YHA Dartmoor

My group has been hiring a YHA property as ‘Exclusive Hire’ every year for over 20 years so we are not new to Youth Hostels or the Exclusive Hire experience. This is the first time I am writing a negative review. Firstly, the kitchen equipment was totally inadequate for our group of 35. Only 2 of us were under the age of 18 however there were a grand total of 11 wine glasses and 16 coffee mugs available in the self-catering kitchen. There were also only two tiny 2-cup cafetieres. It has often happened in previous Exclusive Hires that the majority of the crockery etc is stored in the staff kitchen because in normal times few people self-cater, and staff forget that Exclusive Hire users are unable to access the staff kitchen; however in previous years this has always been resolved by a phone call or a chat with the person checking us in and it has not been a problem. Despite trying both email and phone, I was completely unable to contact anyone to resolve the lack of equipment, and nobody came to greet us in person when we arrived. Second, the self-catering kitchen only has two stoves and one sink, which really isn’t sufficient to cook and wash up for 35 people. Third, there are only 4 toilets and 4 showers, which meant that people were frequently queuing for the toilet. This has never happened to us at other Exclusive Hire properties. Fourth, the hot water supply was totally inadequate for 35 people. When we all came back at the same time from a cold and muddy walk, the hot water only lasted long enough for half of us to have a shower before going ice cold. This also meant there was no hot water in the one-and-only sink for washing up. Other than the above, all was good. We appreciated the log burner and having logs supplied when we arrived. The hostel was nice and warm once the central heating got going after we arrived. The beds were comfy and linen super clean and crisp. The communal arrangement of the kitchen / dining room was very sociable, and we just about managed to squeeze everyone into the lounge for party games on New Year’s Eve.

Great place to stay! Brilliant location, staff very friendly and very helpfull. Had an evening meal and breakfast, both great 👌

Good stay as a family in what is genuine nature! Recommend to anyone who wants to get away from businesses of life. No internet, which is great! Make sure you download some films to watch if you need to. Board games to play as a family. Very good!

We've been coming here for years, the location is absolutely stunning, beautiful walks in every direction it is the perfect base for hiking and exploring. Even though there are a fair few rooms, it never seems noisy, although we often go on the cheaper nights ( usually Sundays) when they crop up at a low rate ( around £35) and can sometimes be, or feel like the only people there. The kitchen has everything you need to prepare your own food, there is a living area which is comfortable enough. The beds are comfy and clean and the views lovely. The staff are always friendly and helpful, we've never had the food so couldn't comment but have seen the cooked breakfasts and they looked ample! We just prefer to get one from Fox Tor in Princetown or the best pastries ever from the Birdcage in Chagford so don't have theirs here. Remember to bring your own tea, coffee and towels. Cons: I do often find the rooms abit warm and stuffy, obviously for security with youngsters the windows don't open much in the rooms. The shower rooms are very claustrophobic and its hard to keep your clothes dry as the shower curtains kind of float out into the little standing area so wear bare feet or sliders you don't mind getting wet. To be honest for the cheap prices we pay, the cons don't matter but if you're paying £50-£100 as the rooms sometimes go for you might be abit more fussy about that.

We camped in the field next to the hostel. Dog friendly and some fabulous walks in the forest across the road. £10 per night and dogs free.Full use of the hostel facilities. Will definitely be returning!

If you're a fan of nature, love hiking and learning about the history of your surroundings; this place is for you! Sweet little hostel located in the centre of the national park. Great place for stargazing (just check the moon phases before hand!). Lots of nearby nature trails, if you're lucky you'll get to see some animals, including the cooing of woodpeckers nearby! Staff was lovely, allowed us to check in early, even had a cute little dog who came and said hello to us at one point. Plenty of facilities, although we didn't really use them, little reasonable price food and drink shop - we got two bottles of pepsi max for £3.00. Offered breakfast too, at a price of course! I also really liked that they had a little bird-watching room in the living room, a potential favourite for birdwatchers. Recommend this place as a little night or two's stay! Only wish was that we had a better view from our room.