Albatross Hostel

“Love it. This is THE hostel to stay at in Newcastle”

This was the second time I've been here, as I had a good reason to return :) It is the best hostel in Newcastle after all. Lovely staff, nice amenities, clean rooms, comfy beds. And all that at a great price. I guess if I had to complain about anything, I'd pick the toilet paper, which is easily re… more

This was the second time I've been here, as I had a good reason to return :) It is the best hostel in Newcastle after all. Lovely staff, nice amenities, clean rooms, comfy beds. And all that at a great price. I guess if I had to complain about anything, I'd pick the toilet paper, which is easily remedied by bringing my own :P Nothing to break a sweat about. The lounge is also really comfortable, the communal kitchen is roomy has everything one might need for cooking or storage. The other guests were considerate and eclectic, which is what you'd want from a hostel if you're there to meet people. I'm a little oddball myself and still felt like I fit right in. The hostel is also perfectly situated in the city center, with everything you'd want in a walkable distance. Like, everything is less than 5 minutes away. I'm not exaggerating! Anyway, I could go on, but just go and experience it for yourself. I had a wonderful time and felt well looked-after, I'll be definitely recommending this and coming back as soon as I can!

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“Great Location, awesome staff”

Great location, just a few minutes walk from the station. The rooms are basic, but clean. There are storage cupboards in each room, and you can hire a padlock from reception. There is a well equipped kitchen and a couple of lounge areas to hang out. Toilets/showers were again basic, but clean. If… more

Great location, just a few minutes walk from the station. The rooms are basic, but clean. There are storage cupboards in each room, and you can hire a padlock from reception. There is a well equipped kitchen and a couple of lounge areas to hang out. Toilets/showers were again basic, but clean. If you're a light sleeper, you might wish to take some earplugs, particularly at a weekend, as noise bleed is pretty bad. I took unwell on my 2nd night, and the staff on shift couldn't have been more helpful. I can't express my gratitude enough for the empathy and professionalism shown to me, while they also had to deal with a drunk person sneaking in looking for a toilet. All in all, great place for a budget stay, and I'll definitely be back.

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“Quiet on a Friday night”

Stayed on a Friday night in shared female 6 bed room. Only four of us in there and it was a very spacious room, plenty of space for bags etc. No issues with noise either from the street or other people staying and had a good nights sleep. Lockers available in the rooms, but you need your own padloc… more

Stayed on a Friday night in shared female 6 bed room. Only four of us in there and it was a very spacious room, plenty of space for bags etc. No issues with noise either from the street or other people staying and had a good nights sleep. Lockers available in the rooms, but you need your own padlock. Clean toilets and showers along the corridor. Fairly pleasant sitting room and kitchen downstairs. Really helpful and friendly staff. I was able to store my bag all day after I checked out in the morning - was locked away by staff. Thank You!

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“Sorely lacking in basics”

The Albatross is an okay place. The location is fantastic, being very close to the train station and right in the heart of Newcastle; if you can't reach everything you want to see by foot, there's also a metro station nearby. My room was at the back at the building, at the end of a long corridor, a… more

The Albatross is an okay place. The location is fantastic, being very close to the train station and right in the heart of Newcastle; if you can't reach everything you want to see by foot, there's also a metro station nearby. My room was at the back at the building, at the end of a long corridor, and was remarkably quiet; the only sound from outside was seagulls in the morning, and while you could hear other people walking in the building, because there was no one walking past our door this was not much of a disturbance. I also really appreciated not being assigned a bed so I could choose the much more desirable bottom bunk when I arrived at my half-empty dorm room. Unfortunately the facilities are extremely lacking, even in basic amenities. The rooms had absolutely no hooks anywhere, so it was lucky that there were only 3 of us and we could dry towels/hang coats on the bedposts. There is a huge lack of sockets so phone charging needs to be strategic. No individual lamps either which meant I was reading with my phone torch in order not to disturb anyone else. Beds were okay, the linens are some of the more comfortable I've experienced, but the bunks are quite low (I couldn't sit up without hitting my head on the top bunk) and the bed I was in was positioned in such a way that if anyone had been above me, they would have been climbing up and down next to my head. There were lockers in the rooms but they were quite small. There wasn't anything as basic as a bin or a mirror in the room. Toilets and showers were disappointing. The bathrooms are basically just public toilets with no hooks or surfaces to put toiletries on, giving you the feeling that you were brushing your teeth in a public place rather than private accommodation. The one shower that had any hooks in it didn't work – the temperature dial was clearly broken and there was no hot water. None of the other shower stalls had hooks which meant you could either leave your clothes/towel susceptible to theft by hanging it over the door, or collecting water on the floor. Both facilities were also quite a long walk from the room, so bring shower shoes. I only used the kitchen to refill my water bottle so I can't say how well-stocked it was. It was quite big and there was also a common area that always had a few people in it. I didn't have much interaction with staff, though I appreciate there is a 24-hour reception as my train was delayed past 11pm. I didn't need to provide ID or even my surname when I checked in which was questionable, and the guy checking me questioned why I was bothering to read the terms and conditions of my stay before signing them! In the email I received before arrival I was told I'd need £5 cash for a key deposit and £25 cash for a damage deposit, but the damage deposit is apparently only for large groups (this was not communicated), so I ended up carrying way more cash than I needed over the weekend. All in all this was an okay stay for a weekend in Newcastle, but I wouldn't book it again.

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