Looks can be deceiving, especially in the case of Young & Happy Hostel.
By the look of the charming little lobby, accompanied by an equally adorable surrounding neighborhood, this hostel seems to be everything you could ask for for a quick stay in Paris. However, quality seems to decrease as the floors rise.
Small and sparse are a few words that come to mind when reminiscing on my Parisian place; very few bathrooms and showers (along with transparent windows!) are found between the incredibly narrow staircases, and faulty wifi and overall service also amplified my ever-increasing disappointment. Moreover, my friends and I had paid ahead for an mixed 4-person room for the three of us; however, when we arrived, we were told that we would have to be split up between two different 4 person bedrooms. If we had known this would have been the case before we had paid for the room, we would have booked stays in cheaper, 8-person mixed rooms; unfortunately, we were told we had no say in this after we had paid. Moreover, wifi is sold for a euro/half hour, 2 euro/one hour, and 3 euro/two hours - but, reception will not tell you that wifi only works in the lounge. I was able to get my money back because my wifi did not work at all, even in the reception area!
When the rest of our traveling friends joined our three person party our second day in, the five of us moved to an 8-person mixed bedroom. This room ended up being a decent size, but had one big set back: the lock for the door was broken. Therefore, we could not enter our room with our own room keys, but instead had to either keep the door propped open when going in and out, or have a receptionist come and let us in to the top-floor room. Needless to say, one thing that is highly valued in any hostel is safety and security.. a faulty door lock, with all of my valuables - not to mention myself! - at risk?! I don't think so!
Besides the simple breakfast buffet that was offered for an hour and a half, I was not very impressed by our accommodations. However, one receptionist was helpful, and allowed me free wifi for a half hour once I finally did get my network diagnostics all figured out. And, the crappy quality did push me to explore the streets of Paris more - can't really complain about that! read more