Hostel Alma & Cafe Express
Hostel Alma & Cafe Express descritpion
Just 350 feet from Dover Priory Railway Station, Hostel Alma & Cafe Express is a mile from Dover Ferry Port. The hostel offers free Wi-Fi and a guest kitchen.
The colourful rooms at Hostel Alma feature beds with fresh linens and Orthopaedic mattresses. All rooms have a private bathroom, a large flat-screen TV and a folding work desk.
Light continental options are served daily in Cafe Express. There is also a shared kitchen with a microwave and refrigerator.
With a central location in historical Dover, Alma Hostel and Cafe Express is a 10-minute walk from the Marine Parade and Dover Harbour. Dover Castle can be reached in 15 minutes’ walk.
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Facilities of Hostel Alma & Cafe Express
Pets ：Pets are not allowed.
Food & Drink ：Restaurant
Internet ：Free!WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.
Parking ：Free!Free public parking is available at a location nearby (reservation is not needed).
Services ：Baggage Storage | Laundry | Ironing Service | Fax/Photocopying
General ：Non-smoking Rooms | Heating | All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)
Reviews for Hostel Alma & Cafe Express
Review 1：It had mould on the walls. It smelt very bad the bathroom door was cut in half Had a very eerie and demonic atmosphere
Review 2：It was over the road from a petrol station
Review 3：The map shows the hostel amla and cafe at wrong place. At first it was hard for me to find location and when i called the place, staff was rude.
Review 4：Its actually good that the location is only 2 minute walk from dover priory station and facilities were good too.
Review 5：It was cold and noisy all night.
Review 6：Window was not closed the wind came in to the room and the noise from the road. In the bathroom the heating was not work so we could not take a shower.
Review 7：It was impossible to close the Window of our room ! With 2 degrees outside !! Not acceptable at all. The manager was super unpleasant and the room and the hallway had very bad smell !!
Review 8：Nothing ! The manager was horrible ! Not commercial at all.
Review 9：I tried not to be shocked by the run down façade of the "hostel" - pretty challenging. The inside smelt damp and musty, the sheets were damp and cold, the radiator in my room (10) did not heat, nor did the towel rad in the bathroom. No toilet paper either. In the light of the morning I discovered stains on the sheet. Breakfast supposed to be served between 8.00 and 9.00 - however no one present to make it, serve it or indeed even greet the guests. Apparently "free wifi" included, it would have been easy with an access code but it was not provided anywhere. Altogether a shocking experience, the worst £40 ever spent on accommodation.
Review 10：We were locked in our room at the morning - without any chance to call anyone due to broken electronic-lock-door. And we missed breakfast closely (just 1 minute), since housekeeper told us the wrong breakfast time. Even thought we had been told wrong breakfast time, we would have be at breakfast on time, if we hadn´t been locked in our room at morning. That was totally mistake of housekeeper and hostel. But we neither got our already paid food nor any kind of apology.
Review 11：I discourage anyone from going to this hostel. I have to point all the disadvantages so that you think twice when you consider booking a room there: - they do not reply to phone calls - I tried to call them ca. 10 time before I went there (I started calling them a week before the trip during check-in hours as well as "normal" hours) and the phone was picked up only once (the man who picked up the phone told me to write an e-mail which they didn't reply to) - they do not reply to e-mails - they just send semi-automatic e-mails with the door codes - inform you that there is free parking but when you arrive after check-in hours, there is no one to direct you to the parking so you have to search for the parking spot on the street (I don't even believe there is a free parking) - there was no water during the night when we stayed at the hotel - he couldn't use a shower after a busy weekend and before a long trip to Europe - the building is claustrophobic - the stairway upstairs when you enter the hostel is so narrow that we had trouble getting to our room with our luggage on us (1 normal bag and a backpack for one person) - the TWIN room we booked was SUPERSMALL - something around 3m x 3m. the bathroom was proportionally small as well (supersmall sink etc.)
Review 12：Only the price was low which was a good thing but even then, some standards should be preserved.
Review 13：Dirty, no curtains or blind, street lights shining through window! Stair lights intermittent very dangerous! On street parking, car got vandalised ... Apparently this happens regularly.. Beware...
Review 14：People were friendly.
Review 15：Key pad door didn't work. Couldn't get in. 2 hours to contact someone on the phone. No good when you have an early start in the morning. Room was in the loft. No room to swing a cat. Would not recommend
Review 16：Room absolutely stank of mould / damp. Husband couldnt sleep cause it smelled so bad . Bedsheets were damp also. Had to try sleep on top of covers with our jackets over us.
Review 17：Close to ferry point is the only good thing to say about this.
Review 18：could not get the WFI to work, this may be my androud not being compatable room small but ok for my needs stairs very steep and narrow, not a problem for me as had back pack. Large cases may be difficult
Review 19：breakfast was good reception friendly room clean
Review 20：not easy to check-in / very small room / tv signal very bad... couldnt watch TV / No Wifi signal.. couldn't work while on a business trip / had to leave in the middle of the night because it was so noisy, and found another hotel in Dover.
Review 21：close to the centre - but on a very busy road leading to the Ferry terminal - Traffic all day and night
Review 22：Breakfast is from 8 to 9 am only (usually there are longer breakfast periods as far as we have experienced in other hotels). This was not explained in the booking.com hotel description, while staff not very kindly insisted it was on their public website (which you usually don't look at when using booking.com). We had to leave the hotel before 8 so no breakfast for us.
Review 23：Best price to just spend one night in Dover. Rooms are basic but very functional. There is a petrol station with a small shop across the street so you can supply yourself when arriving at night. There is a public kitchen downstairs where you can boil water and make tea / coffee around the clock. Neutral: We had known about the hotel having narrow stairs, corridors and rooms, so it was no problem for us and we could arrange with that.
Review 24：wifi not working only on ground floor so if your 1st 2nd or 3rd forget it. lock on door unsafe blinds didnt work no free parking had to park at the road behind no good for bad health. breakfast boiled eggs ouit of the fridge cooked the night before. very sloppy management.
Review 25：the bed was confetable
Review 26：The rooms could do with a repainting, the bathrooms grout needs a good clean it replacing as does the sealent I the bathroom. Blinds were dirty and discoloured.window would not close properly.
Review 27：Totally fine for an overnight stay.
Review 28：Staff could only barely speak English, no space in the room, minute bathroom, shabby looking exterior nearly prompted us to leave without checking inside in spite of having pre-paid.
Review 29：Convenient to the port and town centre, clean enough, cheap
Review 30：Check-in only available after 3pm and there is no one around to help you, it is literally closed. My room was on the attic and it was really shabby. The toilet was ridiculously small.
Review 31：The mattress was surprisingly better than expected. The staff was kind and respectful.
Review 32：The place looks dilapidated from outside. Narrow stairs and no reception.
Review 33：It is very close to the station and walkable distance to the seafront and dover castle. Decent value for money with very basic facilities.
Review 34：Rooms have minimal room to move about. Just enough to stand. Beds and floor smelt horrendously. And the toilet was too small.
Review 35：The gentleman working made us toast and tea/coffee despite their terrible taste
Review 36：It was fine for our short stop over in Dover before catching an early ferry. It wasn't over comfortable, but it was clean and the location was nice.
Review 37：Rooms not cleaned very well. Small room. window filthy. Felt like cafe/breakfast room was not clean which put us off a bit. Just think it all needs a thorough clean.
Review 38：Location, helpful owner. Clean shower room.
Review 39：The room was a little small but fine for an over night stay.
Review 40：The man who checked us in was really helpful. When we told him we would be leaving for the ferry terminal before breakfast he brought us some bread, butter and jam to make toast in the communal kitchen. The free tea, coffee and biscuits were great too. Perfect for an overnight stay before catching the ferry.
Review 41：Proprietor's disagreeable manner. Difficult entry with outside door and bedroom door due to need to use code on lock requiring swift input in often dim light. Steep, narrow and dark stairs. Meagre breakfast. Overall dreariness. Dispiriting experience
Review 42：Convenient location, very good wifi. Availability of tea-making facilities. Good coffee at breakfast.
Review 43：Both the room and the bathroom were very, very small - no place to put anything. Also the stairs were dangerously steep and narrow.
Review 44：The son of the couple managing the hostel, was very helpful when I experienced some problems in order to get on to the Internet. The lady of the house was one of the most helpful and friendly we encountered during our holidays in Britain.
Review 45：It had a very run down feel with broken glass at front door u wouldn't walk off street and book in it looked to be honest pretty rough plus steep stairs and small room but it was still good value and clean and guy running it welcoming and hard working plus nice chap for that reason I would stay again but it needs an upgrade bad
Review 46：Guy running it was genuine and helpful for the money we paid it was deff good value and good location
Review 47：The hostel was extremely damp, so much so our clothers that were hanging up were damp in the morning. The walls were very thin so you could hear everyone in the other rooms. Staff were very rude.
Review 48：The location was very close to the town centre.
Review 49：Couldn't sleep coz of the traffic noise outside.. There was dust in the room that made me sneeze a lot.. There was no kittle/coffee/tea in the room, you have to go to the kitchen to help yourself to coffee, tea and biscuits.. To some ppl that's fine, but I didn't like that..
Review 50：the hostel is very close to town and to the sea front.. They have Good prices/offers..
Review 51：The hostel is very close of the station, well, Dover isn't very big, so everything is close the station. This hostel is for an emergency or book it with no much time, as it's very dumped, you can feel and smell that. The owner is polite and the room clean. Breakfast is just one hour from 8 to 9.
Review 52：Everything the place looks nothing like the photos so unsafe should not be trading until it is brought up to standard. Do not book here really not fit to stay in.
Review 53：Nothing the hotel looks unsafe dirty and derelict. We tried to contact the hotel no one answers the phone or the door. We cancelled with booking.com but the hotel took payment early although the booking was booked as payment on arrival and they will not refund the money.
Review 54：I only met one member of staff and could just about understand him but he didn't seem very happy.
Review 55：The location was very close to the port which made getting the early morning ferry easy.
Review 56：We got there after ten, nobody around. We did get codes to get in, but only an hour before check-in. If one does not have internet, they are screwed. Or, if there phone runs out of juice, like us. No one answering calls, or emails. We would have been stranded with bags on the street at 11 at night, if we couldn't have recovered the mail by luck. Still no one has contacted since. On the way out the door was locked, and if the shuttle bus driver wouldn't have helped, we would still be there. The mugs in the kitchen where very stained from use. Rooms are very-very small, our windows didn't close.
Review 57：That I didn't have to break down the wall, or there wasn't a fire while we where stuck inside. Dirt cheap.
Review 58：The smell of mold and musty carpet was overwhelming. The kitchen was nota place I'd cook anything. My room overlooked the main street andthe window was permanently open (wouldn't shut) and so basically itwas like sleeping on the street, cold and noisy. Also, the fact theowner said not to drink any of the water from the bathroom and insteadonly use water in the kitchen was a bit of a red flag.
Review 59：The owner did make an effort to help me figure out my ferry and timingthe next morning. My sheets were clean. The free wifi and tv worked.
Review 60：No hot water. Very small rooms and narrow stairs. WIFI was unstable. Free parking means you have to move your car between two streets twice a day.
Review 61：Nothing
Review 62：Wifi didn't seem to be working - there is a guest kitchen where supplies are provided for breakfast but not a breakfast room as such
Review 63：Room was clean and comfortable and had everything I needed
Review 64：The bedroom was facing a busy main road and the windows were old and single glazed so very noisy.
Review 65：The location for ferry crossing is ideal with free street parking
Review 66：Felt uncomfortable and was worried about my van full of stuff parked out in the street. We also booked a room with a double and two single beds but got given a room with one double bed and one single, so I had to share a bed with my daughter. This was after refusing to be put in two separate rooms! As if I am going to spend the night in a place like that separated from my young children!
Review 67：leaving!
Review 68：Room a bit damp, no view, hotel looks dreadful outside, Steep stairs. Breakfast was simply awful with fizzy fermenting orange juice, old cheese and eggs, even the coffee tasted gone off.
Review 69：It looks far worse outside, but the room itself wasn't too bad. Good wifi. It was cheap though. Fabulous indian takeaway nearby.
Review 70：The smell of damp as you enter the building is overwhelming. We were staying with three children and given two rooms on different floors. Yes its cheap but very nasty.
Review 71：Location good for port.
Review 72：To be fair not perfect but for the price can't really critisis
Review 73：arrived late on the evening and parked on street next to the petrol station opposite the hotel. Was a bit worried what we had come too when first arrived as looks a bit rough on the outside but room was comfortable perfect for somewhere to get head down before ferry journey. Shared kitchen was a nice touch and our room was very clean.
Review 74：I was disappointed that the latest we could have breakfast was 8:30am which seemed a bit early compared to other places we've stayed in. We would have preferred 9:00 or 9:30, especially as we had been out drinking until 2am :-)
Review 75：The price worked out at £13 each (three people sharing one room), and you get your own TV, wifi, bathroom. Great value. There is also a shared kitchen with microwave. Owner also let us check out at 11 instead of 10, at no further expense, which was very decent of him.
Review 76：The room was smelly. Damp problems. the breakfast was more than disappointing, consisting of a cold boiled egg and a toast with a slice of cheese. The place was very dirty.
Review 77：Good location, free wifi, good facilities, very clean. He offers cookies and coffee or tea to prepare yourself in a shared kitchen with microwave, fridge, dishwasher, ... very convenient.
Review 78：noisy, smelling damp, the room is small
Review 79：the location is the best for train station. it very cheap and clean. Even though the radiatior does not work, the staff have brought portable radiator, it was enough.
Review 80：I am one to never write reviews, however this hostel was so disgustingand the owner was so rude I just have to let people know that this placewill make Dover a terrible experience! To start off, the room had aterrible aroma of urinated carpet and cigarettes (even though it was a"smoke free room"), the white walls have a replisove shade ofbrown smearing them, and the mattresses are stained with god knows what.Ive talked to locals about this place and not one person had a goodthing to say about it. I was told that whoever stays at this hostel,never comes back. A neighboring business informed me that the owner ofthe place (middle aged russian guy) is extremely rude and drinks alot. Ipersonally can second that, also I can also add that he isdisrespectful, stubborn, refuses to hear your opinion, and should not betrusted with your credit card information!!! For your own safety do notbook here. An elderly lady that lives nearby this hostel also told me agroup of very well dressed business men were seen taking photos of theplace, so it must be under some kind of review.
Review 81：For the money and compared to other places it was excellent.
Review 82：The hostel was small, clean (including the mattress) and convenient. The one member (male) of staff that I met was working extremely hard and was very pleasant even in the face of one unhappy customer who hadn't read the rules! The kitchen was clean and well equipped.
Review 83：-The wifi only worked in the kitchen two floors below my room. -The electricity didn't work until the staff member turned it on. -The window in my room didn't close. -My room was freezing cold with no heat. -The walls in the room were disgustingly dirty. -The breakfast was extremely disappointing and borderline unsanitary. -There was no reception area or front desk.
Review 84：The TV came with a lot of channels.
Review 85：Was very cold The bed felt wet Only one small double and one single bed provided in a 'family room' Bathroom was tiny Toilet was dirty Very small winding staircase , not suitable for 2x small sleepy children Should have paid extra 20 pound n stayed at travel lodge
Review 86：The room had a bed The tv worked
Review 87：Was waiting outside for 10 minutes until i called them to come and let me in at around 5pm. Shower gel and shampoo didnt work in bathroom,
Review 88：Clean. No smell. Small but nice . cute shower. Nice kettle and microwave in the kitchen + Fridge. Comfy bed + pillow. nice Service
Review 89：Mouldy smell Single glazed windows Windows didn't shut properly Traffic noise
Review 90：Price Clean Room Easy check-in & out Coded doors Distance from train station
Review 91：Opposite a fuel station. Very Noisy. Window would not shut completely. Woken up at 05:30 by SPAR delivery to service station. I have stayed at less expensive places with better rooms and facilities
Review 92：Small room, with ill-fitting window (through which a large spider crawled) and through which the noise of the traffic below was clearly audible. Narrow winding stairs made the hotel feel like a cheap boarding house.
Review 93：It was an easy walk into town and my partner, who arrived early the next morning, was able to pull into the filling station opposite for me to join him.
Review 94：All the building is moldy and damp, and smells like that. Windows are covered in mold and have no sound proof at all so you hear the cars outside all night and its in front of a gas station so that doesnt help either as there is action there all night. Bathroom was dirty and tiles were all lose on the floor. Wifi doesnt work in the bedroom. Breakfast was extremely poor and short as we found a hair in the cheese. Staff is rude and unpolite. For sure we wont return there.
Review 95：The bad: There's a real damp problem. There's mould around thewindows and there's a smell of damp. It's an old building and Iunderstand it's difficult to pay for constant maintenance, buthonestly if I'd been staying for longer than one night I thinkI'd have been concerned about getting a chest infection.It's really noisy. We couldn't close the window and because of the proximity to the port there's constant traffic throughout the night - heavy goods lorries so it's loud. Not the fault of the hostel but it might have been better if you could close the windows. There also seemed to be people vacuuming in the hostel at 5AM?? The walls are super thin so you can hear everything, although I think that's to be expected in a building of that age.
Review 96：As I assume is the case for the vast majority of people stayinghere, my Partner and I stayed for one night before getting the ferryin the morning.The good:It said very clearly in the booking information that check in closes at 10pm. We were driving down from Nottingham after 6 so we didnt expect to get there before then, so I emailed the owner and I had a prompt and courteous reply giving me the codes to enter the front door and bedroom door. The email also provided a decent amount of other information about the hostel and local area. The codes all worked fine and we were able to just let ourselves into the room.The room itself was a decent size, had been cleaned and bed was comfortable. Room had an ensuite which I hadnt expected for the price we'd paid.Room was well equipped - TV (which we didnt need to use), ample plug sockets, hairdryer provided. Free wifi (which we also didnt need to use)The neutral:There was free parking advertised as part of the booking (which was part of my search criteria) but I found that actually the only way to access this free parking was to be let in by reception, which had shut down by the time we arrived. We were able to park on street opposite the hostel as the permit parking wasn't applicable during the hours we were there.The whole building is a little shabby and run down - not bad for the price and certainly no worse than the photos show (not sure what some of the 1* reviewers were expecting when it looks basically exactly the same as the photos?)The bathroom was very small - as others have said, you need to either stand in the doorway or in the shower in order to use the sink, but all facilities were clean and worked fine.Can't comment on the owner or staff we didnt see anyone while we were there - which suits us down to the ground, very efficient!OVERALL:It's fine for one night.
Review 97：The bathrooms where too small. The beds for a couple should of been a double bed with one single for a child and we were given 3 singles. The breakfast in the morning was ok but continental breakfast to me does have a cold boild egg and toast.(strange)
Review 98：The rooms where ok with free wifi. Continental breakfast in the morning.
Review 99：Noisy guests, hard bed, noisy drunks passing by early in the morning, narrow steep access stairs and heater didn't work. Milk in the fridge had turned to yoghurt
Review 100：Liked the location, the good hot shower and fast wifi. Staff were helpful but had little English.
Review 101：Short and early breakfast availability.
Review 102：Clean, comfortable and good value for money. Great self-service kitchen facilities whenever one wanted a snack. Value breakfast too. Easy walk to town for other facilities and opposite a really good food store.
Review 103：Musty smell upon arrival in dining area.
Review 104：Surprised by the cleanliness of the room and en suit. Good amount of continental breakfast options. Lovely tea and juice. Loved the fact that we could leave our luggage there after check-out time...
Review 105：Smelt a bit damp in corridor but not in room
Review 106：Position great for railway and ferry, also close to town to go for a meal. Handy situation for passing through on a tour.
Review 107：The entire hotel smelled really bad. We are used to roughing it but were so uncomfortable with the cleanliness of the bedrooms that we slept on top of the beds for fear of bringing bed mites home. The mattresses in one of our two rooms were rock hard and my wife was unable to get any sleep at all. If there was any way to get a rebate we would have sought it. In my wife's tired words the next day: "this hotel is not fit for animals".
Review 108：The hotel is very cheap but for a reason. Spend a bit more and stay at the premier inn down the road.
Review 109：Location on very busy main road, opposite a garage and on the main route home from the pubs. Don't expect much sleep.
Review 110：Continental breakfast was pleasant with good service.
Review 111：Window didn't shut properly Breakfast was barely a breakfast-cold boiled egg, cold toast, 3 slices of cheese, gone off orange juice (unsure whether it actually was but it tasted strange) the only really ok things were the hot chocolate and the cereal-the staff member in the cafe scowled when someone said they didn't like eggs there was a section cut out of the door to the bathroom because it would fit passed the bed The floors were really hollow you could hear every footstep made around the entire building The place wasn't cleaned very well there was dirt and cobwebs everywhere and there were many bugs and spiders around the place
Review 112：It was cheap (but still not value for money) and close to the train station
Review 113：Finding the entrance is not easy. We had to wait quite a long time for someone to answer the door. The owner was not particularly friendly at first. However quite helpful when we had a request. Not suitable if you have difficulties walking (very steep stairs).
Review 114：The room was very clean. Quite spacious (apart from the bathroom). I wouldn't stay here for 2 weeks, but for a couple of nights it is a good hotel for the amount you pay.
Review 115：everything the unpleasant smell that greeted you in the hotel the hotel is in need of serious redecoration felt like we were in a homeless unit no harm to the homeless folk. a bit of a rip off you should have paid us to stay there
Review 116：nothing
Review 117：Concern was discussed in our party over the safety of the premises. Narrow stairs, and fire instructions partly obliterated in each room.
Review 118：It was handy for the Ferry Port, and the breakfast was perfectly adequate, though rushed in order to catch the ferry. Rooms somewhat cramped.
Review 119：Poor wifi, super small rooms on top level (only about 2m2 is full height in #9, total room about 6m2), road noise and street light might be an issue if you're not a city person.
Review 120：Low budget place, 8-10min walk from beach strip. Opposite a small shop/garage.
Review 121：The external decoration is very poor and suggested that the inside would be similar. We almost walked away. The inside is typical of a hostel land that is what it is. Rooms are small and adequately furnished.
Review 122：Convenient for ferry.
Review 123：Looked dilapidated and shabby. The room we were given was small and the door to the en-suite had a bit cut out so that the door closed round part of the bed. This is such a disaster of a property I am amazed that you offer it to your clients.
Review 124：Leaving in the morning after a lousy night's rest.
Review 125：The outside of the property is in a very shabby condition, the hall and stairs are very dark in colour and narrow. The room was very small - only just big enough to fit a double bed. The window was single glazed and allowed all the road noise from the busy main road to pass straight through.
Review 126：The location of the Hostel is just a very short drive to the ferry terminal. Breakfast was fine. Bathroom was compact but clean and the shower worked very well. Drinks facilities were provided in a clean and tidy communal kitchen. Corridors were well lit with automatic lighting. Suitable for young persons on a tight budget with few expectations.
Review 127：Strange things happen after you leave the Hotel, they send u e mail that u was stolen the hairdryer and Shower curtains, crazy. We paid the small fee and didnt start to argument!
Review 128：Dirty Smelly Tiny Health and safety Wi fi didn't work TV is programmed to turn off at 10.30 - right in the middle of a football match
Review 129：Absolutely nothing
Review 130：Comfortable with easy access to the Port
Review 131：Everything. Noisy. No hot water. No curtain on window.Rude staff. Etc etc etc etc
Review 132：poor breakfast staff not very friendly
Review 133：clean simple rooms a very small house, under the roof very narrow
Review 134：It is a experience to live it by yourself.
Review 135：The guy who runs the hostel smiled me once.
Review 136：Very musty. Not clean. Very musty smell Cornflakes soggy. Eggs cooked days before freezing
Review 137：Near town centre and port
Review 138：Very close to the ferries and cheap!
The Fine Print
Later check-in (after 22:00) is available on request. The hostel will provide entrance codes and instructions by e-mail. The PIN code provided by this website is not a hostel entrance code.Please note that there is no lift.