HI St. John's City Hostel
HI St. John's City Hostel
8 Gower St, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 1N1 Canada
Full view
View all photos(10)10


Room & Suite (3)
Did you already book this hotel?
Tell us so we can help you plan.
Avg. C$78 /night, 2/16 - 2/17
C$78
per night
C$75
per night
C$71
per night
Feb
Mar
Feb 16
Feb 18
Feb 20
Feb 22
Feb 24
Feb 26
Feb 28
Mar 2
Mar 4
Mar 6
Mar 8
Mar 10
Mar 12
Mar 14
Mar 16
Mar 18
Reflects recent average nightly prices reported by our partners, and may not include estimated taxes or fees. Price at checkout may differ.
Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
#1 of 1 hostel in St. John's
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Charming
Property amenities
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
Non-smoking hotel
Self-serve laundry
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Location
8 Gower St, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 1N1 Canada
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 83 out of 100
83
St. John's Airport
6.5 km•
See all flights
Rental Cars
25 Restaurants
within 0.5 kilometers
Reviews
Traveller rating
- 35
- 17
- 14
- 10
- 8
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
I have been to many HI hostels before. This experience was really no different, save for it being in a smaller town. The check in was chaotic at best. Had a bunk bed in a single room with shared bathroom, bed are comfortable. The hostel is in a an excellent location, but the staff could be more knowledgable.
This stay was standard as far as hostels go.
This stay was standard as far as hostels go.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Travelled with friends
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â The single room we stayed in had a balcony
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.


I holidays in Newfoundland for 10 days October 2012, and stayed in the HI Hostel in St. Johns for some of that time. I was given very roomy accommodation in the Avalon Guesthouse, which is a few doors along from the main office building. Everything was very well kept, and kitchen area was more than adequate, and I was able to keep my food in the refrigerator. The staff went out of their way to help my many queries, and also looked after my gear for a few days when I visited Gros Morne.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2012Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â The steps up to the houses are steep, and there are stairs to the upper floors. You'll need...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can't really get much better for the price. Yes, it's not a typical hostel setup and it does get crowded with only two bathrooms for all 20-odd people, but it's close to downtown and quite clean. Won't find much better elsewhere.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nice hostel located right downtown in St Johns- easy to get to everything :) love the freindly atmosphere! Clean, safe and welcoming
Short walk to grocery store 5 minutes and theres a well equipped kitchen. Also, lots of great restaurants within easy walking distance.
Short walk to grocery store 5 minutes and theres a well equipped kitchen. Also, lots of great restaurants within easy walking distance.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a great friendly place. The staff is awesome the beds are comfortable and everything is clean and cozy. I’ll be back for sure. The staff suggested great spot to visit and invited us to join in their events. Great laughs. Close to everything. Well done.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed two nights last week at City Hostel, 8 Gower Street, in St. John's. Private room w/private bath, facing the back of the building and overlooking the neighbors' gardens, was $58 CAD and an excellent choice for my travel dollars. Free internet, free laundry facilities, common kitchen area, located on a quiet steet at the intersection of Gower and Military. A small grocery store is just a short walk, and I was also able to walk from the hostel's location to Water Street. FYI...The City Hostel's other location at 243 Duckworth Street is closed. Dave, the hostel keeper extraordinaire, was helpful in providing tips for sightseeing, ways to get around and other tourist type info. This was my first experience in a hostel and it was great - I am a 48 yr. old female and did not feel out of place with the other guests. I would definitely stay here again.
Read more
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked to stay here and despite having paid and getting a booking confirmation, on arrival we were told our rooms wasnt available. We were handed some cash and told to go to a different place down the road where they had a private room for us. On arrival at the new place we found the HI Hostel had actually arranged for us to be in a dorm and had in fact lied about the room to get rid of us.
This is possibly the worst service i have ever had in a hostel or hotel anywhere in the world. An absolute disgrace!
This is possibly the worst service i have ever had in a hostel or hotel anywhere in the world. An absolute disgrace!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2012Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I went to St John's for the George St festival and I booked a bed here. I have to say that this is -by far- one of the best hostels I've found in my travels. I stayed in the main building. It was very clean, close to George St (10 min walk) and major amenities. The people that run the hostel are a young crowd from several parts around the world and they were amazing: always giving good advice on local stuff (tours, hikes, restaurants, etc), very friendly and very polite.
If you look for a cheap, simple and fun place to be, this is the one to be. It is a very calm place and extremely well organized.
My only "issue" was that I shared with an old guy that snored a lot, aside that, everything was great.
If you look for a cheap, simple and fun place to be, this is the one to be. It is a very calm place and extremely well organized.
My only "issue" was that I shared with an old guy that snored a lot, aside that, everything was great.
Read more
Date of stay: August 2013Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â The other building has a very nice patio where you can chill out and have a beer with other...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Quite honestly after staying at hostels across the world I was shocked to find this one to be the worst I have ever stayed in.
Upon arrival we were greeted by an extremely rude and uncooperative staff member and told at 6pm that our room wasn't ready yet.
We had booked 2 private rooms for 5 people. The Houston bed private room was acceptable however the the double private room was two single beds, one of which was higher than the other, the bedding was on inside out and had weird stains on it, there was a private bathroom with no door, the shower rail fell off the wall, there were nails sticking out of the wall, it was either in the middle of being painted or damage had been done to the wall and covered up badly, the curtains was a piece of shredded black material. The window wouldn't open whereas the other one wouldn't close properly. The smell of smoke permeated the room from below. There was a broken wardrobe in the corner of the room which was home to a TV with a whole bunch of cables strewn everywhere.
We ended up leaving a day early due to the totally unwelcoming environment.
The common room was a dark windowless experience which i later found out someone actually had to sleep in due to overbookings etc.
There were three staff members that we met, two of whom were lovely but the third was just so rude she totally counteracted the other two.
The location was good and there was a lovely bakery around the corner.
Good point: the shared bathroom was bright, airy and very clean despite there being an abundance of what were presumably staff toiletries everywhere.
Don't waste your time or your money. On a plus note had we not shortened our stay we wouldn't have made it up to the FANASTIC hostel in Trinity where we actually ended up extending out stay!
Upon arrival we were greeted by an extremely rude and uncooperative staff member and told at 6pm that our room wasn't ready yet.
We had booked 2 private rooms for 5 people. The Houston bed private room was acceptable however the the double private room was two single beds, one of which was higher than the other, the bedding was on inside out and had weird stains on it, there was a private bathroom with no door, the shower rail fell off the wall, there were nails sticking out of the wall, it was either in the middle of being painted or damage had been done to the wall and covered up badly, the curtains was a piece of shredded black material. The window wouldn't open whereas the other one wouldn't close properly. The smell of smoke permeated the room from below. There was a broken wardrobe in the corner of the room which was home to a TV with a whole bunch of cables strewn everywhere.
We ended up leaving a day early due to the totally unwelcoming environment.
The common room was a dark windowless experience which i later found out someone actually had to sleep in due to overbookings etc.
There were three staff members that we met, two of whom were lovely but the third was just so rude she totally counteracted the other two.
The location was good and there was a lovely bakery around the corner.
Good point: the shared bathroom was bright, airy and very clean despite there being an abundance of what were presumably staff toiletries everywhere.
Don't waste your time or your money. On a plus note had we not shortened our stay we wouldn't have made it up to the FANASTIC hostel in Trinity where we actually ended up extending out stay!
Read more
Date of stay: May 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I highly recommend the HI-City Hostel. It is quiet, close to downtown, and very clean. The value is unbeatable.
Also, the front staff were awesome. They helped us rent a car when there wasn't one to be found in the entire city.
Also, the front staff were awesome. They helped us rent a car when there wasn't one to be found in the entire city.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2012Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â If you are getting a private double, they do have ensuites. So when you go to book, you can...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes, same happened my first night. They have a mailbox for late check ins for your key, and email you the door code when you book if you'll be arriving late.
"Our private room (room 9) was great- our own bathroom, our own TV, a fan, super affordable!"Read full review
"If you can, book the ensuite room. there didn't seem to be many shared bathrooms."Read full review
PRICE RANGE
C$82 - C$94 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
City Hostel
LOCATION
CanadaNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundlandSt. John'sDowntown
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your ListingHI St. John's City Hostel - UPDATED Prices, Reviews & Photos
Frequently Asked Questions about HI St. John's City Hostel
Which popular attractions are close to HI St. John's City Hostel?
Nearby attractions include Terry Fox Monument (0.3 km), Escape Quest (0.2 km), and Bannerman Park (0.4 km).
What are some restaurants close to HI St. John's City Hostel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Classic Cafe East, Coffee Matters, and The Battery Cafe.
Are there any historical sites close to HI St. John's City Hostel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Signal Hill (1.5 km), Quidi Vidi Battery (2.4 km), and National War Memorial (0.4 km).