What are your top 7 aspects/offerings from a hostel? Help with a start up

[Pastor Bryon]

Friends,

A group in my town is looking to make a hostel available using a currently vacant structure. Towards that goal and at their request, I would like to know - what are the top 7 things you look for in a hostel/lodging? What's most helpful? What's least helpful? What's just plain annoying?

This might include (but of course not limited to) - electricity/charging station, showers, laundry, wifi, shuttle, kitchen.

What would be in your top 7?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

[Jeff]

One of the most important requirements of a successful hostel is to have it staffed on a full time basis. Without a caretaker, behavior can get out of control. Just a few bad apples can spoil a fantastic idea.

[swjohnsey]

Bed/bunk
Shower
landry facilities
cooking facilities
proximity/shuttle to groceries
proximity/shuttle to town food

[MuddyWaters]

The # 1 reason I avoid hostels a lot of times, is not being able to lock up $$$ gear when Im out doing laundry or eating or such. I also like quiet and privacy, but Im willing to forgo those things at the right price. If a hostel is 40 and private room is 50 , Ill usually go for the private room.

If Im concerned about stuff, I dont relax and enjoy myself.
yeah, you dont have to worry about most people, unfortunately there are a few that you do.

Lockable drawers beneath the bunks, big enough to put a pack in. Check out the hostel in Crested Butte, Co.

Its not even about the money if something went missing, its the fact it could ruin a hike you spent a long time prepping for.

[Jeff]

Here is an old thread (2009) and if you can get past some of the ramblings, there are some real good suggestions.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ghlight=hostel

[Old Hiker]

Private room, if possible – I snore loudly. If no private rooms, tenting space
Showers – bath soap available (nominal charge? – whatever that is! )
Ability to lock gear up
Laundry service or access to laundromat
Shuttles (nominal charge? – whatever that is! ) to food/re-supply
Moderate kitchen – microwave, etc. with ability to clean up after yourself
On-board caretaker(s) to enforce safety

[map man]

1) Be within a mile of the trail
2) Clean showers with clean shower curtain -- towel and soap provided (I've seen some really gross showers at hostels)
3) Washers and dryers that work properly (again, I've seen a lot of wonky washers and dryers at hostels)
4) Willingness to accept packages on behalf of hikers with staff being the only ones with access to those packages
5) Staff on premises at all times
6) Ability to tent and hammock on the property
7) No smoking inside the building and no alcohol anywhere on the property (also posted quiet hours)

Some stuff I know some other hikers might want but that aren't as important to me:
Shuttle services to get hikers to and from the trail and to and from resupply stores if these things are not in easy walking distance.
Some trail necessities for sale at the hostel; some energy drinks/sodas and food items for sale at the hostel.
Some kitchen facilities.
Some kind of web page with location and contact info and a listing of services offered.

[Lone Wolf]

no alcohol, smoking or dogs on the property

[wrap89]

the things i look for in a good hostel are.
1 No DOGS on property.
2 No drinking on property.
3 be within a mile or two of the trail.
4 clean towels.
5 HOT shower. with soap and shampoo
6 shuttles to town and trail.
7 quite time after a certain time.
8 a clean hostel.
9 have smoking areas.
10 a courteous caretaker/owner.
11 a laundry facility.

[Pastor Bryon]

Here is an old thread (2009) and if you can get past some of the ramblings, there are some real good suggestions.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ghlight=hostel

Thanks, Jeff! Good insight amidst the ramblings! Will be interesting to see if people's top needs are different now from what they were then.

[Harrison Bergeron]

Clean.

No mice.

Plastic mattresses that get wiped down with bleach every day, so I don't have to worry about bed bugs and lice.

Lockers big enough for my pack.

More than one shower, WITH SOAP.

Day room/kitchen separate from sleeping quarters.

More than one washer and dryer.

Lots of outlets for charging phones, preferably near the bunks.

Hooks for hanging a clothesline over my bunk.

Resupply groceries, especially Mountain House, oatmeal, and Cliff bars.

Lights on a timer so that they don't burn past midnight until some old fart like me finally has to get up and turn out that damned lights.

[bsteinberg]

1) Be open daily especially during peak season. Hikers come to depend and plan on hostel stays/resupply resources in line with their walk through the area, so being closed say one day a week, or randomly can throw off someones hike.

2) If you want to offer some kind of special treat food/meal consider if you really can sustain it for the entire season. For example if you want to be the hostel to offer free home made chocolate chip cookies, or biscuit sandwiches, or $5 Tuesday's home made pizza on the grill night, be sure you will be able to do it. You don't want to get a rep for being the cookie hostel to only tire of making them mid season to be the place that took away the cookies. No ones says you have to do, but if you do, be consistent.

3) Have a public fridge and freezer with self pay items: Soda, ice cream, frozen pizzas (if there's an oven), snickers bars

4) Have alcohol stove fuel available.

[BillyGr]

Do any hostels think of having a few older (but still useable) bikes on hand?
That might be good if it was not too far outside of a town - while a hiker might not want to walk 3 or 4 miles into town for supplies, doing that on a bike wouldn't be too tough, and could save time and effort for the hostel folks running people back & forth, and save money for the hikers (no fees for those shuttles)?

[misterfloyd]

For myslef

1) No alchohol, I'm not a tea man but it has brought out the worst.
2) close proximity to the trail
3) If you are going to provide sheets on a bunk/bed, please let them be clean
4) A decent laundrey machiene
Pastor, I will be going your way soon..... hopefully our paths will cross.
Floyd
6) showers
7 a definite quiet time.
8) to be able to send resupply boxes, and only the staff be able to access it.
9) cannister, or Alky fuel available.
10 tenting available

There are others but I cannot think of them off hand

[Jeff]

Do any hostels think of having a few older (but still useable) bikes on hand?
That might be good if it was not too far outside of a town - while a hiker might not want to walk 3 or 4 miles into town for supplies, doing that on a bike wouldn't be too tough, and could save time and effort for the hostel folks running people back & forth, and save money for the hikers (no fees for those shuttles)?

We offered bikes ..... until our insurance company realized what we were doing.

[Doctari]

1: Easy access to the trail.
2: Real mattresses.
3: Places to tent AND Hammock
4: Multiple showers And separate toilets (so you don't have to wait for the Privy while someone takes a shower!)
5: Kitchen facilities (fridge, stove, table, sink, spices, etc.) & an outside table (or 3)
6: MULTIPLE electrical outlets, with a place to set the devices charging.
7: Chairs!!!
Also;
A place to lock stuff up. Shuttles to / from food (grocery & restaurants). Lights out time at ??:?? Alcohol is OK by me, but get drunk & get out! On site caretaker would be helpful. Racks to hang quilts / sleeping bags. Washer / drier for clothing. Hiker supplies for sale, stuff that is hard to get in the limited amount we carry, like TP where you usually have to buy 6 rolls. Towels AND washcloths for in the shower.

Thanks for what you are doing!!

[peakbagger]

I have brought up the life safety aspects in the past. If the hostel charges money, the facility needs to meet life safety codes, generally that's means smoke alarms, two means of egress from the sleeping area protected by the fire rated walls. Kitchen isolated from living space.

Rules need to posted and enforced. If they are poorly enforced folks will figure it out and the sleezebags will move in. The staff have to be firm but fair.

I am not a fan of self pay refreshments, A small minority will take advantage of it and use it fund their next bottle.

[Furlough]

1) A bunk, 2) Hot Shower, 3) Laundry machines, 4) Pizza/food delivery if no restaurants are in easy walking distance, 5) shuttle service, 6) kitchen

[scatman]

Most have hit the top things but other things to think about are:

-Binders with menus of local restaurants
-Wall map of town (doesn't need to be fancy, it could be made with Crayons. It just needs to show the places hikers need to go)
-Wifi or a computer to use
-Copies of the Data Book and Town Guides for planning. (I say copies because like the shower no one wants to sit around and wait)
-A kitchen to cook in
-Supply of different types of fuel for stoves
-A staff member who knows the section of the trail north and south of the location who can answer any question
-Accepts packages and can ship if PO is closed

[Dogwood]

Listing of clear rules in paper form and/or communicated verbally at check in time. Hikers need to be reminded through notes, caretaker communication, policing each other, etc ie: Please immediately remove clothes from dryer/washer as others may be waiting/the management is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items, YOU are responsible for cleaning up dishes, YOUR garbage, etc, QUIET HOURS CLEARLY POSTED, CLEARLY POST HOSTEL'S ALCOHOL and DRUG POLICY, etc

A well run Hostel is not just about services or goods offered to visitors. Without going into writing a book I strongly suggest you visit some well run Hostels such as the Hiker Hostel in Dalonega GA and talk to the proprietors Josh and Leigh Saint, stay there, observe, and take notes. Also, know, the most well run Hostels I've stayed at evolved to that optimal state of being well run. Running a very good Hostel needs to be approached from soliciting the advice and knowledge NOT just from visitors but also proprietors.

I see you're listing yourself as Pastor Bryan. If this Hostel is going to have a specific situation involving anything associated with that you need to make sure you know what you might be getting into