Bath YMCA - Hostel

This is my second time staying at Bath YMCA, the first time having a room to myself with an en suite bathroom. I like how the location is so convenient to everything in central Bath. The accommodations are comfortable and the staff is friendly and helpful. I highly recommend it for the budget traveler, especially for long term stays. I was there for 12 days.

Although a hostel, it offers single and other private rooms, which was my case. The room was big enough with a few hangers, a chest of drawers, a lamp, an armchair and washbasin. The toilets and showers are shared in sufficient numbers for both sexes. There us a huge kitchen/canteen and a common room.on the ground floor. The staff I met were all smiling and helpful.

The guy manning the reception was lovely, very warm and enthusiastic, and good at staying on top of all the guests checking in and coming to the desk with various queries. There was only 1 other lady in my dorm and she was very quiet so I managed to grab a good night's sleep. I used the small launderette, it's very cheap (£3 if you bring your own washing powder) and it saves you a walk to the laundromat and back (not great when it's cold and damp, especially on the way back). It's only open between noon and 10pm and one of the washing machines was out of order and neither dryer are very 'hard working', I used the 'white' settings and my clothes were still slightly damp after the 40 minutes cycle. However, for the price, I can't complain. I really enjoyed being able to cook an evening meal and although some of the people staying there can be a little too chatty, they usually leave you alone when they realize you're not interesting in 'sharing' etc. I have yet to use the gym, one of my former colleagues used to go there to try and 'hook up' with women in their 30s and 40s, single, divorced, or unhappily married. He was in his 20s and married, but his wife was pregnant, so he claimed he was 'forced' to look elsewhere... I do hope there aren't too many characters like him at that gym, I don't think he was successful though, he moved on to another gym in Bath then got a job in Bristol.