Birdo Tenso Hostel

I enjoyed all the key aspects of my stay here from start to finish. I wish I had discovered the place sooner, as I would have been happy to stay for longer given the fair price for the convenience of what you're getting. I'm a light sleeper unfortunately, however I slept well without any interruptions such as noise from outside. I really liked the interior design, cool concept with everything that you might need. The bedding was so clean it looked new and towels were provided. Tidy bathroom (they not only have a shower but also a tub), beautiful kitchen with a large fridge, and nice dining table plus a TV. IMHO it matches the photos. The staff were excellent: proactive and reactive to help with my extra requests on top of being very friendly in general. The owner was super responsive - I was able to reach him on WhatsApp as soon as I booked. They clearly want to keep improving things. The info provided made it clear how to gain access via the external and internal security codes. It was easy to find and perfectly located for where I needed to get to - quite close to Union Station too - Toronto's main transport hub. They even have a cool mural on one of the exterior walls - in keeping with their theme. That said, it is in a bit of a tricky area, though the building itself is in what's essentially a mini gated compound so quite safe and secure. I left my luggage and retrieved each piece without issue. I never felt unsafe, but there are people who appear to be homeless around the neighbourhood. That's something I find in almost every city however, and the aforementioned nearby Union Station itself has got the exact same issues with homelessness so it tracks. Then you've got the classic thing where blocks away, there are expensive gorgeous luxury apartments. Guess that's how it goes what with gentrification and so on. I will also say, having visited most of the world's major capitals and again seen the same problems, the next morning (not far from one of the bus stops) was the first time that I saw a community drive with people giving out food etc and offering emotional support to those struggling with being unhoused, poverty etc. Naturally, I'm sure it's happened in other countries when I wasn't there. It was heartwarming to see. Hopefully tourists like us can keep helping economies improve so things get better for everyone.

I stayed here for a night. It’s right downtown and the beds were huge. For the price I can’t complain. I tried to find a last minute hotel and it was 4x the price.