here for the 3pm check in. Cool, I thought, I'll check in after work - which turned out to be midnight because of the smokable substances & alcohol that flowed after work at various bars. The front lobby is portioned off with a glass window of the type you'd find in banks in bad hoods. You don't get past till you've check in through the window. It's a great hood btw. After I hand him my I.D and credit card he informs me that he has to give me a refund because I've already overstayed their 2 week max. I asked why wasn't I informed of that in the morn when I called bec then I could've made other arrangements? He didn't know why. I asked - since it was midnight and I was now homeless if I could just stay the night as I'd also be out bright & early at 8 for work. No I could lose my job if I break the rules. Couldn't an exception be made since the mistake is on your end? I'm sure your boss would understand - after all hostels are all about hospitality & good will to travelers. No sorry. I could see I'd get nowhere. This guy was like some brain dead drone that fell out of the MATRIX to do whatever boss man wound him up to do - with no deviation from the program comrade! Well how about you recommend other hostels for me to try? He agreed to write a few down and while he did that I asked if I could use the bathroom real quick. No sorry you don't have a reservation. I do - you're just not honoring it! Besides I'm no serial killer. I'm a good customer whose already stayed here 2 weeks this year with no problem. Sorry no. I have to be honest - the little dumb Italian Brooklyn Goomba who still resides deep in my head & heart wanted to shout out - Mofo if you don't let me in to use that bathroom I'm gonna piss all over this lobby and then you're gonna mop it all up! But alas society has unfortunately conditioned the wild man inside of me and I had to enjoy such imaginary victory only in my head - the one north of my shoulders. Hey Oh! I hate laying an UNO star rating on DUO because it's a pretty good hostel o/w - well except for the scurry rats in the ceiling downstairs - don't get a top bunk down there! lol. But really the whole hood's infested so just par for the course there. Its a pretty good hostel o/w., but I feel the one star is the only way management will notice the compassionless incompetent SQUARE they have behind the desk - which is doubly sad because this skinny dude with the shaved head is black - but SO SQUARE he should be WHITE! And that was my midnight duel with Duo - before it's Matrix Drone heartlessly tossed Neo homeless into the night. read more

The "rules" change every day. After staying here for 2 weeks, and having a friend come in from out of town to join me, we were informed that there is no check in after midnight. We are not certain if that is true for everyone or only for Black persons. Do not count n consistency of service or to be respected as a customer. read more

They ask people to take off the shoes before entering the house. It is great in a way but when you walk passing the stairs, your socks will become sticky and smell bad, and become kinda of wet. It is dirty. The bathroom 's curtain is broken and dirty. As far as the bedroom. The pillows are all very old and moisturized. The cotton inside of it are twisted into chucks which is very dense ( absorbed the moisture from the air long time with no sunlight). read more

Myself and a group of 3 friends booked a room here this past weekend. We never ended up sleeping there because of the stench that encompasses the entire hostel. You have to take your shoes off and leave them in a room before you entire the living space so I assumed the rest of the rooms would be very clean. Nope. The entire place is pretty gross. The living quarters are reminiscent of army barracks; 12 bunks in a standard size room. Oh, and there are two bathrooms for 24 people so good luck. The sleeping area downstairs (where we had reserved beds) had an even stronger cat piss smell. It was disgusting. We left our bags there while we explored DC and later decided we couldn't sleep there because of the stench. When we went to pick up our bags, the smell was even more pungent; this time, it reeked of Lysol AND cat piss. As if someone had tried to mask the smell with a bunch of chemicals. Suffice to say, we were pretty happy to get out of there. Duo Housing refused us a refund and the worker there acted completely shocked when we told him of the smell. There's no way he couldn't smell it. I'm surprised I didn't see more reviews referencing it. It was atrocious. I'm only rating this 1 star because rating it 0 wasn't an option. Save your money, book a hotel or Airbnb. read more

I've stayed here twice, once for each time I've visited DC from San Diego looking for job opportunities. I think I might have found one this time, btw. Anyway, the beds are cheap and comfortable, I got a bed in a room with I think 12 other beds for $25 a night and slept surprisingly well. It's true there's no electrical outlet near enough to the top bunks for charging but that's a small price to pay for the price of the bed. Besides, is it really that important to have your phone on your pillow next to you all night? You don't need an alarm, you're supposed to be on vacation. Friendly staff, hot showers, a mountain of fresh towels always available, fantastic wifi, even free Netflix on the hostel tv if you don't want to just sit around and watch it on your Ipad like I did. Oh and they have all the latest Game of Thrones on TiVo and free pancakes every morning. If they had free coffee too I think I would just move in here. Oh wait, they do have free coffee. I guess I'll see you when you get there. read more

I stayed here for 5 days during a conference in mid November and it was a great (and cheap) experience. The house was full because of the conference but I was surprised how functional and clean everything was. I'll run through a few points: First, I had stayed at hostels before so the setup was typical: bulk beds, lockers, couches and sofas in living rooms, community bathrooms etc. What's different about this place is that the young owner who was there almost everyday really tried to make the environement friendly to everyone. The staff even threw a bbq every Sunday afternoon (if I remember the day correctly). There was so much food. I felt bad that not many people attended because of the rainy weather and they ended up with tons of leftovers. Most of the staff members were very friendly (I did have reservation about one though I decided to chalk that down to personality and nothing personal). Second, bedrooms: DC got (relatively) cold during my stay but my room was heated well. I did hear that at least another room was slightly too warm at night. They did not change my sheet while I was there but I was told that I could request a change if needed. They changed my pillow case once. My bed was clean. None of my travel companions complained about it. This was actually cleaner than some of the hotels (e.g., New Haven hotel) I've stayed at. Bring your ear plugs if you're a light sleeper. There will be people coming in and out of the room and invariably, someone will snore! Also, as people have mentioned on here, the beds are indeed squeaky. Third, the environment was great. I met a lot of people from all over the world. This was expected, however. Everyone was friendly and open. I ended up grabbing drinks with a few of them for a couple of evenings. Last but not least, one of the most important things to me: bathroom and shower: There was usually a wait on the bathrooms/showers during certain hours but I quickly learned to use them at times when not many people were likely to need them. The facilities were pretty clean and attended by cleaning staff once a day by my observation. Extra feedback: this is not really related to Duo housing. The location downtown was great for attending my conference, just 7-min walk. But staying downtown is expensive if you have to get food locally. And worse, DC really doesn't have good food. I sampled different places (and cuisines) during the course of 5 days and was only semi happy on one occasion when a whole bunch of us went to this relatively fancy restaurant (Zaytinya). I know I'm spoiled living in NYC but well traveled enough to say that DC isn't excatly a place for food lovers. read more

This place has great reviews. Why? Maybe the people who wrote them have not stayed in many hostels. This hostel is pretty horrible to others I've stayed in, both here and abroad in Europe, South America, and Asia, especially given the price of $40/night. First off, we (girlfriend and I) stayed in a "co-ed" dorm room so we wouldn't be seperated. This consisted of 7 guys and her. That's not how you go about making a female feel comfortable. At least we were together, because 7 guys and 1 girl who don't know each other is inexcusable. I The dorms don't have windows. They're grey, depressing rooms jammed with squeaky old bunks. The beds were not super comfortable, but that at least is probably to be expected. The staff is friendly-ish. They guy that greeted us was great, another staffer seemed completely indifferent concerning human interaction, really robotic and unwelcoming, and the third staffer I interacted with was kind of rude. They LOVE rules. No shoes allowed in the building, so everyone leaves theirs in the front room. No food except in designated area. No alcohol after 10pm, one guy actually yelled at my girlfriend and I who were finishing up the bottle of wine we split around 10:05 for still having alcohol. Again, I've never seem these types of rules in another hostel. Stay somewhere else if you can. Hostels International is right up the st. If you can't avoid this place, it's not really that bad. The showers are warm and your stuff will be safe while you venture out. You'll have a bed, and like any other hostel, you'll meet a bunch of (mostly) young travelers. It's best not to make this your first hostel experience. Hostelling is a great way to travel. Usually. read more

Average hostel. Not very friendly for social, party type travellers. Actually, a lot of the people staying there are interns in Washington who are in bed by 9pm and complain about any noise thereafter. The hostel itself offers no organised social activities (expect pancakes in the morning). I have spent years in and out of hostels and this was the first to not have any sort of schedule or activities to inform travellers. Lack of power outlets in the room was a big thumbs down - both myself and my friend were unable to charge devices as there was no outlet near our beds. No shoes policy. Only 2 bathrooms in the entire place for females. Bathrooms clean. read more

Okay so I left the hostel today after staying for 3 days. I will have to say it was a great experience and I had a wonderful time there meeting new people and having a great staff take care of me. I really like the setup here...no shoe policy is good but it leaves the entry way to smell...door should be left open periodically for fresh circulation. The hostel was very clean and have ample space in the dorm like rooms. The kitchen was nice, ample common areas, bathrooms on every floor but main showers are separate. There is privacy using the showers and they are separated by gender. They don't have laundry facilities but a laundry mat is less than 5 minutes away. Walking distance to grocery stores, restaurants and bars are walkable. 10 min walk to Mt. Vernon Metro. They also offer pancakes in the morning and pretty good wi fi. I met some wonderful people from around the world and look forward to another hostel adventure. read more

Duo Housing - Comfy bed - Hostels Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I loved it here! I felt safe, all of the bathrooms were well kept and nice, and the staff are friendly and know what they're doing! So grateful this place was available when I had to leave the first hostel I stayed in. Make sure to check out the rooftop in the first building :) read more

I enjoyed my stay here. If I travel to DC again I would not be opposed to staying here again. The staff was friendly, beds were comfy and the layout was cool. My only problem was with the men's showers, of the three showers, only one worked. This was highly inconvenient having to wait for the one that worked to become available. I would recommend a maintenance check. The Staff tried to fix it but it was not their fault as they are not maintenance/plumbers. read more

Worst hostel! The man at the reception was racist, rude, and snobbish. He made it a very traumatic experience. The rooms had only one charging point that didn't work. Entire hostel had just 2 toilets, one of which didn't work. Stay away from this place! read more

I would recommend staying at Hostelling International up the street. You cannot wear your shoes inside, so the entry-way is a shoe room (i.e. dirty.) They also charge you in advance without notice! Cool staff and decently clean. read more

Upon arriving, you sign something saying you will be charged for any damage you are responsible. They take a credit card from you for such purposes. Trusting everything was on the up and up, I signed it. My first morning, I stepped into the shower and went to close the shower door. The glass door exploded shattered glass all around me. I was trapped in the shower. Another hostel guest heard the explosion and went to get a manager. I flipped the rug over to cover the glass covering the bathroom floor and pulled my dirty clothes back on my unshowered and bleeding body. A young staff member came down and brought me some band aids. I was in shock for a couple hours. I was asked what happened and told I might be charged. I knew I had signed something, but I was still bleeding and in actual medical shock. I told the staff member I would need to know if they were planning on charging me because a large charge would be financially crippling for me and it was a freak accident that I didn't cause and shouldn't be charged for. I was assured that I would be told before I checked out if they intended to charge me. The manager never talked to me. The manager never came to see the bathroom before maintenance cleaned it up. That afternoon as I was still in shock I was trying to figure out what happened, so I googled exploding shower doors. Story after story after story came up. It happens with regular frequency. Some doors have been recalled. Sometimes it is a manufacturing flaw, sometimes an installation flaw, sometimes a maintenance flaw. The tempered glass has been known to explode with no one around. The Consumer Safety Commission is actually tracking these incidents. The next morning, I stopped by the front desk and asked to talk to a manager about the situation. I talked to a staff member about the door and told him about the information I had found. I told him I had been told I might be charged and I wanted to talk to somebody. The staff member told me I wouldn't be charged. Whoever told me that was wrong. Duo doesn't charge people for things that aren't intentionally damaged. I checked in with the staff member again before leaving. I was once again assured I would not be charged and that I was fine good to go. I didn't have to do anything else in order to check out. Two hours later, I got an email from the manager, telling me I had been charged $350 for the damage. I called the hostel and asked to talk to the manager. I was told he was unavailable and I should email him. I emailed him, including many links to stories about the faulty glass doors. He did not return my email. I emailed again including more information and asking for him to call me. He didn't email or call me. I called again. I was again told he was unavailable, but the staff member would leave a message. I have never heard back from this manager. I am still finding small shards of glass embedded in my scalp. I have photos of the incident, that my consultants have agreed are consistent with faulty doors. They never corrected the charge they made to my account or addressed the potential danger of the doors. I am unhappy with what I feel was very dishonest communication and handling by the manager/staff, I am unhappy with paying almost $500 for two nights where I could barely sleep in a dorm room and never even got a shower and still have glass in my head, and I strongly distrust that they corrected the the bathroom doors safely. Beware. read more

By far the worst hostel experience I've ever had. They kicked me out after the first night, with no notice, at 2am. I booked this hostel online for 3 nights, read all the property rules, and was excited to go. I always read all the booking conditions online, so I was surprised to arrive to find a new condition: guests from surrounding states are only allowed to stay one night. I told the man at the front desk at check-in that this was a problem for me, but he assured me that my 3-night reservation would be fine, even though I'm from Maryland. So I spent the first night and then went about my day. I arrived back at the hostel at 2am to find another guest's things in my bed. The other guest and I went to the front desk to sort out the confusion. We were told that the rest of my reservation had been cancelled the day before, and I had to leave because I live in Maryland. This hostel left me without a place to stay at 2 am because they did not disclose their policy about guests from nearby states at the time of booking, and then misled me at check-in. They didn't even have the decency to call or email me to let me know what they had done. It's a shameful way to do business. read more

I actually used to work here, but I also stayed here before I got hired. If you are looking for cheap prices and enjoy a hostel feeling this is a decent place to stay. The atmosphere is like a home, because they have a full kitchen with outside deck area, upstairs couches along with a large living room and TV in the main lobby area. The staff are helpful and friendly. Take it from me, because part of my job after cleaning everything thoroughly and checking people in was to hang out and get to know the residents. Also, when off duty the staff will actually go out with residents and take groups and show them the cool night life. It is close to the multiple metro stops, restaurants, markets (one right next door!), Chinatown and about a 15-20 minute walk to the Washington Mall area. Not too bad if you enjoy a good walk, but like I said it is only a 6 minute walk to a metro that will take you to the Washington Mall area. All in all it's a good choice if you want to save money and meet new people. You will likely have a great time, because you will get to meet all sorts of travelers and might even make some new life long friends! TIP!: If you are looking for a more private room, there is a 4 bunk room downstairs. You will have to buy all four bunks to make it private OR consider traveling in a group of 4 try to book all four of those specific bunks. That way you get the room all to yourself. The other rooms have 8 to 12 bunks. read more

This hostel was a very enjoyable stay. It enabled myself to meet other travellers due to the culture and vibe of the hostel. The environment was clean and well maintained. The male showers were in a shared room which is kinda inconvenient, and a couple of the showers knobs were broken. The wifi didn't work. The pancakes were perfectly made and was all you can eat. All in all, 4/5 as the community and culture made up for the down falls of the hostel. read more

Stayed at Duo housing just as the corona virus hit big time. I think the GM, AZ handled it well being that this was such an unprecedented situation. He has a great management style, very patient and personable. He accommodates guests when he can and keeps things from getting out of hand with a few good rules which he takes seriously and you should too! it is really nice to have pancakes and coffee each morning but he did not hesitate putting that on hold for health reasons. I want to give a thumbs up to the house keeping staff as I love clean. They are also very nice and friendly , helpful. The volunteers are international and do their best to help. I thought that folks did a good job of getting along being such a stressful time. I was happy with my bunk mates. Many of us stuck here and thrown completely of course. There is another quieter house next door which is also a good choice. I totally appreciate them staying open and providing us with a roof when it was most needed. Thank you Duo. read more

Now I remember why I hate hostels. I stayed at several in Europe, and this one manages to combine everything that was awful about each of those. Squeaky beds. Snoring roommate, to which the only logical responses are noise-canceling headphones or shaking their bed "inadvertently." Or both. Unbelievably rude staff. The chick working the night shift on June 26 complained very loudly that I forgot to take off my shoes. She then glared at me and stared me down as I walked in again, to make sure I had taken them off. On the day of my checkout, the staff member lectured me about how to return my sheets. Not in a friendly or cooperative way, but in a scolding, paternal way. The guy who showed me around on the first day made me walk up to the third floor and look out at multiple porches I never planned to use, this while I was carrying a heavy backpack. No common decency! read more

It's everything you want from a hostel: great location, friendly staff, fast wifi, free breakfast, fun neighbors. The no-shoes policy is odd, but makes the place feel a bit more like home read more