Portland · USA
Northwest Portland Hostel
Bed bug reports
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Confirmed Google Maps
I really wanted to give this place a higher rating. Really. The location is nice and very accessible. I met some nice guests and had a fun time in the city, and really enjoyed the neighborhood and amenities, like tons of bathrooms and showers, free towels and locks, and the coffee bar. The kitchen was very nice and handy as well. On my first night another guest in my dorm came in later than I did and was talking to her friend who was not staying in our room in a not-2am-friendly volume enough to wake me up. On the second night, three out of four guests were snoring incredibly loud, and the fourth guest would intermittently "shush" them, no avail, because they were sleeping. I also noticed a welt on my arm and found an adult bed bug under my pillow on the same night. The person working the front desk was nowhere to be found, and sounded irritated and was disbelieving at first that I found a bed bug in my bunk. I was refunded and offered laundry compensation, which was nice, except since I paid with a card my refund hasn't been processed yet and I could not find another place to stay in my budget for the last day of my trip so I'm at the airport 19 hours early. My coed dorm room also absolutely reeked of cheap cologne, BO, and most prominently, feet. The bunks are also the LOUDEST things I'd ever slept on, and another guest in my room had things sprawled out on the floor, including a plastic grocery bag of some kind of leftovers or something? And there were chips dumped behind her bed. I KNOW this is probably not a regular occurrence, and hostels are my usual go to when I'm traveling lightly. Unfortunately this was far from the ideal hosteling experience.
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Confirmed Google Maps
Nice hostel. Bathrooms reasonably clean. No bedbugs. The only complaint I have is about the common areas. A few nights I noticed people skyping/talking late at night that were way too loud but you cant fault the hostel for that. Otherwise it was great
HostelPunk native reviews
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Vibe Analysis
The Secret Garden is the standout here: a calm, tucked-away courtyard that can still feel private when the cafe and hostel are busy. It gives Northwest Portland Hostel a real neighborhood feel, not just a bed-and-key setup. Inside, the hostel has an on-site cafe open late, live music, open mic nights, tastings, comedy, fiddling, and other community events. There are 24/7 common areas for working or studying, a full kitchen, laundry, bike parking, luggage storage, and spaces that work well for groups. The location is walkable for NW Portland: 23rd Avenue, Washington Park, Trader Joe's, downtown, restaurants, bars, and transit are all practical from here. The overall mood can be social, creative, and community-rooted, with enough quiet corners for working or hiding from the noise matrix.
Signals to check
- Car parking is street-based or limited, and car break-ins nearby are a real risk.
- Dorm beds do not consistently have privacy curtains, and rooms can run hot, cold, or stuffy.
- Room condition, bathroom and kitchen upkeep, and front-desk warmth can be uneven.
- Breakfast and coffee may cost extra, so budget expectations should be checked before booking.