Contents: The Atmosphere | The Staff | The Room | The Location | The Price
As you all know, I recently got the chance to experience Hip Hop Hostels’ newest venture… the On The Road Pub! If you don’t know (where were you?!) you can read about it here. As it happens, Hip Hop also owns a hostel that is attached to the pub…
I think you know where I’m going with this.
As I was returning to Paris to visit family who were passing through from Australia(!) I just couldn’t turn down the opportunity to stay in Le Village Hostel, especially after getting a sneak peak of the terrace back in December!
The Atmosphere
Personally, I think Le Village Hostel has the cosiest atmosphere of all the Hip Hop Hostels I’ve visited (not read the reviews? See them all here!). With fairytale lighting and a very bright colour scheme created from all the various international flags displayed, the common area is hipster without even trying to be!
What the common area lacks in space, it makes up for in community. The tables are all placed relatively close together, and it was really beautiful to see how this encouraged so many cross-table discussions between different groups! It really is quite impossible to separate yourself away from the crowd in Le Village hostel, so if you’re looking to make new friends in Paris this is the place to do it!
I mentioned the beautiful terrace at the start of this review, and my photos just can’t do justice to the incredible view of the top of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica from this terrace. Whilst it wasn’t really sitting out weather last week, the thought of sitting outside here with a bottle of wine and new friends in the summer months is more than enough to entice me back!
And finally, nothing does more for atmosphere than a traveller’s pub right next door! I could rave about On The Road all day long so just do me a favour and go see what’s going on. Last week we had pub quizzes, live music… and even a live violinist (who was incredible by the way)! You can spot him in the back of the photo above, along with the fabulous Mario behind the bar!
The Staff
Talking of staff, if you’re looking for a combination of helpful and hilarious reception staff then definitely get yourself checked in to Le Village. The hostel is not too large, which means that the staff really get to know most of the guests really well, especially if you are staying more than just one or two days.
Above is the receptionist desk that is right in front of you as you arrive, making check in super easy! And behind the desk is the beautiful Gabriela (with beautiful hair to match)! I was pretty stressed busy on my last couple of days in Paris and Gabriela was always there with a big smile asking how I was doing. Oh, and her music of choice one day was The Smiths so, you know, extra cool points there.
When Gabriela was off it was usually Daniel behind reception who always went out of his way to help out the guests. A friend I made was hoping to learn French and it was Daniel who helped him sign up for the course and find him all the best information!
And I was lucky enough to get checked in on my first night but the wonderful manager who I had met briefly in December. Straight away we got chatting about our holidays and the Christmas period. If there is one thing that stands out for me with all of the Hip Hop Hostels, it’s that all the staff treat you as old friends and part of the family, even if you barely know them!
The Room
An empty room!! Actually, I got some chatty Mexican roommates about ten minutes after this was taken who I was very sad to see go!
The wonderful thing about my room at Le Village was the space, and also the great condition of the bathroom. The plugs aren’t too easily distributed through the room (I discovered this when I received three Australians with about a hundred items that they needed to charge) but most of the time this wasn’t a problem as there are also charging points in the common room.
It should be said that the wifi is also incredible throughout the building – something I wasn’t expecting at all! To top it off, whilst the other Hip Hop Hostels I’ve experienced only offer lockers in the common areas (for free by the way!), Le Village offers lockers in the room which is incredibly useful! For the ones in the photo above all you need is your own padlock.
The Location
Set smack bang at the entrance to Montmarte, the location of Le Village Hostel is perfect for those who want to be close to the city centre or in the foothills of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Only a ten-minute walk from Gare du Nord and fifteen minutes from Gare de Paris-Est the hostel is easy to find if you are entering Paris by train.
Of course, you know me by now and my dependency on the metro system in cities! The closest metro station to Le Village Hostel is Anvers, and by close I mean literally a 2-minute walk. If you fancy discovering the city on foot, however, you can be at the Louvre or the Notre Dame Cathedral in just 40 minutes.
p.s. if you want to know more about the famous Cathedral I recently published this article: Channeling my inner Esmerelda at the Notre Dame de Paris
The Price
Le Village hostel is exceptionally affordable for a hostel in the centre of Montmartre! With dorms rooms costing in the area of €22 (even on weekends!) you can also grab yourself one of their incredible deals if you are staying three nights or more. Make sure to click here and see what you can save with their hot deals!
As always, my suggestion is to take advantage of booking directly through the hostel.
I would like to thank Le Village Hostel Paris & Hip Hop Hostels for arranging my stay with them, but as always opinions are honest and my own.
I was incredibly sad to leave the Le Village family and can’t wait to see everyone again!
2 comments
I’ve heard that the hostel has mold and the washrooms are really old and dingy (Tripadvisor). Your review seems to say otherwise. Is the area where the hostel is located safe and was it recently renovated? Thanks!
Hi Lola! I didn’t see any mould in the bathrooms in the rooms I’ve stayed in (which have been a four-bed female dorm and an 8-bed mixed). As for safety, the area can be quite dark late at night but it is less than a 5 minute walk from Anver’s metro station so I personally felt okay walking to and from the station, however this is down to personal preference. The hostel is clean and very friendly – I highly suggest it as a place for solo travellers to meet other people as the common room is small and cosy and you have the bar next door – but if you are looking for something more modern you might want to consider Vintage Hostel (just a ten minute walk from Le Village) which has been recently renovated. I find the social atmosphere to be less impressive than Le Village but the facilities are newer 🙂 I hope this helps!
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