Maybe I should have been worried from the start. Aloha? In Paris? I don’t get it. Is it Hawaiian themed? It turns out Aloha Eiffel Tower Hostel is a chain but it made me wonder if I was making a good decision.

By far the worst hostel I’ve ever stayed in. If you go to HostelWorld.com and read the description of the place, it doesn’t seem bad. In fact, it seems decent but they leave a lot of things out. In 2007 this hostel had mixed reviews… I always take mixed reviews as a sign that people are picky about things. I decided this would be the best and cheapest place to stay.

This hostel was awful. The check-in experience was fine. I thought it was a bit odd that they only accept cash but that’s not a big deal.

Next came something they don’t advertise on Hostel World or in their description:

You are not allowed inside the hostel from 9 am to 5 pm and the entire area smells like sewage spill.

The staff wasn’t polite about kicking you out either.

This “curfew” made it impossible to make friends inside the hostel. Usually, when you’re in a hostel you mingle and make plans with your hostel mates. However, being forced out made it difficult. Therefore, I made plans. On the first day, my plan was to hit the Eiffel Tower. This hostel prides itself on being near the Eiffel Tower.

I leave the hostel in the morning but realize the Eiffel Tower is about an hour walk away. Since I have 8 hours to kill, I decide the walk is worth it.

The Room

My room was small. That’s not a bad thing though. I shared a room with a Belgian couple, a French Canadian female and another American. Everyone seemed nice. We chatted when we saw each other. However, making plans with my hostel mates wasn’t easy at this place.

I bonded with the French Canadian. She was happy she was here. I asked her if she’s had any rude experiences. She said people were very polite, considering she is also French. She told me the Parisians loved her French Canadian accent.

I was shocked to hear she was having a good time. I say this because everyone I met on the streets greeted me rudely. It did not matter if I tried speaking French or if I was polite. The Parisians came off as actively rude.

Aloha Eiffel Tower Hostel is Still Around!

Today the hostel is more expensive. It’s about $35 per night. The rooms are small, but it looks like they’ve had a makeover. They offer free wi-fi and a luggage room (I don’t use luggage rooms though. I like to know where my luggage is at all times. However, this is more of a personal choice.)

The reviews of this hostel are awful. It appears after 10 years, this hostel has not cleaned up its act.

You can read the reviews here: Reviews of Aloha Hostel Paris France.

Check out my list below for more info on this hostel. To read the last chapter of this story click here and see how my trip does a 180-degree turn for the better.

Let me break it down for you:

• $35 per night

• free wi-fi

• no curfew

• can’t be inside from 9am-5pm

• not really close to the Eiffel tower… 45 min to an hour walk
• rude staff

I do not recommend this hostel. Keep looking.