Halifax Backpackers Hostel

I have booked artists to stay here on numerous occasions and heard nothing but great feedback on their experiences. The place is clean, colorful, and remarkable well maintained by friendly and passionate personnel.
I also frequent the attached café, Alteregos, regularly and am convinced they have the best coffee in town– not to mention delicious food and incredible staff.
In the summer, the Backpackers often have barbecues which are awesome gatherings for weary travelers and locals alike. The location is also prime– in the North End of Metro Halifax– a 15 minute walk to the Waterfront, 5 minute walk to The Commons, and seconds away from public transit connecting visitors to the rest of the HRM and Dartmouth. This is the authentic Halifax experience!

First of all, I’d like to say how nice the people working there are. The many emails we sent back and forth to organize my trip were always friendly. The hostel itself is a pretty cool place. I didn’t really care about the café underneath as it’s not my kind of place. I went in twice, for my check-​in and my check-​out. But, again, people were really nice. The rules are pretty simple and the organisation is so easy to understand that a kid could follow it. Unfortunately, I was in a dorm with two guys who were stupid enough not to understand basic rules of life. I know most of it is not the Hostel’s responsability but having people coming in yelling and smashing doors all over the hostel from midnight to 3 am is the Hostel’s responsibility. If they just took a little bit more care of their clients, they would have gotten 5 stars from me.

Came here during the off-​season. Kinda ratty part of town. Nice staff. Nice bed. Good price.

Had only one overnight stay here. Our group was suppose to arrive after midnight so we called ahead and the person was cool about it. He showed us around the place, albeit in sleepy mode and let us pay when we checked-​out in the morning. I realized later we weren’t given towels, so we ended up using linens in the linen storage for our towels. Overall, the place was clean, solid place to shower and sleep for the night.

In 2001 I was unceremoniously booted out of my house on Christmas Eve. I have no family and I had 20.00; not enough to rent the pithiest motel room. I was looking at possibly getting hurt, beaten… you name it as well as freezing. It was snowing and I was a lone young female with nothing but the ratty coat on my back. I could have met my end if Halifax Backpackers wasn’t there, and open on Christmas Eve.
This hostel most likely, saved my life.

Let me start off by saying that I’ve never stayed at a hostel before. Then let me continue by listing the positive attributes of my one week stay while looking for more permanent accommodations in the city.
— The staff were friendly and helpful.
— The food in the café was good.
— My fellow hostellers were friendly, easygoing people.
— Clean sheets, blankets, and laundry facilities were provided.
And for the negative:
— The building was unbearably hot in the summer weather.
— I was served a meat dish after ordering vegetarian at the café. The waitress didn’t seem to care, but did replace it.
— The showers are gross, wear sandals and don’t touch the walls.
— I understand that it’s a hostel, and they’re inevitable, but I have to say it: BEDBUGS. They do have the special mattress covers, and ask everyone not to use their own bedding, but the bugs are in the walls. I could see the holes that they crawl out of, and my boyfriend and I actually saw four adult bugs during our stay. The wooden bunks are the worst.
I would not stay here again unless I absolutely had to. I can deal with the dirt, the main problem for me was the bugs. If you do stay here, make sure you shove everything you can into the washer and dryer on hot, and freeze everything else for a few weeks.

Great Food, Good Service, Not So Bad for an overnight stay.
Hostel and Backpackers are two very important key words if you are going there for the first time. They definitely cater to travelers who aren’t looking to spend a lot of money for overnight accommodations. But the Backpackers is comfy, small and convenient. The food is freshly made and really, really good. Try their muffins or healthy cookies. Their coffee is fantastic as well and if you are in the mood for a lunch, they do have a limited but good selection at really fair prices. There is a computer with Internet and they do have a free wireless signal. The staff are friendly, relaxed and fun to talk to as well.
I have traveled to many countries. Sometimes I have stayed in fancy hotels, sometimes Hostels. Backpackers does a good job for being a Hostel. I have seen better but not by much and not on the East Coast of Canada. Its a great place to stop over for a night or to just stop on by for lunch. The neighborhood isn’t the best in Halifax and you definitely meet some colorful characters at times. But its safe and close enough to downtown to meet any travelers needs.