371278 2 Location 451090 <p>The guide book describes this hostel as "A tiny, independent hostel with miniature staircases, loft-style rooms and freebies including wifi and bikes".&nbsp; It could have added that the hostel is a LONG way from the centre of town.&nbsp; From the train station you have to catch a Metro to Rond Point du Prado, then catch a number 21 bus to the Obelisque stop, and then walk for about another 5 minutes to find the hostel.&nbsp; Not bad IF all the metro trains and busses run on time, but we found it quite inconvenient since we were there over a weekend and a public holiday.</p><p>The hostel itself is hard to describe without seeing it.&nbsp; The owner-manager (Jean) has taken what would normally be a 4 storey house, ripped out all the walls and floors, and totally remodelled the space.&nbsp; Although its hard to be accurate, we estimate that there are now at least 7 floors crammed into those 4 - including the use of the garage and every corner of the roof and attic.&nbsp; In essence they have reduced the ceiling space by about half in each floor, and created TINY spiral staircases leading up through the house.&nbsp; It is interesting, but can get a little claustrophobic if you aren´t as lucky as we were to get the roof-top apartment with a terrace and great view over the calanques (French equivalent of the fjords - created by the retreating ice of the last Ice Age).&nbsp; Amongst the inconveniences are very few toilets and showers.&nbsp; Although we had a private toilet we had to walk through a dorm room and climb down a ladder to reach the bathroom!&nbsp; Also note that they are very water and energy miserly so expect cold showers...of the 4 nights we were there we had warm water only once.</p><p>It should also be said that this hostel is VERY smoke-filled.&nbsp; The owner-manager and his best friends pretty much camp in th common room/kitchen all day and night surfing the web and smoking non-stop.&nbsp; If you find smoke as uncomfortable as we do then this will really annoy you - especially as it is illegal in France and the guidebooks list the hostel as non-smoking!</p><p>The two Frenchmen are also worth some comments.&nbsp; They are rude, crude, prejudiced and bitter...in short they give life to the negative stereotypes of the worst parts of France.&nbsp; They pass gas at any chance, make wildly inappropriate comments about women, gripe constantly about the large immigrant population of France and generally spend their days in self-inflicted misery.&nbsp; Their current hope is to sell the hostel and move to the Phillipines to open a new one where the "women and fish are fresh...although sometimes the women smell like the fish!" [Direct quote...I kid you not!].&nbsp; When you add their Phillipino manservant into the picture it really is&nbsp;a bit like the French version of Fawlty Towers - could make for a hillarious sitcom!!</p><p>That being said, the prices are VERY reasonable [I think having something to do with the fact that they hate taxes, never once asked for our ID/passports, and never came close to issuing a receipt!] - we&nbsp;paid €35 per room per day with a private toilet (no food included but you do get the use of their kitchen and fridge if you want to make your own).&nbsp; There is internet (in the shape of 3 laptops in the smoky common room) but they have stopped lending out&nbsp;bikes since the guides were printed.&nbsp;</p> 2007-05-09T20:54:41-07:00 570425347 2007-05-07T17:00:00-07:00 0 18 155015 4492808 371278 0 141933 0.0365920473203269 2007-05-03T17:00:00-07:00 Published 15.0 2007-05-09T21:52:21-07:00 92825 0