Alternative Hostel of Old Montreal

The staff were nice and the place serviceable, but I might have enjoyed this more if (A) some jackwad in the room didn't play music on his phone speaker at 2:30 AM, waking me and others up, and (B) I didn't step out of the shower onto a mat that slid out from under me, sending me to the floor, praying I wasn't injured. Next time, I hope to be able to get a Grey Nuns room for my entire stay in Montreal.

Funky and cute. Well located. Friendly staff. I stayed here during the summer, and my bed was just the right temperature. Everything was pretty clean. The bike storage was a bit of a climb, but it's really nice to not have to leave it outside. The common areas are super cozy, and the wifi is decent.I absolutely love this place, and would stay there again.

I stayed in a 10 beds dorm. There was trash in basket next to the bed AND in the locker on arrival!I was given a top bunkbed, 1 meter wide in middle of the dorm. The issue was that there was no barrier on one side! I only noticed at 1am., and there is not staff available at this time (reception closes at 10pm.). It was a very scary night, if I accidentally turn myself during the night on the wrong side, I would fall and probably be very badly hurt. So, I have not been able to close a eyeduring that night.Moreover, the bed was not steady, and every move of me or the person bellow me would shake the bed like crazy.Bed are really close to each other, and there is 2 rooms of 10 bed that are only separated with a piece of furniture that doesn't reach to ceiling, so it's almost a 20 beds dorm. So be prepared for serious snoring contest.The bedsheets, (that you have to put yourself) doesn't feel very clean and it's 2.5$ to rent a towel. And there was nothing to plug my phone at night on the top bed.TLDR: worst dorm experience in Canada, may have been badly injured, have not slept at all, staff didn't care.

I will admit when we first arrived I immediately looked up hotels in the area. BUT im so glad we stayed.We got in late at night and the stairs are not fun. The space could use a few upgrades but everything gets the job done and is cleaned daily.We stayed in the 10 bed room which wasn't too sturdy on the lower beds but heard the upper beds could be a bit warm.The kitchen is very well stocked including pots, pans, bowls, mugs etc and spices. Tefloorin the kitchen is creaky but the sound doesn't seem to travel to the rooms.We were lucky enough have some live music while staying and that was pretty neat.The location can't be beat. Close to everything in Old Montréal. Some street noise of course, but you'll get that no matter where you stay in old Montréal.The staff, in particular Greg are the true gems of this spot. He makes everyone feel welcome and like family. I was lucky enough to bond with about 10 other people as a group and we were all only there 3-5 days.VERY glad we stayed. We had a lot of fun, felt safe and welcomed.

Great spot if you're travelling on a budget and you're a social person. The kitchen is truly fully equipped with all the pans, utensils, and basics like oil and seasoning to cook with.You do have to go up at least 3 flights of stairs to get inside, so it's not ideal for those who have difficulty navigating stairs for a long period of time, or having a ton of luggage (best to pack light!)

Positives1. Excellent location, in Old Montreal. 10 min walk to the ferry to the track. Great restaurants around the corner.2. Room and facilities kept clean. A/C in room worked. Towels provided.3. One of the 3 bathrooms on the floor was quite large and updated. bathrooms were cleaned dailyAreas for improvement1. There was an odor in the room and especially at the shoe rack- expected but maybe some odor absorbers would help.2. No hooks for towels in the bathrooms.Negative1. Rude and judgy staff. I brought slippers to change from my shoes as recommended in the email from the hostel. One afternoon after returning from the Grand Prix I took off my shoes and put on the slippers and walked to the kitchen area for a glass of water. On my way I was stopped by a staff member sitting at a table with others. She look at my slippers and proceeded to ask me what I was doing. I politely requested to get a glass of water to which she responded “You have a water bottle in your bag, why don’t you just drink that?” Then looked at my feet and said, “You can’t wear shoes in here.” It felt like she was going out of her way to single me out. Maybe I don’t look like a typical hostel person or maybe she was just having a bad day, but the tone she had was completely different than the many wonderful and courteous whom I met throughout the weekend. Other staff seem to look you up and down when you walk in and some guy was pretty grumpy all the time.Overall we had another great experience in Montreal. We have stayed in various areas of the city and Old Montreal is by far the best area. Without this staff I would probably have rated the hostel 4-4.5

Value for money. Location is perfect to explore old Montreal. Highly recommend this hostel. Excellent service.

What can I say this place is cool. In an amazing spot in old Port every room, although a bit rustic and sparse for outlets, has been well kept and cleaned, mixture of long-term and short term stays. Decent locker space and clean bathrooms. Staff was great and communicated well. Kitchen space was homey and diverse artistic guests made the vibe.

I am deeply disappointed with my experience at the Auberge Alternative. I had booked a room for my stay in Montreal, but I received an email from the manager, Sebastien, informing me that my reservation had been cancelled due to exceeding the legal limit for tourist accommodation.I find this decision discriminatory and personal, as I have been a regular and loyal customer of the hostel for several years. Furthermore, I feel that the communication of this information could have been better handled in a proactive manner, rather than letting me find out about this situation in an abrupt manner.As a result, I will reconsider my opinion of the Alternative Hostel and will no longer recommend it to anyone I know. This experience really ruined my stay in Montreal and I don't want other travelers to suffer the same unfair treatment.In conclusion, I strongly advise against the Auberge Alternative and invite travelers to choose another establishment for their stay in Montreal.

The staff was very friendly and helpful . Nice ppl staying in my room . Friendly ppl over all. Never stayed at hostel before . Sharing a room with other ppl was new for me ( I do prefer my privacy and solitude ) . Location cant be beat during the day…..but can be noisy at night on the weekends ( not the hostel’s fault ) . You can cook your own meals there ( I personally didn’t ) . I didn’t have to wait for a shower like I thought I would . If the hostel life is for you , I recommend this one . If I were to stay in a hostel in montreal again , it would be this one .