Painted Turtle Guesthouse

Recent Reviews: 178

• User:Relax32622293409

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Avis négatif – Des rats au Painted Turtle Guesthouse, Nanaimo

  02 Oct 2025

  Anglais : Avoid this place! Rats or mice in the room damaged my belongings, the smell of urine was unbearable, and I even found droppings in the bed – absolutely disgusting. Staff made promises they didn’t keep and tried to make it seem like I misunderstood. On top of that, it’s above a nightclub (walls shaking, no sleep) and housekeeping comes in at 10 AM with no privacy. Worst hostel experience I’ve ever had.Français : À éviter absolument ! Des rats ou des souris dans la chambre ont abîmé mes affaires, et l’odeur d’urine était insupportable. J’ai même découvert des crottes dans le lit – l’horreur. Le personnel n’a pas tenu ses promesses et a tenté de me faire croire que j’avais mal compris. L’auberge est au-dessus d’une boîte de nuit (murs qui tremblent, impossible de dormir) et le ménage débarque dès 10h sans aucune intimité. La pire expérience d’auberge que j’aie eue.

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• User:PJ P

  Trip type: Solo travel

  The best budget-friendly place in town

  26 Apr 2025

  I stayed here April 25, 2025. I don't agree with the hegative reviews at all. I booked a single queen-bed room for the "American weekend" (I'm from Victoria) because I can't afford the local hotel rates. My check-in experience was stellar. As I got to my room, a cleaner was kneeling, scrubbing the doorframe. Another was kneeling and vacuuming all the stairs. My room was immaculate and spotless. The bed was nicer than my own bed; the pillows too. The bathrooms (there are several on each floor) were sparkling clean. Yes, the walls are a bit thin, so bring earplugs. For the quietest stay, book the 3rd floor (I was on the 2nd). No, they don't post fake photos, here are my own photos of my room, the shared kitchen and common room. If you need a budget place to stay and don't mind sharing bathrooms, stay here, the location couldn't be better. I would definitely stay again. FYI, no elevator, so you have to be okay with stairs. They also have a laundry room.

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• User:Herve588

  Trip type: Couples

  Not a welcoming environment at all

  24 Mar 2025

  I’ve been to Painted turtle many times but not for a while (since 2020). In March 2025, we came for a one night stay after a visit on Gabriola island.The quality went a lot down and the price increased a lot since my last visit.It was the first time for my girlfriend and I was embarrassed cause it used to be not a bad place. I paid more than 100$ for a filthy “private” bed room with no bathroom. The nearest bathroom had no paper towel and was really dirty. I can say the same for the bed room. There was a really bad smell in the room and lots of dusts. The very few furnitures and surfaces were absolutely not dusted and even the bedding that we were expected at least to be decent had like a used smell and we found a bunch of hairs in it which made us thinking that eventually the housekeeping didn’t even changed the bedding ?!We both had a bad night due to the smelly and dusty environment and by the fact that we were able to hear the streets discussions all night from the our thin windows glasses.We came by car to this hostel situated in downtown and surprise… no free parking at the hotel. Don’t expect a breakfast as well like most of backpacker hostel do nowadays , nothing is included. For the price spent (more than 100$ for one night) and the service and quality of the room and cleanliness of the whole place it is not acceptable. I was shocked by what this location became and by what kind of hostel the young visitors and travelers of Nanaimo are welcomed.

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• User:Stephen B

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Wouldn't stay again.

  30 Jul 2024

  The bar downstairs is terribly noisy, well after midnight. The room I was booked into had a guy in there who stank so bad I had to ask for another room. And in that next room I was bitten by bed bugs. So ya, not a great experience. The people working there are super friendly and kind, but this place has some serious drawbacks.

• User:Lachlan M

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Stay away. People doing meth and fentanyl in the rooms and mice everywhere.

  25 Mar 2024

  Woke in the middle of the night to find junkies smoking meth in the room and another doing the fentanyl lean. Trying to make dinner in the comunal kitchen was a nightmare as you have 101 questions from people spun out of there mind on drugs. Not safe at all. Stay away. Expected better from a HI Hostel having stayed at multiple others locations across Canada and never had one problem untill here.

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