Austin · USA
Firehouse Hostel
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Booking.com
When I first went, my locker was already locked, so I couldn't use it
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Confirmed Google Maps
Avoid this place! Bed bugs al over the place! They will bite you while you sleep. Rooms don’t match the pictures posted on the website (they don’t have curtains, fans gets super hot) The staff not really friendly, was talking with the manager and he kept on rudely interrupting all the time. They look at you:” why you come here…” also no social life at all organized by hostel staff. No bar hopping, no social trips nothing at all is offered even for the payment… very odd vibe. Lack of social areas too
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Confirmed Hostelworld
Avoid this place! Bed bugs al over the place! They will bite you while you sleep. Rooms don’t match the pictures posted on the website (they don’t have curtains, fans gets super hot) The staff not really friendly, was talking with the manager and he kept on rudely interrupting all the time. They look at you:” why you come here…” also no social life at all organized by hostel staff. No bar hopping, no social trips nothing at all is offered even for the payment… very odd vibe.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
good location. Great vibes in hostel. Loved the common space. Shower and toilet were decent. I would stay again if I came back to Austin but I did get bit by bed bugs for the first time ever and it was across my neck which wasn’t a fun surprise 😅
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Confirmed Google Maps
Room 201 has bed bugs! I stayed in the top bunk on the right in 201 and was bit all throughout the night. The location is great, the people and staff are nice. But something definitely went wrong here. There was no one at the front to tell about the bed bugs. They didn't answer their phone at the front desk. I had a good stay overall without the bugs. I don't know if I could stay here again specifically because of the bed bugs. Avoid the top bunks!
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Confirmed Booking.com
They have bed bugs it was an absolutely awful experience I want a full refund I had to throw away half of my stuff and destroy my things because the property had bed bugs which I am allergic to not to mention it's a massive health violation someone needs to look into that immediately
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Confirmed Booking.com
I was there 5 hours to sleep and I got bed bugs.
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Confirmed Hostelworld
The bathrooms are disgusting. Three small showers which only have a curtain which doesn't fully close off for your privacy. No shelf either for your toiletries - any towels or clean clothes either have to be put outside on the dirty floor (which also had puddles everyday) or over the top of the shower curtain. Puddles also outside the restroom. I was affected by bed bugs also - over 30 bites in the first 2 days. I have stayed in over 50 hostels in North America/Europe & this is by far the worst
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Confirmed Google Maps
Pros: The staff was dope, super helpful and friendly! Just a great location overall! Cons: I don’t know if there were bed bugs in my room but I got bit up all around my body. Also for some reason our door wouldn’t shut all the way unless you put your back into it so hopefully that gets fixed in the future!
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Confirmed Google Maps
Bedbugs beware!!! They seem to take the proper steps to spray for them monthly but I and another gal still had them. I’ve traveled all over the world and never got them thankfully but was shocked to get them in my home country. Had to fight for a full refund. They basically kicked me out after that instead of changing my room or making other accommodations. This hostel is close to the parties but I’d probably choose somewhere else to be safe. I was in an all girls room.
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Confirmed Google Maps
Bedbugs. That was a nightmare.
HostelPunk native reviews
First-party field notes
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Vibe Analysis
A speakeasy-style bar sits downstairs, with a bookcase-door kind of entrance and a very real effect on the whole building. Firehouse is planted in downtown Austin near 6th Street, bars, clubs, restaurants, and the Capitol, so it works best as a cheap central launchpad for nights out. The tradeoff is not subtle. Music from the bar can run until around 2 a.m., and the bass can shake beds, especially on lower floors. Sleep is a weak bet here unless the plan is to stay out late, crash after last call, and accept a rougher hostel setup. There is a kitchen, Wi-Fi, hot water can be solid, and breakfast or laundry perks may be available. Staff can be kind and helpful, but service is uneven. Rooms can be cramped, dark, hot or over-air-conditioned, with inconsistent curtains, worn mattresses, limited privacy, and little suitcase space. The kitchen is the main shared zone, so the social life can work around nights out or pub crawls, but this is not a big lounge-heavy community hostel.
Signals to check
- Cleanliness is a serious risk: bathrooms, showers, floors, bedding, fans, and room corners can be dirty or moldy.
- Bed bugs or unexplained bites are a recurring risk, including specific bunk and room issues.
- The downstairs bar and 6th Street noise can make sleep before 2 a.m. unrealistic.
- Staff interactions and check-in support can be uneven, from very warm to hostile or disorganized.
- Downtown surroundings and building access may feel unsafe at night; parking can be expensive or awkward.