OziOziOzi stayed at the Hollywood International Hostel on 03/01/2007 rating: 10 %

When I arrived to check in (up a ridculous number of stairs from a door poorly signposted on the street) I was harassed by who I assume was the manager because a friend who was meeting me in LA and had no other way to contact me dared have the audacity to come in and ask whether I had checked in yet. He threatened as soon as I had taken my key that if she returned to the hostel again that he would throw me out too, using their 'no visitors' policy as his excuse - they had a sign at the top of the stairs saying there were no visitors allowed, and if you wanted to contact someone staying there to come to the office, which was exactly what my friend did!

After I had put my things in my room and made to leave again I was faced with constant scrutiny which made me feel unwelcome at a place I had paid for the right to be, which was particularly strenuous on top of the jetlag (which you would assume all their customers suffer, since being an international visitor is a requisite of recieveing accomodation there). Later that afternoon when I had come back to use the internet before meeting my friend again, the man approached me again, yelling that he was going to thro me out, this time because my friend was waiting outside the door to meet me! It was not until I had been reduced to tears and begging that he allowed me to stay, and each time I came and went he continued to bark commands to not let my friend come in the hostel again.

I know that this was all a subjective experience, but I cannot imagine that the man's manner would have differed for any of his other customers. The other staff that I saw did not make any move to stop his actions, though their manners were much better, simply curt.

The hostel itself was also in terrible shape; my bed consisted of a matress on the floor, the bathoom smelt of urine, toilet doors didn't lock, showers did not sport a change area and their machines were broken.

I suggest you do whatever you need to in order to prevent booking in for this experience.