YHA Cardiff Central

A warning to anyone considering Bunkhouse Cardiff just to save a few pounds on accommodation. My mate and I were going to the Community Shield game in Cardiff, and hotels for one night were around £300. We therefore chose a hostel to save money on accommodation. Checking in was a nightmare. There is a reception button at the main entrance, but nobody answered it. After someone else helped us with the booking, I was given my room, while my mate, who is male, was assigned a female-only bunk, even though we had specifically booked a mixed dorm. We contacted the hostel staff through WhatsApp, as this seemed to be the only way to reach them. We explained the situation and the mistake they had made with my mate's booking. Their solution was simple, but completely unhelpful: they said they would cancel my mate's booking because the hostel was fully booked. When I asked them to find a better solution, they cancelled my booking as well and blocked our access to the hostel. We never saw a member of staff in person. We were simply left stranded in Cardiff without anywhere to sleep. I have never experienced anything like this before. Never again. If you're considering this place just to save a few pounds, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Spending more on a reliable hotel is worth it rather than risking being left without a roof over your head.

The place is affordable, but every other aspect leaves a lot to be desired. The toilets were ALWAYS dirty, with no cleaning through the time I was there. There is no reception, they rely on a digital key they often forget to send to clients resulting in difficulties accessing the place. Go for it if you need a budget friendly place, but I'd avoid it if you care a lot about service and cleanliness

AVOID at all costs!! Worst hostel I have ever experienced. Not to mention the poor quality of service. Arrived at the hostel and to our assigned room to unmade beds, a literal shit smell coming out and no one to speak to regarding the state it was in. Tried to email the night of and still have had no response over a week later, and booking.com who has been absolutely useless in trying to get refunded for this circus. Save yourself the trouble and go elsewhere.

Despite everything, I felt safe in this place. Homeless people have access to the local to use the bathroom and common areas. Don't expect to find any staff to help with emergencies. I tried to get help via WhatsApp during the early hours of the morning and the person who answered was rude. The hostel entrance is unmarked, so don't try to find it using Google Maps. To help future guests, I'm posting a real photo of the entrance here. Good luck.

Excellent location, comfortable beds (slept through no worries). Met the host who went out of her way to ease the morning too! Fantastic, highly recommended and will stay again! Thank you