During my two recent trips to Toronto I stayed at Hostel International Toronto. The hostel, like the city, is super clean. The lobby, commons areas, hallways and bathrooms are all very clean and nice smelling. H.I. Toronto has about three commons: the first floor contains book exchange, billiards, juke box, and public computers; in the cellar is the big tv room (along with the open kitchen and groovy restaurant); the fourth or fifth floor holds the outdoor patio.
Each of the rooms in which I slept were fine. Some of the bedsprings squeaked but not by a great deal and I found the mattresses, complete with crisp linens, comfortable.
There is a fee for everything, though, and it is not always worthwhile. For one, the available computers are unreliable. The Internet disconnects seemingly every four minutes sans known
reason and have to be continually restarted. At $3/hr the only nice thing is that the time can be used throughout your stay as opposed to being used in one sitting. Since there are several outside Internet cafes which charge the same rate, and many of which stay open 24hrs, it is hardly worth wasting one's time using the ones in the hostel. The hostel doesn't offer free breakfast---or coffee!---local calls (some pay phones are on the first floor), towels or luggage storage. Jesus, throw a backpacker a bone, why don't ya!
reason and have to be continually restarted. At $3/hr the only nice thing is that the time can be used throughout your stay as opposed to being used in one sitting. Since there are several outside Internet cafes which charge the same rate, and many of which stay open 24hrs, it is hardly worth wasting one's time using the ones in the hostel. The hostel doesn't offer free breakfast---or coffee!---local calls (some pay phones are on the first floor), towels or luggage storage. Jesus, throw a backpacker a bone, why don't ya!There is a fee for everything. Jesus, throw a backpacker a bone, why don't ya!
One other very queer thing about H.I. Toronto is the big homo flag that hangs in reception, front and center of several smaller country flags. Homosexuality is not a country so the rainbow banner is terribly anachronous among State flags and since the hostel does not bill itself as a "gay hotel" it's even more bemusing to see it there. The only thing that increases the oddity of the situation is the noticeable absence of the Canadian flag (and I couldn't help but notice there was no American flag either). Huh?! Damn, even Canucks are ashamed to fly the Canadian flag.
And they wonder why Americans know so little about them.
HI Toronto
76 Church Street
1.877.848.8737
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