Generator Hostels - hostel

Thank you Santiago for this warm welcome and good tips to visit around. I felt like at home! The comfort of the bed, the view from the terrace on the eiffel tower and last but not least, the rooftop! All of them make the place unique!

Covid-19 has made life very difficult for all of us in the last few months. Among other things, we had to cancel our family trip by train through Europe with stops in Paris, Southern England and finally London. When we booked the different accommodations last year, there was no sign that we would not be able to start our trip. Therefore we have booked a "non-flexible rate" for all accommodations. Today everything is different... Although every single accommodation might insist on its right that the date can't be postponed, the Generator Hostel in Paris and London are the ONLY ones that does. Everyone else was very courteous and friendly and we were able to move the dates one year into 2021. We also suggested an additional fee, but Generator Hostels was not willing to compromise and points out that there is no entry ban and therefore nothing can be done. Our situation as a family of 5 by train was not addressed. Although Generator Hostels has always been in the right, it is very disappointing that they are the only accommodation during these 2 weeks refusing to change the date. Statements such as "By ensuring we have the on brand team with the passion and local knowledge to make our guests' stays memorable, we put the interests and safety of our guests and customers first." are easy to read on a website... but when it comes to money, you don't seem to care. In these extraordinary times it would have been nice if people could have approached each other, we believe also that this would be more sustainable. However, in 10 day our trip would have been startet... now we are planing our 2021 France/England trip without Generators Hostels

I love the Generator hostel chain; the hostels are always nice and clean, secure, and I personally love that the rooms have en-suites and reasonable sized lockers under the beds (I don’t travel light haha). The Paris Generator hostel is no exception, and is also conveniently located 2 minutes from the Colonel Fabien train station, and a 10 minute walk from the Louis Blanc train station - both of which allow you to easily navigate Paris by train. Unfortunately however, the hostel was absolutely freezing when I visited!! Being an Australian in Europe in late Autumn, I came packed with warm clothes, given the climate was colder than winter back home. The rooms however were so cold that I suspect the hostel had a problem with heating when I visited. In my room, my European roommates (who were much more acclimatized to cold weather than I) told me they’d be sleeping in jackets because they couldn’t get the thermostat working. I asked reception to come up twice to check it, both times being shown how to turn it on to hot. Overnight I slept in a jumper and jacket, like my roommates, freezing. On the second night I went to another member of staff who checked the thermometer and told me the same thing, but thankfully gave me a spare blanket just in case I needed it. Thankfully when I saw this staff member only hours later to provide an update that it was still cold, he moved me to another room, however that room had the exact same issues! I loved Generator Paris but it was so cold in the rooms that I honestly camped out in the lobby for as long as I could before going to my room to sleep. The staff were really accommodating about what I assume was a technical issue with the room heating but it honestly ruined the 4-5 star experience I would have otherwise enjoyed!

From personnel at reception desk, ambiance, restaurant staff and activities scheduled for free by the organization, all I cna say is a big YES I will be back! The location is excellent, extra servicis highly affordable, round-the-clock assistance, everything you need.

So, starting with a positive note, it's a super commercial hostel. Very close to the metro station and the rooms are super clean. The bad things: Super commercial, just like a hotel. I could have booked a 3 or 4 star hotel for the same price but was just looking for a human touch. There are cheaper air bnb's available for cheaper. In my opinion, only stay here of you are looking to stay a hostel that looks like a hotel and has no touch of a hostel, go for it. No uber eats food allowed, even at 3 AM. The staff is the worst! My electric sockets didn't work and never received any help. The breakfast that costs 6.5 Euros is worst than the one probably prisoners get. I am never going to stay here ever again.