HI Boston Hostel

I stayed at HI Boston Hostel in Chinatown for 4 nights during Thanksgiving week and paid a decent total, which is a great deal for Boston. This is definitely one of the more budget-friendly options in the city. Location: The hostel is in Chinatown, which honestly isn’t the cleanest area. A lot of restaurants leave food waste outside, and the surroundings can feel a bit unpleasant. However, the connectivity is excellent — you’re close to SL4 & SL1 bus lines, Boylston (Green Line), and Chinatown (Orange Line) stations. It’s also a short walk to Boston Common and the Freedom Trail entrance. Common Areas & Facilities: This is where the hostel really shines. • There’s a large common lounge with plenty of couches for people to relax. • During Thanksgiving week, they even offered free apple pie and beer, which was a nice festive gesture. • There’s a billiards room, though unfortunately there were no balls available to actually play. • The kitchen area is huge — multiple refrigerators, induction cooktops, utensils, silverware, plates, and everything you need to cook. Guests can easily make their own meals. • Plenty of seating, almost like a canteen-style dining area. • They also have staff who handle dishwashing and keep the shared areas clean. The downside is that breakfast is not included, which many hostels usually offer. Rooms: I stayed in a six-bed bunk room, and it was surprisingly quiet. My roommates were good, and I slept comfortably. But one issue was that the cleaning staff does not clean the rooms daily. One of the roommates kept littering repeatedly, and even after complaining twice, the staff did not clean the room. That was disappointing. Washrooms: The washrooms were very clean, well-maintained, and had hot water consistently. This was a major plus. Extras: Coffee is not free — it’s about $2 for regular hot water-based coffee and $5 for brewed options, which felt slightly overpriced. But free hot water is available, which was helpful in winter. Staff: The staff was overall friendly, helpful, and supportive throughout my stay. ⸻ Overall: For the price you pay, this hostel offers great value — excellent facilities, big common areas, a full kitchen, clean washrooms, and a supportive staff. The main downsides are the Chinatown neighborhood, no free breakfast, and room cleaning not being done despite complaints. But for budget travelers, it’s still a solid choice in Boston.

I really enjoyed my stay at this hostel! The staff were super friendly and helpful from the moment I arrived. I booked an all-female dorm and, since I’m a bit older, asked for a bottom bunk — they happily made it happen. There’s a secure spot to store your luggage before check-in or after check-out, which was really convenient. The elevators worked fine during my stay, unlike what another reviewer mentioned. The showers were clean, though I’d still suggest bringing shower shoes just to be safe. My roommates were all young, quiet Asian women who went to bed early, which was perfect since I had an early flight. If you forget a lock, you can buy one at the front desk. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely stay here again!

Stayed in a mixed gender dorm. Great location and the beds are standard dor beds on a rigid outer spring. Each headboard had a light, charger, and space for a phone. The rooms was extremely narrow; there wasn't space to easily walk past each other. Locks for the lockers were not provided. We brought our own, but they were available at the desk for $8. There seems to be one restroom/shower per dorm room, but they are located in the hall. Clean and decently maintained. No extra pillows were available, but all linens were provided including towels and I got an extra blanket to serve as a pillow. I liked the beanbag room.

I stayed 5 nights in this wonderful hostel. People working here are so nice and fellow guests are also nice to each other. Great culture it has! Highly recommended for the affordable stay in Boston. It will take 20 min to Downtown (Back Bay area) on foot. You may warm up yourself a little bit at night because your room will be cold at night.

No complaints. Bed and locker were comfortable enough and sufficiently private. The location is great, right next to several subway stations. Can recommend even if you’re just looking for a very affordable place to sleep and shower and don’t want to socialize too much.

Muy bien ubicado. Puedes llegar fácilmente en el metro. Las habitaciones son limpias y cómodas a pesar de ser conpartidas. Hay suficientes baños y también permanecen limpios. Las personas que atienden el counter y responden los emails son muy amables. Solo he estado una noche pero todo pinta muy bien !

If you came in tired and was looking for an elevator to get to your 4th floor room, well, you will have to take the stairs up to your room:) This hostel is one of the lager ones right in the middle of the city and next door do Chinatown. There are no shortages of restaurants, bars, and shops within a walking distance. I was put on the 3rd floor and in my room there was a constant gurgling/ boiling sound coming from behind one of the walls right below the ceiling. My earplugs helped some. In fact the hotel was courteous enough to provide free ear plugs at the check-un counter also. The bed was not very comfortable, but I'm not picky about where I sleep (luckily) so that didn't bother me all that much, but the plastic cover enveloping which I didn't was necessary. I noticed not all beds have plastic covers. The mattress cover is really overdue for replacement. It frazzled, undersized, and the plastic corner holders have long lost their elasticity. In the kitchen the cutting knives have the sharpness of a butter knife. And the coffee offering is for a fee. I would probably still give this hostel another chance if I were to return to Boston and hope that I won't deal with the inherent noise and old mattress covers.