Generator Paris

This hostel has the best location! I've got a lovely shared ensuite room and bed; comfy and dark to sleep, as I like. The cleanliness was okay, but my bed looked unprepared when I arrived. Good locker in the room, and the common areas are great. Breakfast could be nicer, but the bar area is fantastic, with comfy seats, sockets for charging devices, and a nice view for the backyard. Great place to stay, I recommend Generator Paris.

My stay here left me feeling unsafe and violated. My partner and I shared a private room for 2 weeks as part of a study abroad program. Pros - close to some major train and bus lines. Pharmacy and convenience stores located nearby. Pros end there. Cons - The first room I was given had broken window insulation, constantly letting in cold January air. Told the front desk, who sent a guard upstairs to check it out. He told me it was fine and I had to show him exactly where the rubber insulation lining was peeling away from the window frame. Was told to wait for maintenance, was not given a time frame. Updated my program director, who got us a new room in 5 minutes flat. Moved all our stuff to the new room with a window that shut fully, but still had broken heating. I developed hypothermia as a result of prolonged exposure to the cold, while inside. Absolutely ridiculous stuff. Quite literally, I had to catch hypothermia and tell the staff I was calling myself a doctor for them to finally get maintenance involved. Maintenance fixed the problem in under 10 minutes. The shower in this second room was covered in black mold. The vents and grout were disgusting, to the point I originally thought someone had had a mishap while dyeing their hair. Nope, mold. The staff and managers are very aware of this - I have read reviews on google dating back several years of other customers pointing out the black mold in the showers, and the owner or staff will reply and say that "housekeeping tries their best." It's not housekeeping's job anymore - this hostel needs to hire a specialist. It's disgusting. I will not allow them to direct the blame to their cleaning crew, who are all doing their best. The owner/managers need to accept responsibility for creating a disgusting, unsafe environment. I asked other members of my program the mold status of their bathrooms and at least 2 of the other 9 rooms had the same problem. The locks do nothing. I was alone in the room and had my door locked (they are also keycard protected.) A man knocked on the door three times; I did not respond. He let himself into the room anyways. Cleaning crew will also just let themselves into your room, so pray that you're not butt naked during those times. I felt like I had zero privacy. The food is expensive and disgusting. You cannot bring outside food into your room or the cafe, so if you haven't budgeted to go out to eat every night, then pick somewhere else. Their website proudly states that their staff speak both French and English, but this is only the front desk folks. The maintenance and cleaning crew did not understand anything I said, which would've been fine if I hadn't been dealing with unexpected intrusions and black mold in my shower. I wish I could've better expressed these concerns to them, or had them taken more seriously. Reiterating though - this is the owner's fault. I don't place any blame on the overworked staff who are doing what up above has told them to do. I understand it's a hostel, not a hotel, and that the services offered differ greatly. I don't expect a stay at the Ritz or even a dingy motel, but I do expect to not get so sick I have to see a doctor or hold my breath the whole time I'm showering. Spare yourself and find a party hostel that respects your health.