Capital Comfort Hostel

I stayed for 4 nights at this hostel. I’d consider the stay average. I’d recommend checking out the reviews on
. Most of the reviews you’ll find here are the negative ones. You’ll get a more unbiased view of this hostel at that site because it has many more reviews and because it gives both good and bad experiences.
Pro:
–Pretty cheap rate
–Close to metro/​bus stop/​Bikeshare stands. About 1 mile away from main DC attractions.
–Kitchen
–Really clean. It didn’t smell like bleach like I’ve read from other reviews, but they did clean the whole hostel daily. Maybe other guests don’t like the smell on clean bathrooms?
Neutral:
— Neighborhood is ehh, but definitely not bad. I remember having looked at other reviews and thinking that I was going to get shot at in the middle of the night. It’s not a neighborhood I want to explore as a tourist, but it definitely was fine for sleeping in
— Accommodations are ehh. You get what you pay for. Everything’s clean though
Con:
–Unfriendly/​disorganized staff. I had to stay an extra night. When I asked for an extra night, they claimed that all the rooms were taken. I had to plead them and eventually they let me stay. I ended up staying in my room. Contrasting what they’d told me, the hostel was pretty empty. There was always one bed free and other rooms had vacancies too.
–The hostel’s right next to a night club, which makes it noisy at times.

I booked this hostel for 2 nights during my stay in DC. I was glad that I scored the cheapest rate that I could find in DC ($ 50 + $ 7.25 tax for 2 nights in a 8-​bed mixed-​gender room). The room was okay. The bed was a little uncomfortable, and the shared kitchen and washroom were relatively clean (I expected this; I could not complain about these accommodations for the price that I paid). The hostel has an ideal location. It is only a short walk from the metro/​bus stop, and it is only 2 or 3 bus/​metro rides to many DC attractions (i.e. National Mall, waterfront, zoo, etc.)
PLUSES:
+ cheap rate
+ proximity to metro/​bus stop and DC attractions
MINUSES:
— shady neighborhood
— a bit uncomfortable accommodations
— the place might smell of bleach and detergent
— unfriendly staff

This was by far the worst hostel I have ever stayed in anywhere in the world.
The rooms were hot and not ventilated.
The security and entrance procedures was a little odd.
The bar next door blasted music until 3 am.
The bathrooms were nasty and the shower was busted.
The bed covers did not fit over the twin size plastic mattress.
The towel had blood stains on it.
I saw a fucking mouse in the kitchen.
Thank god I only stayed two nights.
I will pay for an overpriced hotel before ever checking in this place again!

I’ve stayed in hostels before, but my experience with Capital Comfort Hostel left a disgusting taste in my mouth. We reserved a private room in September for a four-​night stay in November. The day we were supposed to check in, we showed up only to find out that they had double booked us. To be more precise, the gentleman behind the counter told us there was an issue, and after waiting around for half an hour he finally communicated to us that they had double booked us. The other employee implored the guy behind the counter to call the manager — he refused and was completely unhelpful. Then this other employee tried to call the manager himself, only to discover that he did not pay his phone bill. He proceeded to pay it over the speakerphone while we waited. After being there for over an hour, we found a hotel on priceline, got our refund, and left. Best decision I ever made. I’m not sure what we would have done if we couldn’t afford to pay for a hotel room, they did not offer us any alternative housing arrangements. The best they could do was stare at the computer screen with a blank look on their faces. This place is a scam and I am ashamed to have ever given them a cent of my money. We never saw a room (or a bed) but based on the dilapidated state of the lobby, I’m very glad that they double booked our room. Maybe there is someone up there looking out for us after all.

Worst hostel experience I’ve ever had. First of all, this place is located in a sketchy part of town, not somewhere you’d want to be as a first time visitor. Once I walked up to the building, I was buzzed in. But once I got inside, there were two doors and I had no idea where to go to check in. I ended up going the wrong way and a staff member found me and took me to the check-​in desk. It took me 30 minutes to get checked in!!! The staff is unprofessional and unorganized. They had no idea where my information was and kept asking me the same questions over and over again. It was ridiculous. The pictures on the website are very deceiving as the place is not very clean or well lit and the bathrooms are small and co-​ed. My room was depressing to say the least. There was a tile missing from the floor in my room and my television only got one channel. I never saw anyone clean anything during my stay and my mattress was terribly uncomfortable. The kitchen is small, not very well equipped at all Not to mention, no free breakfast. Couldn’t wait to get out of there and will NEVER recommend or stay again. The only positive of this place was the proximity to the metro.

Very comfortable hostel for downtown where space is restricted — good open windows for fresh air and great front desk service (from Ali mainly –the other staff seems to be learning or in transition). Very safe, cameras everywhere, haven’t lost anything, have a key to the front door, everyone knows everyone’s names, love it.
Only room for improvement is probably the work-​in-​progress at the front desk and maybe rearranging lockers. Otherwise, this is a nice place to stay — say hi to Ali when you’re there and he’ll make sure you’re well cared for.
VERY SAFE FOR WOMEN, backpackers, interns, tourists… and great location on 7^th in walking distance to everything.

If I could give negative stars, I would. There’s a reason why this place only has one star. The guy who runs the place is a pure asshole. I booked a reservation online a week in advance. I attempted to check in at 3, which is allegedly the check in time. They («staff») told me that «he» wont be back for 45 minutes. I had things to do so I left thinking I could just check in a bit later without an issue. I walk back to the hostel and see two men smoking outside; without a care in the world. I ring the bell numerous times only to find out that the guy that is outside relaxing was the one that was supposed to check me in. I stated that «it would have been nice to check in earlier but it doesnt really matter now.» The guy then told me (while still standing outside) that he «didnt like my attitude» and will not check me in.
He then called DC Police department on me and alleged that I was not welcome. I was then greeted by 4 police officers telling me to leave the property. Not only did I pay a deposit, it was 9 pm at night and was forced to make last minute arrangements; almost ended up on the streets. As Steven said in his review, this place is «disorganized, immoral, unprofessional, and unhelpful.»
I didnt make it to see the room but if the staff is a reflection of the establishment, youre doomed. Also, this place has a policy where they will only take bank cards; no cash at all. They are situated in a shady neighborhood (I used to live near it) and not the best for international visitors.
KEEP YOUR MONEY! Go to DUO Hostel or Hostel International at 11/​K. At those places, you’ll get a friendly staff, clean living space, nicer area, and tons of things to do.
Really…Keep your money.

Our stay at Capital Comfort Hostel began well, but quickly became terrible. The room was a decent size with comfortable beds. The staff, at first, appeared friendly and willing to help and make our stay enjoyable. However, when problems arose we saw how disorganized, immoral, unprofessional and unhelpful the management and ownership actually was. When cleaning was needed, we had to ask the employees to do so, it was never done regularly in the hostel rooms or common areas. The bathrooms were usually dirty. Except for the manager and front desk reception, there were multiple employees hired and fired for cleaning. One firing of an employee was done one night with a lot of arguing and screaming in the hallway of the hostel — extremely unprofessional. In our room was damaged, unusable furniture. We asked multiple times for this to be fixed, however it never was; always being told «someone is coming tomorrow [to fix it].»
Security was also a major concern here. The front door (which you need a key to enter) was routinely left open and sometimes while the front desk was unattended. Some of our property was stolen. We trusted our belongings would be secure. Even though the hostel is in a rough neighborhood, this was completely avoidable. It turned out there was no hard disk installed in the system and therefore no recording of the theft or anything else. If there had been a serious crime or something more important stolen, there would be no footage. The cameras are merely to make you feel safe and to deter people from committing a crime.
To conclude, I would not recommend this hostel to my worst enemy. We received sub-​par service and unprofessionalism throughout the stay. Management was flaky. We did not feel very secure at all because of the front door being left open and the theft of some of our belongings. Management and the owner were of little help in anything other than booking and running our credit card for payment.