YHA Reviews 533

Cleaner and more comfortable than the timeshare or any AirBnB I used to visit. Very friendly staff, building and facilities very well maintained. I used to travel staying at YHA when I was younger, and am now really appreciating again the continuity in standard, cleanliness and level of freedom you have with the YHA. It's my preferred way of holiday.

Used the YHA at Pen-y-Pass as a base to climb Snowdon and explore the area. We had a great time, enjoyed breakfast and evening meals, cosy areas to sit and relax and the well-equipped kitchen to self-cater the odd meal

We love YHA and have had loads of great experiences with YHA but we had a really annoying experience when changing our bookings recently because unexpected surgery meant we couldn’t go on holiday when planned.

(Our booking was still over a month away.)

YHA lets you ‘request a change to your booking’ so I did this rather than cancel outright because we like YHA and still wanted to get away but later in the year.

I checked the price and availability for the changes we wanted.

What I didn’t realise was that YHA still charge 20% fee to change a booking which is the same as if you cancel it.

I’m sure it is included in the small print but it seems a total waste of time to ‘request a booking change’ when the fee is exactly the same as cancelling and rebooking yourself.

In the 1wk plus for YHA to action my request the price/availability, which I checked when I put the requests in, significantly changed.

I would have been better to just cancel and rebook myself at the time rather than wait for YHA to do it, spending an hour on the chat unpicking what the new availability was/would cost via an agent.

I strongly recommend YHA makes this clearer or ideally removes or reduces the booking change fee if the booking is more than a month away.

Whilst it may be convenient for some people to have an agent arbitrarily adjust there booking for them I’d be surprised that the majority would be fine with any new price decided at the time you action it as per your ‘dynamic pricing’.

Excellent organisation. Providing first class accommodation.

I stayed at YHA Lee Valley.The room I was given, a hole appeared in the ceiling.Water poured onto me, the floor and my clothes through that hole in the ceiling. Apparently that water came directly from the shower in the room above me.There were cracks in the ceiling and damp patches in the ceiling. The hostel seemed to be unaware of this.
When I spoke to the hard to find hostel manager, she was rude,very rude. Refused to answer any of my questions or engage with me. The hostel overall was shoddy,shabby and unprofessional. It was advertised as having 24 hr recpetion, but this wasnt actually true because they were 'short staffed'. So far YHA Lee Valley has refused to compensate me.
Also the room had a heater with a wheel missing. YHA thinks this is perfectly fine and not important. I have formed the opinion through my experience and my interaction with them, that they are a truly rubbish organization. Do not stay at Lee Valley. It is rubbish. Mostly because the manager of that hostel has made it so.

The manager who interviewed me at the Cheshunt branch in Hertfordshire was very kind, but after her departure, the new management proved to be disappointing. Unfortunately, the new manager made inappropriate comments about a customer disliking me because of my skin color. When I was eventually let go, it led me to believe that it was due to my skin color, which is unacceptable. While the organisation itself is a great company to work for, the management exhibited racist behaviour. I hesitated to leave a review initially, but I felt compelled to share my experience to prevent it from happening to anyone else.

Awfull experience. Member of stuff walked in the room without knocking the door …so embarrassing. But hostel head office only believe on his based on lie statement when he excepted on the spot he made mistake and should have knock the door 1st.
Sooo disappointed and completely waste of time and money … also bed bags there .. will never go again… please avoid…

Great location, lovely atmosphere, very helpful friendly staff. Quiet.

Chester YHA has a fixation with photo-id. I have stayed at many hostels over 40 years sometimes without photo-id and have never been refused but last night Chester YHA turned me out of my pre-booked room and left me no option but to sleep in our car. It was a degrading experience and I am considering giving up my membership. This is the worst treatment I have ever received anywhere from the hospitality sector in the UK or abroad.

My partner and I arrived by car for our pre-booked night for 2 YHA members at Chester YHA. I do not drive but my partner does and has a photo on the driving licence. The booking was in my partner's name and the photo on the driving licence was accepted as valid photo-id. I have no equivalent. I endevoured to satisfy the requirement for id by showing my credit card and my YHA card. We were given the room key but a few minutes later the receptionist appeared and told me to leave the room, while my partner was allowed to stay. The manager had been called and decided my id was to be rejected because there is an obsession with a photo. I said I would oblige and expected a refund. I was told that I would need to phone customer services in the morning and explain the situation to them if I wanted a refund. In disgust I spent a cold night in our car.
In the morning I was told that charging is by room and therefore as one of us occupied the room, no refund is due. This is despite the cost-per-head doubling and the inconvenience and discomfort to myself. There was not a word of regret from Chester YHA ; this is the way their system is supposed to work.

There are million of people in the UK who do not have photo-id, nor is there any requirement by law to have one. These millions are ineligible to stay at Chester YHA regardless of what other forms of id they possess.

Most hotels I stay at do not check id at all, providing you have the booking reference. The YHA could do the same, but doesn't.

The YHA issues membership cards which their own staff routinely sneer at and dismiss as potential forgeries, to the degree that there is no point in issuing these membership cards and presenting one merely makes you the object of derision. There is widespread requirement with photo-id in the YHA, though no database check is made against card details to authenticate them. Rather, YHA staff merely certify that photo-id has been presented. It stands to reason that, since no authentication is carried out, photo-id is inherently no more secure than non-photo-id. This should be apparent to anyone but I mention it only because YHA staff routinely tell me that they recognise only photo-id as anything else is assumed to be a forgery. They ignore that photo-id is just as liable to forgery. Moreover, since there is no authentication, the photo-id provides is no check on criminality or an anything else.

If YHA seriously believed that photo-id provided security, they would incorporate a photo into their own membership card and require staff to check the card details against their database. Instead, YHA have chosen to rely exclusively on unauthenticated photo-id nominally issued by third parties and thereby to marginalise non-drivers and UK nationals who are not passport holders.

As stated above, my experience over many years is that most hostel managers realise the absurdity of the photo-id requirement and tend not to enforce it strictly. However, Chester YHA has a fixation with photo-id and the experience of dealing with staff there was akin to dealing with automata, unamenable to reason. Their mantra is: photo-id, photo-id, photo-id.

This review would merit zero stars but I give it one star to reflect the fact that we were able to transfer our baggage from the car into the room before my partner went to bed, thereby freeing up space on the car's back seat for me to lie on. Otherwise Chester YHA would have had me in the open.

YHA Blacksail and Ennerdale, led by dedicated outdoor professional and assistant manager Anthony, supported by manager Steve, provides an exceptional gateway to the transformative power of adventure in the great outdoors. Anthony's commitment to facilitating meaningful experiences shines through, making every visit a catalyst for personal growth.

In an era dominated by social media's illusions, Anthony ensures that YHA's Ennerdale and Blacksail offer a refreshing escape. By disconnection from mobile internet, Wi-Fi, and mobile phone networks, these havens create a space for genuine connection, teamwork, and reflection—free from the noise of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

The absence of distractions allows for a level playing field where individuals of all ages but particulary yout of limited means can be, whether it's a first night away or the thrill of conquering a mountain. YHA's commitment to affordability makes the Lake District National Park and its enchanting landscapes accessible to everyone.

As a charity, YHA plays a vital role in shaping young lives, welcoming over 425,000 guests under 26 last year alone. Beyond offering affordable stays, the organisation provided 8,000 children facing challenges with free and supported breaks. Supporting YHA means supporting opportunities for discovery and personal development because, as they believe, where you go changes who you become.

We would like to commend Anthony and Steve for their dedication and hard work running not one but two YHA hostels in tandem with limited resources. It’s a challenging and difficult job but they make a success of it.

We previously stayed at the YHA Berwick upon Tweed 2 years ago, which was both cheap and comfortable. We have just phoned up for an overnight stay in April for 2 adults and was quoted £70, this seems largely inflated as we have been quoted £61.99 for the same day at Travelodge. Knowing that we will get a nicer room, tea/coffee making facilities/tv and a nice bed, how do the YHA justify £70 ??. Also 2 years ago YHA accepted dogs - but no more. Very disappointed.

Avoid at all cost , especially if you are foreigners . I booked to lodge in this hostel and I was sharing room with 6 other females . Work brings me to Liverpool hence why I book this YHA Liverpool hostel , I suffer with insomnia and have been on melatonin medication to help me sleep . On my first night I was woken up around 2am by a total stranger standing in my face and swearing at me , asking me to either stop snoring or get out of the room , she called me all sort of names .... I woke up in total fear and shock shaking after the traumatic experience , I went to the reception but there was no one there . I could not return to sleep due to anxiety of this incident . At 6am I dressed up and went to the reception where I meet a staff , I explained the whole situation to him , he told me they will address the issue and apologies . I left for work 6am and returned 9pm to sleep . I asked at the reception if they have called the lady to order , he then told me they cannot address the issue because there was no evidence that the situation occured and there was nothing they can do about it , except if all the people in the
room came to report at the same time in the middle of the night .

Staff were dismissive and did NOTHING to help the situation . If this lady had punched me in the face , they still would not have done anything . The staff were extremely insensitive and racist .

I booked a private room for me & my children at Brecon YHA on 3.11.23 for 7.11.23. YHA took the money straight away but I didn't receive a booking confirmation so I emailed them on 3.11.23 to ask if it had booked & if they could send confirmation. They eventually replied on 6.11.23 asking me to confirm a couple of details, which I did straight away then never heard from them again.

I arrived at Brecon YHA at 7pm with 4 tired children & went into reception where they stated they didn't have a booking for me. I showed them that they'd taken the money from my bank & that I'd sent the email asking for confirmation. The lad on reception went off to call his manager & returned around 20 minutes later.

He said his manager would be here to sort the issue in 10 minutes. I asked if there was a room available as if there wasn't, I needed to drive 2 hours home & would rather head off than wait. He stated that it was 'out of his jurisdiction' to tell me & that his manager 'would only be ten minutes' in quite a stand-off ish way which was unreasonable as I under the circumstances, I had been understanding.

The manager arrived at around 7.45pm & informed me that without a booking confirmation I couldn't stay but could pay for the room again & stay...however... he noticed I had a dog & then informed me that I couldn't stay at all due to said dog.

The YHA promote that they are 'dog friendly & welcome dogs' however, dogs aren't allowed to stay in the hostels & they won't allow dogs to stay in vehicles overnight therefore I was turned away - after wasting my time for an hour - with 4 tired children at 8pm.

I still haven't received a refund & the YHA haven't replied to my complaint. I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.

The positives are a Beautiful location. Friendly helpful staff. Free entry to Abbey.

But hostel is tired and in need of refreshing. Cleaning wasn't great. Room was not cleaned properly whilst I was there. Heating did not work fully had to have all heater on for end one to work. Self catering kitchen also not great. No clear food storage area other than fridges, no bowls, 2 microwaves, but nothing suitable to microwave food in except huge glass bowl. Of all the hostels I have used over years this one is not the usual YHA standards.

Stayed at Langdon Beck with my daughter (aged 10) and this was an awful experience. Firstly the area itself is stunning. It is in the Pennines AONB and the walks and scenery are breath-taking.
We went for 4 nights and it was a last minute booking.
When we arrived, we were told we were the only guests until Tuesday, it is a small hostel and we were placed in a room at the top far corner of the hostel, furthest away from reception.
There were two toilets and showers on this floor. The toilets smelt of urine (badly) and lights were on a timer so halfway through the shower I had to get out and wave at the sensor to turn them back on. My daughter refused to shower because of this.

On Monday, guests arrived and a lone male was given the room next to us, despite there being several other rooms. This made us feel uncomfortable and I had to lock my daughter in the room every time I wanted the loo. On the following night, a group of 5 arrived and these guests were given an onsuite (which they seemed surprised at) something we had not been offered. Another lone male traveller arrived and he was given the room next to us as the other occupant left.
The guest clearly was working as he was getting up at 6:30am and leaving, to return at 6pm, eating food in his room. The walls were so thin we could hear him open can after can of drink and banging around. Several loud calls to his wife and screaming child, friends and more banging around, we finally settled down to a night of wall-vibrating snoring. Then again at 6:30am, banging as he got up and left.
Additionally the group that arrived took over the kitchen and dining area and this felt very intimidating to my 10 year old who just wanted to stay in the room in the evening. She is used to this sort of travel with YHA and through other outdoor/expedition types groups.
I complained to the manager as we were leaving and his response was he was sorry and would have moved us had we asked. He acknowledged that he had not even seen the guest next door to us (probably as he was up and out at the crack of dawn). I was disappointed with this reaction and thought it was really illuminating that a male manager would not consider the personal safety of female guests by placing lone male travellers further away. Rather it was up to me to raise the issue and then for me and my child to be moved.
I am disappointed as YHA in the name suggests it is the Youth Hostel Association yet my daughter was the only young person there. Everyone else was over 40.

All in all, if you are staying for one night and don't mind other people, loud snoring, noisy and smelly toilets, go for it, otherwise there are much nicer B&B's in the area.

Recent stay at Grasmere was a great experience, the staff are friendly and helpful. The building whilst showing its age is a delight and standard of cleanliness was impressive. You can leave your car in carpark and travel on foot or by buses, cuts down on stress. Highly recommended

The staff were friendly and welcoming. Accommodation was clean, comfortable and safe offering a peaceful nights rest. Location was central. All that you expect from a YHA Hostel.

I took out an annual membership with YHA, specifically so I could use the St Pancras Hostel, 5 minutes walk from my office.

A few months later, YHA sold St Pancras, renamed it "Kabannas" and doubled the price. Good one. 👍

I can no longer afford to stay there. YHA refuse to refund the annual membership, despite me highlighting the above, and that there was no way of me knowing that the ownership of St Pancras would change when I originally took out the membership.

"Membership is taken out for the entire network, and we cannot guarantee its use for a single hostel I am afraid and therefore no refund is applicable."

I will be recommending others against taking out an annual membership with YHA.

I am happy to remove this review if I can get my annual membership refunded.

The location & simple warm dry cosy facilities, that help you enjoy your time in the Lake's for longer.

I really enjoyed my 2 night stay at Trafford Hall near Chester. The staff were welcoming, friendly and helpful, the facilities were clean and comfortable and the outdoor space was vast and very lovely! A big field, a wood, an orchard, gardens and lots of outdoor seating. All of this made my stay very peaceful and Chester is a great city to explore nearby.