I don't know why I never thought to look for a hostel to stay in during our spontaneous weekend…read moretrip to Victoria, but thankfully my wife did. When all of my searches kept coming up with $300+ options (USD) and nothing else, I thought we were doomed to pay premium price-gouged tourist prices for our lack of planning, but she happened to stumble upon this charming little place, where our small private room cost us a mere $48 USD! What a savings!
Sure, hostel life isn't for everyone, but my wife and I love it...sometimes even prefer it! For all the "inconveniences" such as sharing a bathroom, or an almost total lack of interior décor, it quickly becomes apparent to the budget traveler that these things are really secondary to the most important facet of travel: simply needed a place to rest your head, and unload your stuff. And that is exactly that Turtle Hostel offers.
If these are all the things you need, Turtle Hostel is going to be a five-star experience for you. My wife was able to book the room as we were driving up towards the ferry to Victoria, after calling to confirm whether or not having our 2-year old son would be an issue in our small private room, to which the owner woman said it wouldn't be, as long as he was relatively quiet (he is). After the room was booked, the owner texted my wife's number back to confirm that the reservation she'd just received was us, and answered many of our questions in real-time, which impressed us both, and helped assuage any concerns we may have had.
We arrived at the hostel between shifts, when no employees were present, but we were texted the door entry code to allow us entry, as well as our room number and directions to it, finding it to be unlocked, and with our room key inside, waiting for us. Yes, the room was quite small, and furnished with only a bed and a small table, but it was exactly what we had expected, and all we needed. The rest of the adorable, rustic house included a communal kitchen, several shared bathrooms on each floor, an upper deck exterior patio, and above all, peace and quiet. We saw a few other patrons over the course of our stay, almost all of them from foreign countries, and all of which were quiet, polite and unassuming. Everything, throughout the house, was clean, orderly, and well-laid out with signage, including the wi-fi password.
When the night shift employee arrived, he collected our cash deposit for the key ($30 CAN, although we only had change for $40, which we gave him), that was promptly returned during our check-out.
Location-wise, it's a relatively 15-20 minute short walk (for us, anyway) to the heart of downtown Victoria, so bear that in mind when booking, but I guarantee there is a snowball's chance in hell you will find ANY accommodations closer than this for under $150 USD, even during the off-season. The glitz and glamor of Victoria fades a little bit this far inward, but is quickly restored in a block or two, so don't let it discourage you.
For all the flak that this hostel seems to catch online, I feel that most of it is misrepresented by travelers whom are not used to, or prepared for, the hostel experience. As I said before, it's not for everyone. But if you're one of those brave, adventurous souls whom, like us, travel for the love of experiencing things that new, exciting, unusual, and occasionally a little dangerous, then places like the Turtle Hostel are just what you are looking for: cheap, clean, and down-to-earth.